The Salafi Jihadi Movement announced Sunday it would boycott the upcoming referendum on the constitution , calling on Egyptians to follow in its lead.

The movement said it would boycott the constitution because it "does not apply Islamic Sharia” and places the state’s sovereignty in the people, while the group believes "Sovereignty is for God alone."

Mohamed al-Zawahiri, leader of the movement and brother of Al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri, said the draft constitution fails to apply Islamic Sharia.

“We will not accept a constitution that is against the Sharia of God and gives sovereignty to someone other than God,” Mohamed al-Zawahiri told Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Sharia should rule all aspects of life and all articles of the constitution, Zawahiri went on, calling for any article violating the demands of Sharia to be removed.

He added that the Salafi Jihadi Movement would explain its position further in a detailed statement.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm