FRANCE PRESS

CAIRO: An Egyptian Islamist activist who spent decades in prison after the assassination of president Anwar Sadat vowed Tuesday to appeal a “politicized” government decision not to legalize his party.
Tareq al-Zumor, who was jailed after Islamists killed Sadat in 1981 and released after a revolt toppled Sadat’s successor Hosni Mubarak in February, said a government committee turned down his party’s application Monday.
“We will appeal the decision within eight days,” he said.

“The decision was politicized, and it was issued after the emergency law went into effect and was widened,” Zumor added.
Egypt’s ruling military said this month it would widen the scope of the emergency law, which allows it and police to detain suspects without charge, after protesters clashed with police following a raid on the Israeli embassy.
Zumor, a leader of the once militant Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiyya, said the committee justified its decision based on a sentence in the party program.

“The sentence discussed preparing Egyptian society to accept Sharia [Islamic law] in the long term,” he said.
Egypt bans groups based on religion and class.
However, a party committee comprised of judges has granted licenses to several Islamist parties, including the one belonging to the influential Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Zumur’s Building and Development party follows the Salafi school of thought, which teaches that most Muslims follow a corrupted version of Islam they should abandon in favor of early Muslim practices.
Salafis, who refrained from politics under Mubarak’s rule, have grown more assertive since his overthrew and formed several parties.