National Party
Quick Summary
The National Party (Al-Hizb al-Watani) was an Egyptian nationalist political party founded in 1907 by Mustafa Kamil. Kamil, a lawyer and journalist, strongly opposed the British occupation of Egypt and sought to foster a patriotic spirit among Egyptians. The party aimed for Egyptian independence and self-rule, advocating for a unified Arab state and looking to European powers like France, and later the Ottoman Sultan, for support against British influence.1
Egypt's political landscape has seen numerous constitutions and governmental structures since its independence. Following the 1952 revolution, political parties were abolished, and a single-party system, the Arab Socialist Union (ASU), dominated for years. The country has since transitioned through various constitutional frameworks, including a 2014 constitution that established a democratic state with Islam as its religion and Arabic as its language. The political process has evolved, with reforms aimed at increasing openness and participation, though challenges related to authoritarian patterns and suppression of opposition have persisted.23
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- ʿAbbās II
…to the formation of the National Party, headed by Muṣṭafā Kāmil, to counter the Ummah Party of the moderate nationalists, which was supported by the British. With the appointment of Lord Kitchener as consul general (1912–14), the leaders of the National Party were exiled or imprisoned, and ʿAbbās’s authority was…
Read More…to the formation of the National Party, headed by Muṣṭafā Kāmil, to counter the Ummah Party of the moderate nationalists, which was supported by the British. With the appointment of Lord Kitchener as consul general (1912–14), the leaders of the National Party were exiled or imprisoned, and ʿAbbās’s authority was…
Read More - Muṣṭafā Kāmil
…what would later be the National Party (Arabic: Al-Ḥizb al-Waṭanī). In 1900 he founded the daily Al-Liwāʾ (“The Standard”) to put forth the group’s views. Realizing that independence would be difficult to obtain, he looked to France, which he saw as the symbol of European liberalism, to help Egypt counter…
Read More…what would later be the National Party (Arabic: Al-Ḥizb al-Waṭanī). In 1900 he founded the daily Al-Liwāʾ (“The Standard”) to put forth the group’s views. Realizing that independence would be difficult to obtain, he looked to France, which he saw as the symbol of European liberalism, to help Egypt counter…
Read More