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Umma Islamic Party حزب الأمة الإسلامي | |
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| Leader | Dr. Abdullah al-Salim |
| Founded | 10 February 2011 |
| Headquarters | Riyadh |
| Ideology | Islamism Reformism Shura |
| Website | |
| islamicommaparty | |
TheUmma Islamic Party (Arabic:حزب الأمة الإسلامي) is a political party inSaudi Arabia that was formed on 10 February 2011 in response to theArab Spring. Formed by a collective of opposition members includingIslamists andintellectuals, the party is pro-reform and demands representation and an end toabsolute monarchy in the country.[1] The party is run by a 10-member coordination committee and requested official recognition from the government as an official party.[2] On 18 February 2011, most of the party co-founders were arrested by Saudi authorities.[3] All except for Sheikh Abd al-ʽAziz al-Wuhaibi were released later in 2011, subject to travel and teaching bans, after agreeing in writing not to carry out "anti-government activity".[4]
The Umma Islamic Party was created on 9 February 2011[1] by an 11-member coordination committee[2] ofIslamists andintellectuals including Dr. Abdullah Alsalim, Dr. Ahmad bin Sa'd al-Ghamidi, Sheikh Abd al-ʽAziz al-Wuhaibi and Sheikh Muhammad bin Husain al-Qahtani.[5] The party is pro-reform and demands representation and an end toabsolute monarchy in the country.[1] The party requested official recognition from the government as an official party.[2]
The Umma Islamic Party was part of the Umma Conference network headquartered inIstanbul, led by theKuwait Hizb al-Umma and chaired by Hakim al-Mutayri, until it severed its ties in 2017 for increasing tutelage and lack of autonomy, though retaining its program in a revised edition.[6]
Al-Ghamidi, al-Dughaithir, al-Wuhaibi, al-Qahtani, al-Ghamidi, al-Majid and al-Khadhar were detained on 17 February 2011.[5]Human Rights Watch stated that they "[appeared] to have been detained solely for trying to create a party whose professed aims included greater democracy and protection for human rights."[3][5] Prior to his own arrest, al-Khadhar stated that his colleagues were apparently held in theMabahith'sʽUlaysha Prison.[5] The detained party co-founders were told that they would be released only if they signed a pledge to stop advocating for political reform, which they initially refused.[3]
All except for al-Wuhaibi were conditionally released in 2011 after signing declarations that they would not carry out "anti-government activity". The release conditions included travel and teaching bans.[4]
Part of theArab Spring | |
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