Egypt: Stop Drug Abuse Campaign Launched · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

“Stop Drugs.. Change your life” was the motto for a new controversial campaign initiated by Amr Khaled in Egypt and other different Arab countries. The campaign primarily aims to fight drug use among youth and to enlighten them about the negative effects of drugs on themselves, lives and countries.
Egyptian blogger ISIS, under a posted titles “Amr Khaled’s Drug Awareness Campaign” writes:
“At last the very popular Amr Khaled does something, in my eyes, truly great, wide scale, and not exclusive to Islam or Muslims. A drug campaign supposedly covering the Middle East, called ‘Hemaya’, which literally translates to ‘Protection’ was launched only last week by the young and controversial evangelist. The campaign aims to get 5,000 addicts to begin treatment.
While wishing the campaign success,ISIS, who describes herself as “an addict in recovery”, warns that secular youth spreading the message, might fare better than their religious counterparts. She explains:
“ I really want this campaign to work and for more people to know about the disease and as a society fight against it. I don't know about other addicts, but these overtly virtuous goody two shoe'ed people freak me out and if I was still using I'd be scared to ask them directly for help out of fear of being judged and ridiculed actually – this is simply because I'd feel that, even though they're making gigantic efforts to openly speak about this specific ill of society, the volunteer youth are obviously devoted Amr Khaled fans who I bet you anything have never missed an episode of Al Janna Fi Beyoutena (Heaven in our Homes) and 3ala Khouta Al Habib (On The Path of the Beloved – a show where Amr Khaled emotionally tells the story of Prophet Mohamed) [**] – and all that means that they are extremely religious – generally that would be okay, but when you're trying to target drug users and addicts and convince them of starting a treatment program, these volunteer seem like have no experience at all dealing with or understanding drug users and their mentalities – and that may be the main problem in reaching their aim. Anyways – maybe if Hemaya was a bit more secular it would make a more successful attempt at actually reaching the twisted and disoriented minds of addicts like myself. I really believe that with just a few adjustments to the campaign themes and motifs of publicity and marketing this project can truly hit the nail on its head. I really may actually think of volunteering… but I'd be scared of all the stigma, cuz in the middle of all the veiled chicks – I will totally stand out as the recovering addict…
In any case, best of luck to Hemaya, really I hope their goals get reached and their plans achieved…