Homeland Party (Libya)

Not to be confused with Union for Homeland.
Homeland Party
Founder Ali al-Sallabi
Founded November 2011
Ideology Islamism
Islamic democracy
Conservatism[1]
Website
http://wattan.ly/
Politics of Libya
Political parties
Elections

The Homeland Party[2] or Libyan National Party[3] (also styled Alwattan Party, Arabic: حزب الوطن‎ Ħizb al-Waṭan or Ħizb el-Waṭan) is a conservative Islamist political party in Libya, founded in November 2011,[4] after the Libyan Civil War and the overthrow of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. It is endorsed and led by Ali al-Sallabi, an influential Salafist cleric. Members include also Abdelhakim Belhadj, Mahmoud Hamza, Ali Zeidan and Mansour Saif Al-Nasar.[1][5] At the time of its establishment, it had the provisional name of National Gathering for Freedom, Justice and Development.

Al-Sallabi has strong ties to both Yusuf al-Qaradawi, spiritual leader of the international Muslim Brotherhood, and Abdelhakim Belhadj, former "emir" of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. The party calls for "moderate" Islamic democracy, but demands to base a new Libyan constitution on Sharia law.[6]

The Arabic word waṭan can be translated as "nation"[1] or "homeland".[7] The party claims to have offices in 27 Libyan cities.[1] Regardless, the party won no seats in the Libyan General National Congress election of 2012.

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Khan, Umar (10 April 2012), "Three-day event in Tripoli to announce “Nation Party”", Libya Herald, retrieved 5 December 2012
  2. ↑ Libya: Analysis by Kamil Al-Tawil of Jihadi Types` Attitudes to Political Life
  3. ↑ Coker, Margaret (22 June 2012), "Libya Election Panel Battles Ghosts", The Wall Street Journal
  4. ↑ Beaumont, Peter (3 December 2011), "Political Islam poised to dominate the new world bequeathed by Arab spring", The Guardian (London), retrieved 31 January 2012
  5. ↑ Nordland, Rod; Kirkpatrick, David D. (15 September 2011). "Islamists’ Growing Sway Raises Questions for Libya". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
  6. ↑ Spencer, Richard (19 November 2011), "Libyan cleric announces new party on lines of 'moderate' Islamic democracy", The Telegraph (London), retrieved 31 January 2012
  7. ↑ "The Hizb Al Watan official homepage.". 20 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-20.