Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) attempted to calm fears over its stance on tourism on Sunday as the party continues to dominate the ongoing parliamentary elections.
During a meeting with the Egyptian Union for Tourism on Sunday, FJP head Mohamed Morsy said the party has a vision for developing tourism that requires security and political and economic support so the industry can boost Egypt's economy.
The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated party said God gave Egypt several advantages, such as history, culture and good weather, which make the country a tourist destination.
Morsy stressed that tourism is one of Egypt's main fields, like politics and the economy.
He said his party seeks to establish a democratic state based on Islamic law, and that Sharia would be the main source of legislation.
Secular and liberal forces in Egypt fear Islamists will dominate the writing of the new constitution without considering minorities and economic activities like tourism.
In December, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour voiced fears about religious edicts issued about beach tourism. Egypt lost a lot due to these edicts, he said.
At a rally last month in New Valley Governorate, Brotherhood leader Sobhi Saleh said, "Tourism does not mean nudity and drunkenness. We Egyptians are the greatest religious people, and we don't need that."
"We'll prohibit alcohol," he added.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
