The priority was to set a time and place for the meeting. I already made clear to him I had a date with a Christian physician. He was curious to know whether this person was my boyfriend, and again offered hints as to his own romantic interests in me.
"You told me you were attracted," he ventured. I reminded him that I admired his character, yes, and that for such a personality, he would be the dream of a lot of ladies. Evidently disappointed, he asked: "Only?" I ignored it, and suggested meeting right away, maybe in the lobby of the hotel where he was staying or the park. Options were limited as it was already 1:40 a.m. However, he insisted I come directly to his hotel room, whereas I preferred meeting in the lobby first.
As I was on my way, he again urged me to come to his room directly, not wishing to be seen in public. I began to think it would be better to take a step back and meet him tomorrow for lunch, and told him finding a parking space was difficult. "Disappointed, so much, I waited 2 hours," he wrote to me, in clear frustration and likely seeing through the excuse. I then decided that I had little choice but to go directly and knock on his door, and that his wish for some privacy as a public figure made sense to me. Initially receiving no answer, I headed back to my car, only to receive a message from him asking where I was. I then went back to the room and knocked on the door again.
He opened the door. We stared at each other for 2 seconds: I could immediately sense the excitement in his eyes. He offered to shake my hand. The lighting was very dim, save for the television put on mute and a table lamp. He remarked that I was much better looking in person than in the photos. I asked whether he often met people through social media and then in person, but he assured me I was the only one, as he supposedly trusted me.
I could tell from his looks there he was sexually interested in me. He urged me to relax, and not be nervous. I tried to bring up general topics of conversation, but felt so nervous I don't even think I was remotely coherent. It's getting too late. I should go now. I got out of my chair as he was standing in the middle of the living room, with the door behind them. As I tried to leave, he took me by the wrist, trying to hug me and leaning in to kiss me. I immediately turned my face away and pushed back, telling him, 'No, I don't feel it'. Then he pulled me in even more strongly: Please, please, ارجوك ارجوك ['I implore you, I implore you']. Just a hug, just a hug, he urged. I raised my voice: No, I don't feel it! He then let go, and went to sit on the couch in the living room
"Why are you cheating on your wife?! You are one of those in the Qur'an: يقولون ما لا يفعلون ['they say what they do not do']." With a smirk, he shook his head, saying, "You don't know. You don't know." Gotta go now, I retorted. A huge wave of disappointment came over me as I left the room and walked through the halls. I felt pity for his wife, cheated on by him. She didn't deserve this. Then a greater sense of pity: for the Ummah, like an orphan at the hands of an abusive stepfather. How deceived I was! This is the Tariq Ramadan who was begging me for a hug! In the same hotel where he was lecturing the youth on how to be an exemplary Muslim during the day, he wanted to cheat on his wife with me at night!
As I follow the ongoing revelations of Tariq Ramadan's sexual misconduct, it saddens me to see how Tariq Ramadan and Islamophobes feed off each other so well. While the voice of the majority of Muslims is marginalized, it hurts my heart even more to watch Tariq Ramadan playing the Islamophobia card, using it to hide his deplorable behaviour!
I'll end this by advising the Muslim youth: Tariq Ramadan is not a sincere scholar. Do not look to this man as your role model, your guide to help you in matters of your faith as you grow up, the supposed reformer who brings together Islam and the West. Womanising and rape have nothing to do with Islamic morality. Tariq Ramadan does not embody the character of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In all seriousness, I cannot decide who is more dangerous for my religion: the likes of Tariq Ramadan, the Islamophobes, or Islamic extremists.