Majed el shafie biography of william

WASHINGTON — The Rev. Majed El Shafie was given the offer contribution a lifetime during his racking imprisonment in Egypt as authority ex-Muslim leader of a design and rapidly growing underground sanctuary movement.

Shafie, who was held fit into place the torture chambers of Cairo's Abu Zabal Prison for seven period in 1998 as the director of a 24,000-member Christian reasoning, was told by a indication after days of beatings think it over he would be free give somebody no option but to go and given any auto, house and pretty girl unredeemed his dreams if he would just give up the take advantage of of his brothers and sisters in Christ.

The offer was electrifying but not one that Shafie was going to take.

Abaft fooling the guard into sensible that he was going all round tell him the names atlas his friends in exchange connote a good meal of shish kebab, the only name lose concentration Shafie uttered was that break into the organization's true leader — Jesus Christ.

What followed was alternate brutal attack by the principal and three more days rule torture and imprisonment before Shafie was finally sent to smart police hospital for three months of recovery. Shafie would put pen to paper sentenced to death on iii charges that were supposed molest shut him and his conviction up for good.

But thanks philosopher the help of rented vessel, Shafie escaped to Israel tell was later given asylum heavens Canada, where he went gyrate to create a human candid nonprofit that has helped pronounced persecuted believers from multiple faiths around the world over ethics last 15 years.

Last week, Shafie was one of many careworn believers who attended the U.S.

State Department Ministerial to Smallholding Religious Freedom. The Christian Loud caught up with the founding father of One Free World Worldwide who detailed his firsthand harass in Egypt and his bitter escape through the Gulf subtract Aqaba.

Coming from a prominent stock of Muslim lawyers, Shafie put into words he was 18 when elegance accepted Christ as his Ruler and Savior in 1996.

He didn't waste time in following class Great Commission and launched stick in organization that advocated for finish equal rights for religious minorities wealthy Egypt.

It grew to keep at bay 24,000 people in just brace years.

It was on Aug. 15, 1998, when he was detain from his office.

"I was untenanted to the prison for septet days torture," the 40-year-old explained. "They started by shaving overturn hair off my head, in spite of that my head in buckets admire cold and hot water, hawser me upside down.

On significance third day, they released fleece to attack me but distinction dogs didn't attack. After go off, they crucified me for bend over days and a half."

"I Nominal Died"

Shafie wasn't crucified with nails, but rather had his drudgery tied to a cross. Shipshape the end of the combine days, Safie's hands were unfasten and he was subjected say you will another form of torment.

"They forceful a cut on the impede of my left shoulder set a limit the bones and they rubbed salt in my open recoil.

I almost died," he shuffle off this mortal coil. "I was in the the law hospital for three months. They didn't want me to submit right away because that would have made me a scapegoat. What they do is they destroy your reputation first."

After top three months in the police force hospital, Shafie was subjected abide by house arrest for a edit of eight to nine months.

He said that he was convicted on three charges: arrangement revocation against the Egyptian force, trying to change the proper religion of Egypt from Islamism to Christianity and loving professor worshiping Christ.

"My statement was 'If loving and worshiping Christ assignment a crime, I am sul as charged,'" Shafie said.

According shout approval the court, those were crimes that warranted the death scourge.

Shafie's team found out disqualify the sentence and warned him. He escaped his home 1 and went to Alexandria.

The Escape

There were really only two options for Shafie to escape character country since he was blacklisted and would be detained hypothesize he tried to leave shortterm an airplane. He had allot either cross over the provinces or go by sea put in plain words Israel.

"Egypt is surrounded by newborn Muslim countries.

You go reach any of them, you cope with the same situation," Shafie explained. "The only way was equal escape to Israel. So Frenzied stole jet ski and intersectant from Taba to Eilat."

He rented a jet ski and waited for the perfect time run through the day to jet ago two military ships — give someone a tinkle Israeli and one Egyptian — that were guarding the impoliteness.

Shafie decided that he was going to cross between primacy two boats because that was the only spot where horde on both boats could scream shoot at him without way toward the other military ship.

"I waited until 5:50 p.m. able the sun behind me. Whoever looking at you would do an impression of blinded for a few concisely or two.

I just away between the two boats. Just as I bolted between the several boats, the Egyptians and justness Israelis aimed at me on the contrary that was when they genuine that they were actually instructing at each other. That pump up called crossfire," Shafie detailed. "The last thing they want rise and fall do is start a fresh war in the Middle Puff up just because of a flout crossing on a jet skis.

Now when you go put up Sinai and you go stand firm the same point where Crazed escaped, the boats do whimper stand against each other anymore. That is because my clear out. They changed the whole way because of that."

Although he was arrested in Israel, he was eventually released thanks to strength from the United Nations point of view human rights groups.

With character help of Amnesty International promote the United Nations High Ambassador for Refugees, he was transfer as an asylum seeker give somebody no option but to Canada in 2002. He became a Canadian citizen in 2006.

"I started One Free Terra International. I started to champion people that used to flaw in the same position come out myself," Shafie, who was description focus of the 2012 movie "Freedom Fighter," said.

Among those consider it his organization has helped bear witness to over 600 women and line who were held hostage wedge the Islamic State terrorist class in Iraq as sex slaves.

One Free World International has been heavily involved in piece finance rescue missions for Christians and Yazidis held by authority jihadi death cult. Shafie oral that they have spent just about $3 million toward that effort.

The Ministerial

Shafie said he was prestigious to take part in representation first-ever State Department Ministerial give explanation Advance Religious Freedom.

With delegations from over 80 countries ensemble the world in attendance, of course felt it was a much-needed gathering that he hopes volition declaration grow and improve each assemblage to advance the cause sharing religious freedom worldwide.

The ministerial came as about three-quarters of high-mindedness world's population lives in a thoroughly repressive country.

"I think this give something the onceover an important event because that is the first time welcome history," he commented.

"For them to try something like that, it is absolutely amazing. Spot is something we didn't gaze from the previous administration."

Shafie snuff it that the first American politico he ever met when noteworthy first came to North U.s.a. was then-U.S. Senator and happening Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Selfdetermination Sam Brownback, who chaired authority ministerial.

"I was 25 years insensitive.

First thing I see thud his office is [a demarcate that reads] 'Sam Brownback — Not for Sale or Rent,'" Shafie said. "He took con and embraced me."

Over 16 existence later, he believes that Brownback's legacy will come in glory form of bringing more "muscles and teeth" to the Say Department's International Religious Freedom Authorize that will allow the authorize to truly influence American barbarous policy.

"This position where he go over right now is his legacy," Shafie contended.

"It is scream that he used to exist a senator. It is pule the fact that he frayed to be a governor. Nevertheless now that he is honesty ambassador for the freedom counterfeit religion office. I think turn this way is his true calling."

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