My Message to the RIS: When it comes to Egypt; why we do not practice what we preach

[Sent personal then public, when no response received]

Br. Fouzan

Assalamo Alikom;

Hope that this message reaches you, while you are in good health and Iman;

Mostly you don’t know me, I am one of the people who supported your project and enjoyed it since day one.

Your project was acting as an eye opening for Canadian Muslims especially to those of the second generation, bringing them closer to the mainstream society and participating in all society activities within the permitted Islamic principles and of the Islamic Value of Freedom of Expression, respecting Human Rights and Democracy.

You moved in this direction until last year, when your conference under the influence of ‘some’ took a strange stand in support of the Military Coup in Egypt.  Support doesn’t mean that you chanted for it, but by being silent and silencing the voice of rightness like Prof. Tareq Ramadan, is a support of the wrong doing by the Military Coup.

My Brother;

Not practicing what we preach opens the door for these so called ‘Terrorist Groups’.  How can you convince youth of values but not practicing them. This is hypocrisy, I am sure that you are far from it and I hope that Allah will guide you to the best. 

What took place in Egypt in July 2013 and what followed it is not a domestic political struggle, it is a crime.

We can’t be silent facing atrocities reported to the entire humanity through Human Right Watch, and Amnesty International. Please review http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/egypt

Don’t you know of the killing of the peaceful demonstrators that are taking place every day in Egypt! Don’t you know of the 40 thousand plus detainees illegitimacy in Egypt! Don’t you know that all this is being financed by the corruption, by a regime that regaining power on human (Muslims) bodies.

Not standing for rights and values is the road to self-destruction on earth and to an unpleasant stand in front of Allah on the day of judgement.

RIS should maintain a stand for ‘reviving’ and you can’t revive unless we are straight and direct, some Gulf States have direct benefit from silencing Muslims and Revolutions, and these states have influence and the Western Right-Wing share with them that goal and influence.

We have the right to speak up and reject these atrocities.

I urge you and your guest speakers to go back to the right pass and to practice what you preach, and to not be silent facing atrocities and violation of basic Human Rights.  

I thought of boycotting and campaigning against the RIS, your conference, but found that this will be negative approaches, I will be there again as every year to listen to our Scholars, with a hope that they are not going to be silent against these atrocities.

As a Canadian Muslim, Egyptian, activist, I will be there and will be happy to talk to you and to your guest speakers and to people if possible about that.

My Brother;

Please stand among those who speak loudly against injustice, avoiding the road of the devil, «Those who are silent on rightness are muted devils”الساكت عن الحق شيطان أخرس

I am sure that you will be among those who is inviting to all that is good, as Allah said in Sorat Al-Imran verse 104 “Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islâm), enjoining Al-Ma'rûf and forbidding Al-Munkar. And it is they who are the successful.”

وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ (آل عمران: 104) 

This message will turn into an open letter in the next couple of days, with my prayer to Allah to guide all of us to the right pass.

Your Brother;

Mohamed Sherif Kamel*

(514) 863-9202

* Mohamed S. Kamel: is a Freelance writer, the editor of http://forafreeegypt.blogspot.com/, he is a professional engineer, a LEED Green Associate and a recognized project manager professional (PMP), he is Member of several civil society organizations, a co-founder, member of the executive committee and a spokesperson of The Egyptian Revolutionary Council (ERC), a co-founder of the Egyptian Canadian Coalition for Democracy (ECCD-CECD(, Egyptian Worldwide for Democracy and Justice (EW4DJ), Canadian Egyptian for Democracy (CEFD), National Association for Change in Egypt (Taghyeer – Canada), Alternative Perspective Media (APM-RAM), , Quebec Antiwar movement “Échec à la Guerre”, Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine “CJPP”, ex-president and co-founder of the Canadian Muslim Forum (CMF-FCM), member of the board of trustee in the Canadian Muslim for Palestine (CMP) and Community Center for Montreal Muslims (CCMM). He could be reached at public@mohamedkamel.com and followed at @mskamel