Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > School principal says Dr.Redha Hassan gave son permission for Iraq trip -Dad helped Florida teen get visa - was himself in Baghdad School principal says Dr.Redha Hassan gave son permission for Iraq trip -Dad helped Florida teen get visa - was himself in BaghdadFather claims to have returned from his own trip to Iraq on December 10th MIM: The brazen mendacity of the Hassan family is clearly illustrated by this December 30th article in which the principal of Farris Hassan's school tells the press that the student had his father's permission to travel to Iraq. In the same article Hayder Hassan, the brother denies this and claims that his father "was just covering for Farris" so he wouldn't get in trouble with the school". In the days following the Hassan's parents told a different story to every newspaper alternately denying they knew of the trip, while Farris Hassan proclaimed on an MSNBC interview that his Dad "knew something but not completely". Mother Shatya Atilyas told Good Morning America that her son's father "helped a little bit" in facilitating the trip while the father claims to one paper that "the first he ever heard of Hassan's departure was via an email from Kuwait". One blogger had this to say about the story: I knew more of this story would come out...Parents didn't know my (_|_)
"The dad said he had given Farris permission but told him not to say anything for safety reasons," Cowgill told The Miami Herald. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...aq/13517212.htm Even more will probably come out now..that the FBI I'm sure will get involved...and find out the father is really a supporter of Terrorism and like all of them...use Women and Children to do their Dirty work because they are really cowards. http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=414057&st=15 ---------------------------------------------------
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/13517212.htm By Evan S. Benn The 16-year-old boy who flew from Miami to Iraq had permission from his father to do so, the head of his Fort Lauderdale school said Friday. Pine Crest School president Lourdes M. Cowgill said that Dr. Redha Hassan, dad of 16-year-old Farris Hassan, told school officials his son had his OK to go to Iraq to learn more about the current political situation there. Farris says he wanted to travel to Baghdad to better understand what Iraqis are living through. But Farris' brother, Hayder Hassan, said both parents were shocked to learn that Farris was in Iraq, and that his father was just covering for Farris so he wouldn't get into too much trouble with the school. Farris is scheduled to come home tonight, his brother said. "The dad said he had given Farris permission but told him not to say anything for safety reasons," Cowgill told The Miami Herald. Farris left South Florida on Dec. 11, skipping a week of school. Cowgill said school officials are handling Farris' situation as an unexcused absence and are in the process of deciding what repercussions he will face when he returns. "He's a very good student, and he's always been in good standing with us," Cowgill said. "I imagine there will be some discipline situation, but right now we're trying to figure out what to do with that." ----------------------
2)"... After his arrival, Atiya said she received an e-mail from her son, saying, "I'll be in Iraq for a while," but he did not say how he planned to cross into the country. At his request, Atiya said she faxed documents to help him secure a visa, and after researching the fax number, she discovered he was in Kuwait. The boy's father, Dr. Redha Hassan, told The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel that after Farris failed to cross into Iraq, he told his son he would arrange for security to accompany the teen once the Iraq border opened..." December 30, 2005http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/30/teen.iraq/ ------------------------------
"...Dr. Redha Hassan, the teen's father, said Saturday that he has been working to bring his son home since finding out he was in Kuwait. He did not discuss the specifics of Hassan's travel plans because of safety concerns..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Records show that in 1985, Redha Hassan, living in South Florida, was charged in connection with a scheme to print false Iraqi passports and military identification cards. A judge later dropped the charges. At the time, Hassan told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that his brother was executed and family members were kicked out of Iraq without papers, and that he wanted to help others similarly dispossessed. Redha Hassan says he didn't want to kill his son's passion to help the democracy movement. "He wanted to show he was braver than me," the father said. Once he learned of his son's plans, he said he arranged for the boy to fly into Baghdad and be met by private security and taken to a local hotel so he could fulfill his quest. But when the boy entered the Associated Press office on Tuesday, he was alone and said his parents did not know where he was, the news agency reported. In contrast to the father's story, a U.S. government official speaking on the condition of anonymity to the Associated Press said it was the U.S. military who kept the boy safe. 12/31/05 http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/nation/13524677.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The only notification Hassan left his family before his departure for Kuwait about two weeks ago was an email, his father told the newspaper. 'He said, 'Don't worry about me, I will be safe," Redha Hassan said. 'I said to myself, 'You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.' For 100 dollars, they kidnap people. The suicide bombers, they look for foreigners. He's young, with an American passport and doesn't speak a word of Arabic.' December 31,2005 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His parents said they did not know about his departure until hearing from him in Kuwait. His father, Dr. Redha Hassan, said he was "disappointed and fearful" when he found out his son had gone on his own. "My primary concern was not having him snatched in the first five minutes and beheaded on television," Hassan told The Miami Herald on Friday evening. Hassan fled Iraq 33 years ago, fearing he would be killed. His son, Hassan said his son recognized that he lived a life far different from those in his father's native country. "The Iraqi people are a peace-loving people, and Farris has picked up on that. I didn't expect Farris to be so powerful in his feelings. My children, they have never seen poverty, and they have lived in luxury all their lives," Hassan said. The father said he had returned Dec. 10 from his own trip to Iraq. The next day, Farris launched his secret voyage. Without telling his parents, the idealistic teen purchased a round-trip ticket on KLM Airlines because its policy allows minors to travel alone. SENT E-MAIL TO PARENTS Farris notified his family by e-mail when he reached Kuwait City, then spent time interviewing residents of Kuwait, Lebanon and Iraq while staying with relatives of his parents, who live in the Fort Lauderdale area. December 31, 2005 http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13520458.htm ----------------------------------------------------- http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13520458.htm 4) The 16-year-old reveals details of his dangerous travels and said he is concerned the media coverage may have glorified his trip, encouraging "copycats" to embark on a similar adventure. Farris said that his mother, Shatha Atiya, was unaware of his trip to Iraq. His father, Dr. Redha Hassan, "did not have complete knowledge of all the specifics of my plannings. But he knew a bit more than my mother," Farris said. His parents came to the U.S. decades ago from Iraq. Farris gave the interview Friday after school, Atiya said. She said her son has faced serious repercussions at Fort Lauderdale's Pine Crest, the private preparatory school where Farris is a junior. He could not be reached for comment Sunday night... " January 9. 2005 Miami Herald http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/13580933.htm 5"..."His parents said they did not know about his departure until hearing from him in Kuwait. His father, Dr. Redha Hassan, said he was "disappointed and fearful" when he found out his son had gone on his own. "My primary concern was not having him snatched in the first five minutes and beheaded on television," Hassan told The Miami Herald on Friday ..." "...Hassan said he has often visited his home country, sometimes without telling anyone -- a trait his son seems to have inherited..." http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13520458.htm -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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