This petition originally started earlier this year, collected several hundred signatures and was sent to GE and other Ismaili leadership including The Ismaili Centre in Lisbon,  Portugal in April. We have not received an acknowledgement or a response of any kind. 
In light of current global events and recent GE Festival announcement, we are reopening this petition  to share with those who may have missed it the first time around.  We will gladly resend the updated petition with additional signatures to the same leadership.  Thank you for your solidarity  

If you’re Ismaili, Ismaili interfaith or in community with Ismailis, please consider adding your name to this letter to Ismaili leadership urging the cancellation of the 2025 Global Encounters games in Dubai.

Dear Organizers of the Global Encounters Festival:

We are writing to express our serious concerns about the Global Encounter Festival scheduled to be held in Dubai this year. As members of the global community, it is essential for us to join the fight for the collective liberation of all marginalized people around the world. Due to the ongoing genocides in Palestine, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the many other atrocities and struggles across the world, we would like for the leadership to reconsider holding the event altogether. 

Though not explicitly stated, it is our understanding that the 2024 GE games were postponed because of the genocide of our Muslim siblings in Palestine. Given that the suffering of Palestinians has only increased – as we all continue to watch in horror the world’s first live-streamed genocide – it makes sense based on the same moral principle to cancel the 2025 games as well.  It is also important to note that the host country, United Arab Emirates, along with many other Muslim countries, has not even exerted its political influence to advocate for Palestinians, let alone provide any tangible support.

The genocide in Sudan – which is directly connected to the UAE – is another crucial reason. We must support the strong call from the Sudanese people to boycott the UAE. The United Arab Emirates is directly contributing to the ongoing genocide in Sudan—designated as the world’s largest and fastest displacement crisis and largest humanitarian crisis. Nearly 8.5 million people have been internally displaced and almost 25 million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid. Both groups that have been fighting at the expense of the Sudanese people since April 2023 -- the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) -- are committing war crimes and are backed and funded by numerous countries that are benefiting from the genocide of the Sudanese people. According to the UN's Security Council Report, the RSF is financially and militarily backed by the UAE.  In exchange, the UAE receives greater access to Sudan’s resources, allowing it to smuggle large amounts of gold out of Sudan for sale in the UAE. Without UAE's financial backing, RSF would be unable to continue the slaughter on this scale.  We encourage you to look up Human Rights Watch's account of the atrocities committed by RSF (which again is being carried out on UAE's dime). It is also a noteworthy fact that the UAE is the hub of smuggled gold from Africa amounting to $115B from 2012-2022. 

It is imperative that we support our Muslim siblings in Sudan by refusing to travel to a country that is actively participating in this genocide and exploitation. 

UAE also holds a terrible record when it comes to human rights violations.  Restricted freedom of speech and freedom of press, lack of fundamental protection for women, and exploitation of migrant workers are some of the issues that are of deep concern.

We have heard the explanation that Dubai was chosen as the location for the games because it is easier for many Ismailis across the globe to obtain visas to attend. However, it has been brought to light that many Ismailis, in Pakistan in particular, are not able to access visas for the games, making this rationale invalid.

The Ismaili faith takes great pride in our ethos and morals.  We are encouraged to think critically and see the world through a social justice lens.  We are told to live simply and not flaunt our wealth, but rather share with those who have less.  While we understand the GE games have some wonderful benefits, in the spirit of our faith's principles in this time of grave humanitarian crisis, we urge you to cancel them altogether. Holding the event in Dubai at this time would not be "bringing out the best in our global Jamat" as described on the GE website.  Instead, it would showcase our disregard and complacency in the face of genocide of our Black and Brown siblings.  And that is NOT what our faith teaches us!

In our view the funds that are earmarked for this project should instead be used towards supporting our Jamati members struggling to survive all over the globe.  Not only would this be a better use of the funding, but it would also prevent the global Jamat from contributing to the economy of a country that is already flourishing on the backs of modern-day slavery, violence and illegal gold extraction from Sudan and other African countries.  

We hope you will give this letter the attention it deserves and make the decision to cancel the Global Encounters Festival.  Thank you.