Marriage Fraud, Thug'n'Counselors:
Ramzy Ajem, Mohamed Mahmoud, Ramy Elhamalawy, and Shelby Haque
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This is my story. A lot to "spit out." In fact, a “rant” (according to Ramzy Ajem). I had been a mureed of Abdallah El-Haddad for a number of years before marrying one of their faqiras from the Toronto region. I will call her Ameera. My experience right from courtship to divorce along with various transcripts is documented in a timeline below. The timeline is important because one experience precedes the other and adds contextual clarity.
Oct 2015
Ramzy Ajem introduced us in October 2015. Ameera and I courted for a few months and met a few times. I didn’t feel comfortable for various reasons and had decided to give the prospect a pass. In August 2016, we officially ended our courtship phase. Ramzy was noticeably upset by this, was dismissive, and berated me several times for not following through with his recommendation, privately and publicly. I ignored and felt bad thinking “I upset the Shaykh. Maybe he was right, I should have just married her.”
Early 2018
I returned back to Ramzy Ajem & “Shaykh” Mohamed Mahmud (Ameera’s wali) asking for Ameera because I felt “the Shaykh must have been right back in 2015.” This time, I wanted to marry Ameera. We started courting again. Ameera “appeared” quite committed to the Deen and the Tariqah which was important to me. Our courtship went on for a few months.
In August 2018, I noticed Ameera slept till late in the afternoon. 3-4pm was normal. I was concerned. Could it be health related? or simply habitual? I approached “Shaykh" Mahmud with my concerns and questions.
Around this time, I also wanted Ameera to meet my family but was discouraged by Mahmud because “we are looking settled into each other and we should simply proceed to the next step."
I had a few other concerns but held back thinking “the Shaykh may get upset.”
Aug 2018
Ameera and I married in August 2018 at Masjid Vaughan. Numerous issues regarding Ameera’s personal situation (finances and family relationships in particular) were kept from me prior to the marriage. I ignored all of it.
Ameera and I moved back to Edmonton by the end of August 2018.
Oct 2018
Problems start to creep up. By now, there is a lot more than sleeping late into the afternoon. I would try to have a “conversation and talk things over” with Ameera but that failed. Always mute. My relationship with Ameera was virtually non-existent. I could sense corruption. She had failed to earn my trust, love, and respect. I didn’t trust her. Our relationship had failed before it had even started.
I reached out to “Shaykh” Mahmud well over a dozen times for help; phone calls & text messages. No answer. He was gone. Disappeared.
I once asked "Ustad" Ramy Elhamalawy about Mahmud not answering my calls and messages. His response: "The Shaykh (Abdallah) has given him permission to not answer questions."
Transcript: Rauf-Mahmud WhatsApp Messages
Nov 2018
I reached out to Abdallah El-Haddad for help. I visited “Ustadh” Ramy Elhamalawy in Calgary and we recorded my “concerns” in his basement. He then translated my call for Abdallah El-Haddad. The outcome of this call, in summary, was that “Mahmud will call and talk to Ameera. Mahmud will also assist us both in the matter.” I was optimistic. The “Shaykh” is now involved.
A few days passed and nothing came out if. Mahmud had disappeared. By now, I was disgusted by the whole experience. The wife and the “Shaykh."
Transcript: Rauf-Elhamalawy WhatsApp Messages
Dec 2018
Ameera and I visited Toronto after a few months of some poor quality fake marriage. By now, the marriage was broken. It had been 6 months of me trying to catch “Shaykh" Mahmud and he was no where to be seen.
One day, I got to meet “Shaykh” Mahmud in Jamia Riyadul Jannah (in Mississauga) for a few minutes. He was dismissive, rude, and cared less about “concerns.” He didn’t appear surprised by any of it. Instead, in a thug style, he remarked “I will tell the Shaykh (Abdallah) to take our backs off of you” (i.e. kick me out of the Tariqah).
I walked away even more disgusted because now I had met a thug in Shaykh’s clothing. A barking dog, in fact.
By now, it was clear to me that this was all a con show. I wanted to get out of this fraudulent marriage, immediately. I also started to have reservations about the Tariqah.
Before leaving Toronto, I met with Ramzy Ajem hoping he would be able to assist us and offer practical advice. We met for a few minutes. He offered some general advice like “you both need to communicate and build trust.” Yea? I wasn’t looking for general advice. He didn’t appear all that surprised by the concerns either.
Jan 2019
Disappointed, and, by now, with zero interest in the marriage, I reached out to Abdallah El-Haddad and gave it another shot. Ameera and I met at “Ustad” Ramy Elhamalawy’s house in Calgary. I raised my concerns once again, this time in front of Ameera. Our conversation was recorded. Ramy told me that he will relay our recorded conversation to the Shaykh and we will wait for the next steps.
Ameera had decided to stay back at Ramy’s house because she felt “hurt.” I thought that was interesting. I was being lied to from day 1, her wali had split the scene, and she was “hurt.”
Jan 2019
Ameera remained at Ramy’s house until our divorce, nearly 3 months. Which Fiqh permitted Ramy to have a non-mahram living in his home? Also, not asking her to go back (or go back to Toronto) abetted nushuz. She wasn’t living in an abusive house, physical or emotional. If desired, a reconciliation plan could've been put in place immediately. Thug Mahmud was long gone.
At this stage, Ramy was the contact person representing Ameera. While Ameera lived in Ramy’s house, I could tell (from my phone calls and chats with Ramy) that the narrative is being changed from “he has all these concerns” to “he abused & oppressed her.” It was disgusting.
Shelby Haque got involved around this time with a dramatized “you oppressed her” and that “Ramzy must have given you a bloody nose” (referring to Ramzy’s "counselling" efforts). According to Shelby, I had to "gravel" to "bring her back." As a Muqaddam, he was working with his fellow con-muqaddams and facilitating oppression. It was pathetic to watch. He disgusted me the most. The man practically lived in Madinah. A major Mawlid sponsor in Edmonton. Sickening. Facilitating oppression is also a crime.
Things had gotten off the rails by now. Team Ameera took the mafia route and I wasn’t taking any of it. I said, well, let's go.
Transcript: Ramzy had asked me to "summarize" his "counselling" session with me.
Transcript: Ramzy Ajem responds back to me with more of his strongarm "counselling." I was to "shut my rant."
Feb 2019
As a “reconciliation” attempt, Ramy asked me to send Ameera an email with an attempt to "get together and talk things over.” I even apologized for “hurting” her. I didn’t have to. Ameera sent this email forward to her mother.
Incidentally, Ameera had left her email logged in my laptop which I rarely used. Her mother had responded to my email. She acknowledged that Ameera’s sleeping till the late afternoon (my original and one of many concerns) was a source of disappointment for them as well. I had to forward this email for reference. Original email available for investigators.
I sent this email off to Ramy, Shelby, and Ramzy. Mahmud was long gone. The wali was no where to be seen. Now caught and embarrassed, Team-Ameera have Ameera's mother email me with some "additional context."
To cover the previous lie, one has to lie again. I had noticed her sleep till late in the afternoon regularly out of Ramadan. It was a lame and an unnecessary effort.
All in all, it was very clear to me that these thugs had no desire to reconcile us. There was no material effort made to heal the marriage through meaningful dialogue. If anything, these thugs encouraged and facilitated a divorce.
After this, the marriage was done and so was the Tariqah. I told Shelby Haque to never show me his face ever again, ever.
A community member's response after reading these transcripts. He is also witness to other marital "counselling" efforts by Abdallah El-Haddad, Ramzy Ajem, and Mohamed Mahmud.
