Hello Everybody,

I am glad to meet you in this conference in The University “UEA”, thank so much for the people who invited me.

My name: Salah Elnagar.  I am Egyptian Writer. I have been in The UK one year.

I came here as a Refugee, I have persecution in Egypt because what I believe in Quranist and I have been involved in political demonstrations against the government in addition to very close to :

DR. Ahmed Subhy Mansour is an Egyptian American activist, whose website describes him as an Islamic scholar with expertise in Islamic history, culture, theology, and politics. He founded the small Egyptian Quranists sect that is neither Sunni nor Shia, was exiled from Egypt, and lives in the United States as a political refugee. 

I went to many cities in UK, but I found myself here In Norwich which is my homeland and I found in Norwich what I want.

The hospitality, generosity and helping of the people in The UK changed our life for the better and gave me the power to come back to writing again which is my spiritual life.

I decided to come back to write again and I am preparing for my book which it will called “This is what I Saw, The adventures of a refugee. I wrote many articles, some of them were publishing in magazines.

I wrote many articles and one of them about University UEA.

I said this article that:

Universities create their countries’ intellectual reputations, particularly in developed countries, whose institutions are particularly prestigious and which have proved their superiority across different fields of knowledge via rigorous discourse and the pursuit of intellectual freedom.

The purpose of higher education, in many countries, is as a yardstick to measure the nation's progress in terms of civilisation. Trailblazers for invention and discovery, universities are the means by which ideas become concrete and eventually benefit civilisation in a tangible way: the development of the human by control of the means of development ours civilizations. Universities, then, are my place of worship: they are my mosque, my church, my temple. My prayers there address the true origins of God: science, not ignorance.

The ancient Egyptian people believed in science and translated this belief into creating a big civilization. We do not know the religions of the workers who built the pyramids but we know the minds and hands which full of science built it. So I say and repeat to you my child, make science as the symbol of your life.

Humans are social beings, and contact with others is one of the most important bases of human life. The acquisition of knowledge, experience and culture only occurs by contact with one another and interaction between communities. This principle is advocated by civil and religions structures alike.

The Lord of all beings decided that we are all equal brothers and sisters, the issue of but one father and one mother despite our differences; and the Lord has made us differ in colours and languages in order to learn about each other, not to fight and destroy each other. The interface of cultures is what drives us onwards, towards the horizons of the mind, and affirms our humility.

Then my child and I, we went to another things Sculpture, when my child sees this he laughs and says: this is course of education or is this playing and joking?, I say: no, this is course of education by arts (Sculpture), comes with me and lets us built big farm with many trees, and many people: Muslims, Christian, Jews, Buddhist and non-religious work together with love, peace, respect, justice and tolerance, and let us my child to plant for them many trees to give shade, build channels of water to drink, many birds to sing to them, and one bread share with them and the smiles not leave their lips. And let us my child build for them big hall to protect them against Terrorism, Extremists and The enemies of humanity.

          My child says we should to fight against Terrorism, Extremists and The enemies of humanity with rockets and bombs, I tell him, no, no my child, the war with terrorism, rockets and bombs are not a solution, On the contrary, they increase problems and create more wars and fighting, My child asks me: Ok, What is the solution? I reply: Peaceful intellectual war against extremists and terrorism are the best solutions. My child asks again: How can we used this war? I reply: Europe has suffered during World War One and World War Two from racial discrimination, nationalism and some countries looked forward to independence. And because of this racist war, millions of victims died and many countries destroyed completely, When the European belief of freedom and human rights. All of this change because change behaviour, aims, ideas and strategy rather than wars and weapons. Thinkers and creators should fight against terrorism with peaceful thought, awareness and the principles of human rights and the governments and states should support them. The war with terrorism will producing more terror and destruction. This is not a solution at all.

I wrote many poems for justice, freedom and hope, this my poem for the hope 

Do not let anything stop you

Each imposed unacceptable....Prove to the world that you exist is

Do not let anything stop you.... Do not let life lock you up

Close the door of your sorrow fully

Open the door of opportunity and keep on working hard

The whole thing is to exert some effort

Do not let fear steal the innocence of your soul, imprison its determination and courage, and destroy ambition and power…..and control you

Your human inner strength will overcome the obstacles of life

You can make it straight if it is tended…You can beat it… Power is always in your hands

Do not let anything stop you.... Do not let life lock you up

Close the door of your sorrow fully

Open the door of opportunity and keep on working hard

I am writing now some stories about refugee’s adventures in Calais in France which are interesting more than actions films and sign faction stories.

This my factual story with the bear.

Will this be my lucky night or not?

Will it mean the end of my suffering or would it be a wasted unfortunate adventure like all the others?

It was nearly 10 o’clock in the evening and I was preparing for a lone adventure. I asked myself whether this would be my lucky night or not. Will it mean the end of my suffering or would it be a wasted unfortunate adventure like the others?

I dressed myself, making sure to wear my water proof coat because yesterday it had rained heavily. I had returned yesterday from the jungle with my clothes soaked. I was shaking with cold because I walked out doors in heavy rain and freezing wind and all my clothes were cold and wet. My dry clothes in the tent had disappeared and I sadly had to take my neighbours dry clothing to keep me warm and dry whilst I slept.

I called the Smuggler on my phone and I asked:

What is the plan for today? And where will I meet you?

He answered: At the highway, the same place as yesterday.

I said again: Will anybody from the jungle be joining me today? He answered; No, you will be travelling alone and do not be late because the highway is very busy today. 

I left my tent in the horrible darkness which was full of the sounds of the dogs and guns, and followed the familiar roads to meet the smugglers. I walked nearly two hours alone in the dark without friends. During my journey in the dark, I watched the stars of the sky which made me remember my time studying physics at university. I smiled. Then I looked both ways to either side of the road through the darkness and I was frightened. I heard the barking of police dogs which they seemed so close, I was scared. I remembered my bitter memories my time on the Mediterranean Sea and my sixty days in the jungle which were long, I was over whelmed with sadness.

To overcome the overbearing sadness, I remembered better days of joking and laughing with the smuggler. I remembered the humorous times watching lorry drivers with their surprised faces, so I laughed. Finally I found one friend who agreed to travel with me through the long dark routes. I found him in a desperate situation, my moment indeed. His name was Hope. Without hope we have nothing to help us carry on. Hope gives us happiness and safety. Hope motivates us to withstand and persevere. It takes us away from laziness, depression and frustration.

Thank you so much for your listening,