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Ittihad Party

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Ittihad Party
حزب الاتحاد
FounderMohamed Tawfik Naseem Pasha
Founded1924 (1924)
Dissolved1936 (1936)
Split fromWafd Party
HeadquartersAl-Azhar Mosque, Cairo
NewspaperAl-Ittihad
Al-Shab al-Masri[1]
IdeologyEgyptian nationalism
Islamic democracy
Traditionalism
Political positionRight-wing
ReligionSunni Islam
International affiliationMuslim Brotherhood (1928–36)
Colours  Blue
Ittihad is separate and distinct from Union Party.

The Ittihad Party or Union Party ("Ettihad Party", Arabic: حزب الاتحاد, Hizb al-Ittihad) was a Islamist political party active in the Kingdom of Egypt.

The party was founded by a group of ulamas with royalist and islamist ideas that legitimized the Sir Lee Stack's assassination in 1924. This group was composed also by young future political leaders like Muhammad Hamid Abu al-Nasr and Aly Maher Pasha.[2] The ideological values were entrencheds in the Egyptian "traditional" culture. The party was gather in the Al-Azhar Mosque. The Ittihad was financially supported by King Fuad I and British agents, that trusted that the Ittihad would have destabilized the activities of the left-wing radicals. Nevertheless, the Ittihad failed in his goal of built a conservative party, due to his religious views. Its platform was composed mainly by teachers, farmers, ulamas and imams.

The party program was:[2]

  • Dignified positions of the religious authorities
  • Better resources for the Egyptian monarchy
  • Monopoly over the distribution of public and private endowments
  • Creation of the Awqaf
  • Strong social values and solidarity
  • Anti-Western policies

The Ittihad was also tutelaged by Hassan al-Banna's Muslim Brotherhood. After this alliance, the Ittihad became mostly active against Copts, and refused the French Revolution, reputed as anarchy, supported a strong authoritarian state.[1] Despite his low electoral results, he party took over the governments of Egypt in 1930s thanks the support of independent politicians present in the House of Representatives.

The party hasn't been a long life and in 1936 was dissolved. Its member adhered mainly to Wafd Party and Muslim Brotherhood.

Electoral results

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House of Representatives elections

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Election Party leader Seats +/– Position
1926 Mohamed Tawfik Naseem Pasha
10 / 215
Increase 10 Increase 3rd

References

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  1. ^ a b James Whidden (2013). Monarchy and Modernity in Egypt: Politics, Islam and Neo-Colonialism Between the Wars. I.B. Tauris. p. 235.
  2. ^ a b Goldschmidt, Arthur; Johnson,Amy J. (1 August 2005). Re-Envisioning Egypt 1919–1952. Hardcover.