I wish I would write about Admiral Ahmad Raafat long ago. He had a unique personality. He put his country's interest before his own although his position can tempt the strongest will.

I have pledged myself not to praise anyone in power even if he deserves it. This is not to think I'm doing that for a personal interest or for fear.

But after the man has died, I thought I should write about him for now it will be only for the sake of Allah.

I want to introduce to people a unique example of men of authority who added to his position not the opposite.

He is absent now but his good deeds are still there. He was always releasing distresses of Muslims and was merciful to sick and poor detainees. He was unique in every thing.

He was the first to prefer dialogue to power when dealing with the Al Jamaa Al Islamyia.

He was the first to encourage our one-side initiative, which surprised everyone when it was announced for the very first time in the court in 1997. Then no one believed it except this man and nobody trusted it but him.

He had a rare security, political, social and humanitarian sense. His personality was a mixture of the four elements.

I used to tell him jokingly:

"You have a magical mix of security, political, human and social intelligence. This is very rare among people in your position who are known to be suspicious especially of Islamic groups."

He used to smile when hearing this.

And now I'm repeating it after his death. May be these qualifications and some others are what made him conquer hundreds of obstacles that confronted the spread of the Non-Violence Initiative until it became a method for many groups and governments.

As soon as the man executed his job; releasing thousands from prison and spreading security in the country, he paid farewell to our world as if saying:

"I've finished my work… and it is time for leaving"

He was honest. He passed away taking nothing from this world. He was an example of honor and honesty.

Some may say: does he deserve such praise?

I answer: yes, and more than that.

Thousands of freed prisoners understand what I'm saying. The man has given them back their dignity.

For instance, during our stay in prison we were communicating with our families and visitors through two layers of wire one meter and a half distant from each other. We were hardly seeing and hearing them.

Then admiral Raafat took a decision that made us really happy. He allowed us to contact our visitors directly without any barriers. Moreover, he prolonged the visit's time from ten minutes to three hours. He was also the one who made the visits without previous permission.

You may ask: what is the value of such a matter?

This decision saved the detainees' families about 500.000 LE monthly, which were spent to get visit's permissions.

He was the first high-rank officer to visit prisons and live there for a whole week. He was shocked when he witnessed thousands of Al Jamaa Al Islamyia members living such a deteriorated life.

The first decision he took was to gather the members of each family in one prison. Then he transferred prisoners to the nearest place to their homes.

Before that, detainees from Upper Egypt were imprisoned in Lower Egypt prisons and vice versa.

The transfer continued for six months. It was the biggest detainees' redeployment process in Egyptian modern history.

He was the one who suggested the daring resolution to set free thousands of Islamists. It was courageous of him and it proved his big trust in Allah and in himself.

You will not realize the weight of such a decision unless you know that when he went to some prisons, the prisons' wardens refused to just let detainees out of their cells. So, imagine how it was thought impossible to let them out to open life.

Releasing such a number was unprecedented, especially after the bloody conflict between the state and the group.

Every freed prisoner solved the problems of at least ten of his family. It is like an everlasting good deed that the released feels every day.

I'm almost sure that no one, before admiral Raafat, thought to get Islamists out of prisons for it is a risk and Egyptian public servants, in general, prefer to keep themselves away from troubles.

The admiral has also promised Al Jamaa Al Islamyia and Al Jihad runaways to be secure and he never broke his word. He was really an example of manhood and generosity.

He was the first to order slaughtering calves inside the prisons at feasts time to make prisoners happy on such merry days.

He was always ready to help sick and poor people. The last incident was when I asked him to help a brother that suffers from bowel cancer. He immediately responded to get the patient a treatment at the state's expense.

He was always asking me to tell him about anyone needs help especially the sick and poor.

He was not satisfied with taking care of the members of Al Jamaa Al Islamyia inside prisons but outside also.

Admiral Raafat reshaped the relation between the state and the Islamic Group. At his hands it took the form of dialogue instead of power.

He was the one who protected the country from bloodshed by accepting the Non-Violence Initiative and spreading it everywhere.