Younes Makhioun

Younes Makhioun
Chairman of Al-Nour Party[1]
Incumbent
Assumed office 2013
Preceded by	Emad Abdel Ghaffour
Personal details
Born	(1955-12-25) 25 December 1955 (age 69) Abu Hummus, Beheira, Egypt
Political party	Nour Party
Alma mater	Alexandria University
Profession	Dentist

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.

Life

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

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

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

Dr. Makhyoun is married and he has 6 daughters and two sons

References

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.