Zakaria Younes Abdel-Halim Makioun[2] (Arabic: زكريا يونس عبد الحليم مخيون) is an Egyptian MP who is currently the Chairman of the Salafist Al-Nour Party. He is also a member of the Constituent Assembly of Egypt.

Younes Makhioun
Chairman of Al-Nour Party[1]
Assumed office
2013
Preceded byEmad Abdel Ghaffour
Personal details
Born (1955-12-25) 25 December 1955 (age 68)
Abu Hummus, Beheira, Egypt
Political partyNour Party
Alma materAlexandria University
ProfessionDentist

Life

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Younis Makyoun was elected to the People's Assembly of Egypt in the 2011-2012 election, representing Damanhour, Beheira.[3] In February 2012 he proposed a blanket ban on internet pornography, holding it responsible for the increase in divorce and rape statistics.[4]

Early life and education

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Makhioun graduated from Alexandria University’s School of Dentistry and Oral Medicine in 1980, and also received a bachelor's in Islamic Sharia from Al-Azhar University in 1999.

Political career

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After the Egyptian revolution in January 2011 and the fall down of Mubarak's regime, a lot of Islamic groups and currents decide to establish political parties to join the political life in Egypt.

The Salafi Call (Al-Da‘wa Al-Salafiyya) formed its own party which is the Al-Nour Party and Makhioum was one of the founding members of the new party in May 2011.

Dr. Makhioun was a parliament member as representing the Al-Nour Party after the 2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election also a member of the constituent assembly which made the draft of the Egyptian current constitution: In March 2012, he became one of the 50 parliamentarians elected to the Constituent Assembly of Egypt,[5] and kept his place in the Constituent Assembly when it was revamped in June 2012.[6] In August 2012 he objected to the Egyptian government accepting an IMF loan, on the grounds that "Borrowing from abroad is usury".[7] He has also clashed with liberals over press freedoms, demanding severe sentencing for libel and slander:

it is essential that journalists accused of libel and slander crimes face jail sentences, while in other offences — such as the crime of disseminating lies — it is enough for journalists and newspapers to face tremendous fines."[8]

Makhioun was elected in January 2013 as President of the party after the resignation of Emad Abdel-Ghaffour. He, as chairman of al-Nour, was a visible representative of the party during the July 2013 coup against Mohamed Morsi. Initially supportive of the army's removal of Morsi on 3 July,[9] Makhyoun announced al-Nour's withdrawal from the anti-Morsi coalition after the "massacre" on 8 July, in which dozens of Morsi supporters were killed.[10]

Makhioun is known for his opposition to football, calling on Egyptians to stop watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[11][12] In the same statement he called Lionel Messi an "enemy of Islam".[13]

Personal life

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Dr. Makhioum is married and he has 6 daughters and one son.

References

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  1. ^ "UPDATED: Egypt's Salafist Nour Party elects new leader". Ahram Online. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
  2. ^ Other spellings: Makioun, Mikhion
  3. ^ Results of Egypt’s People’s Assembly Election, Guide to Egypt's Transition, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 25 January 2012
  4. ^ Egypt Looks To Ban Internet Pornography, IT News Africa, 26 March 2012
  5. ^ Zeinab El-Gundy,Who's who in the Egyptian Constituent Assembly, Ahram Online, 26 March 2012
  6. ^ Official: The 100 members of Egypt's revamped Constituent Assembly, Ahram Online, 12 June 2012
  7. ^ IMF loan to Egypt will not gain ‘God’s blessing’: Salafi party, Al Arabiya, 24 August 2012
  8. ^ Gamal Essam El-Din, Debate intensifies over fundamental rights and freedoms in Egypt's new constitution, Ahram Online, 1 September 2012
  9. ^ Patrick Kingsley, Egypt's Salafist al-Nour party wields new influence on post-Morsi coalition, The Guardian, 7 July 2013.
  10. ^ Nour Party withdraws from politics after "Republican Guards House massacre", Egypt Independent, 8 July 2013.
  11. ^ Hosny, Hagar (3 December 2022). "Salafist fatwa warns Egyptians not to watch World Cup, angering fans". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Egyptian Islamic Scholar: Watching The World Cup Diverts Muslims From Waging Jihad". Coptic Solidatrity. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Egyptian Islamic Scholar: Lionel Messi Is An Enemy Of Islam". Middle East Media Research Institute. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2023.