BURST
“I love her so much that I will never give up, and I will never leave her. Never. She’s my everything,” said Bouchra Marbouhi, who has been trying to locate her five-year-old daughter for more than four months now.
Marbouhi, who lives in St. John’s, has clung to those words while separated from Tamara, who was taken to Egypt by her father, Ahmed Mohamed Shafik Abelfat Elgammal, on Sept. 26, despite a Canadian court’s non-removal order.
“I haven’t seen or heard her voice in months,” Marbouhi said.
“She’s always in my head, my heart aching all the time. I can’t see a future without her.”
Legal action in Egypt
On Dec. 11, Marbouhi arrived in Egypt with Kathy Porter, founder of the ActNow committee, and Elyse McGrath, chairperson of Violence Prevention Avalon East, to begin legal proceedings aimed at regaining custody of her daughter.
The group retained Egyptian lawyer, Mr. Shady Abdellatif Abdel Rahman, an internationally recognized specialist in parental abduction cases.
Marbouhi said she moved quickly through the legal process and obtained a court order granting her custody on Dec. 22.
“I felt so good about it because it reassured me that I will have Tamara back,” she said.
“He’s very smart, and he knows what he’s doing. That makes me feel like I will have her back no matter what.”
‘Someone warned him’
When Marbouhi, her lawyer, and police attempted to enforce the custody order, however, Tamara’s father was nowhere to be found.
“Someone warned him, and he ran away before she could be returned to me,” Marbouhi said.
She went to his family’s home, where she believes Tamara had been staying.
“I went to his room, and I found all of Tamara’s things there — her clothes, all of them,” she said.
“She was staying there with them.”
Marbouhi said she hoped to convince his mother to help bring Tamara back. Instead, she was met with hostility.
“She was mad that I took the police with me. She blamed me,” Marbouhi said.
“She said many mean things to me in front of my lawyer. Of course, it hurt me. We had a good relationship before, but after what happened, everything changed.”
Fears for Tamara’s emotional well-being
Beyond the legal barriers, Marbouhi said her greatest fear is how the situation may be affecting her daughter.
“I was worried about her reaction. I don’t know what he was telling her all this time,” she said.
“I was worried she would feel scared when she saw the police. I don’t know what she’s thinking, and that’s what hurts the most.”
She fears Tamara may believe she was abandoned by her mother.
“She’s really emotional, and she’s very attached to me,” Marbouhi said. “If he’s telling her that I left her, that’s really hurting her.”
An attempted negotiation
Marbouhi said she tried to resolve the situation peacefully for Tamara’s sake, including meeting with Elgammal’s lawyer.
“I tried my best to fix this peacefully for Tamara,” she said. “I don’t want her to stay hidden, and I just miss her. I want to see her as soon as possible.”
She said the proposed conditions were unacceptable.
“He said if I want to see my daughter, I can have her, but we have to sign an agreement,” Marbouhi said.
“That agreement would include that I can never remarry again.”
She said she was also asked to surrender her passport and Tamara’s passport — a request she described as illegal — and to transfer custody of Tamara to his mother.
“Of course I would never do something like that,” she said.
‘She has to grow up in Canada’
Marbouhi emphasized her determination to raise Tamara in Canada, where she believes her daughter can grow up safe and supported.
“For Tamara’s own good, she has to grow up in Canada,” she said.
“I don’t want her to grow up like I did. Women are not respected there. I want my daughter to grow up in a place where they respect her and she can achieve whatever she wants.”
In the months Tamara has been gone, she’s missed out on a lot.
“She was so excited for Halloween,” Marbouhi said. “And for Christmas, she asked me to buy her a dollhouse. She was very happy at school and had friends.”
Marbouhi expressed deep gratitude for the support she received while living in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Newfoundlanders have been great to me,” she said.
“I was treated with kindness, dignity, and as a human being. They showed me compassion and respect, and I will always be grateful for the humanity I received.”
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‘She keeps me going’
Since Elgammal went into hiding, Marbouhi said no one has been able to confirm her daughter’s whereabouts or well-being.
“I’m really scared, to be honest,” she said.
“I try to think positively, and I trust my lawyer, but at the same time I’m really scared and worried about her.”
The stress has taken a physical toll.
“I can’t sleep. Sometimes I have nightmares,” she said. “I eat, but I don’t feel like I taste anything.”
Despite the pain, she said Tamara remains her reason to keep going.
“She keeps me going because of her,” Marbouhi said.
“I was in a shelter with no money. I was broke. But I was happy because she was with me. She’s my strength.”
Legal team and challenges
“Being that much closer to Tamara has really put the life back into her,” said Olivia Lynch, executive director of Violence Prevention Avalon East, describing Marbouhi’s arrival in Egypt.
According to Lynch, Elgammal is now considered to be in contempt of Egyptian courts, and his family may also face legal consequences for allegedly aiding him.
“There may now be a criminal aspect to it in Egypt, as there already is in Canada,” Lynch said.
Efforts to advance the case internationally have been complicated by delays in obtaining a “red notice” from Interpol, a key document that confirms an international warrant.
Lynch also said communication with Canadian authorities, including the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) and the RCMP, has been limited, making it difficult to track the progress of the application.
“The red notice gives legitimacy. It shows this is not simply a custody issue; this stems from a criminal matter in another country,” Lynch said.
‘She wants her daughter back’
Lynch said the outpouring of local support has been crucial in helping Marbouhi cope with the stress and uncertainty of the situation.
“She wants her daughter back. She sees a future here, and she’s talked about going back to school for a nursing degree,” Lynch said.
Supporters in Newfoundland are preparing for Tamara’s eventual return, providing clothing and toys, and maintaining regular contact with Marbouhi via video calls.
Lynch emphasized the emotional impact of the situation on both Marbouhi and those assisting her.
“Someone has her five-year-old daughter, her baby. She’s so close to her. We want to see her happy, and unfortunately, with him being on the run with Tamara is just another hurdle in this process. But we’re that much closer now,” Lynch said.
Efforts to ensure the safety and eventual return of Tamara are ongoing, with Violence Prevention Avalon East coordinating legal, logistical, and emotional support.
The Telegram has reached out to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary for an update on the status of the international red notice for Ahmed, but no comment has been provided. The story will be updated if a response is received.