Farris Hassan’s not-so-excellent adventure

[Onkel Neal]

Stunning level of naivete!


U.S. teen goes to Iraq to see ‘struggle between good and evil’

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10643329/

Maybe it was the time the taxi dumped him at the Iraq-Kuwait border, leaving him alone in the middle of the desert. Or when he drew a crowd at a Baghdad food stand after using an Arabic phrase book to order. Or the moment a Kuwaiti cab driver almost punched him in the face when he balked at the $100 fare.

But at some point, Farris Hassan, a 16-year-old from Florida, realized that traveling to Iraq by himself was not the safest thing he could have done with his Christmas vacation.

[Pigfish]

Naive or... idiot? :hmm:

Very lucky.

[Iceman]

What can I say....This story inspired me.

[bradclark1]

Having 3 kids go through the 16 year old phase I can understand his stupidity. I cannot however understand his parents stupidity.

[Marhkimov]

Just another brazen hard-headed teen... What's new?

[Abraham]

But

Originally Posted by Farris Hassan

... You are also aware of the heroic aspirations of the Iraqi people: liberty, democracy, security, normality. Those terrorists are not human but pure evil. For their goals to be thwarted, decent individuals must answer justice’s call for help ... So I will.

So at least he's on the good side!

[Marhkimov]

Originally Posted by Abraham

So at least he's on the good side!

Hah! He's so lucky he's not on the dead side!

[Abraham]

Yep Marhkimov, in Iraq you have the right side, the left side, the good side, the bed side and the dead side...

[RickC Sniper]

[Quote]
"The teen, who says he has no religious affiliation, added that he even spent an entire night until 6 a.m. talking politics with a group of Muslim men, a level of “immersion� his teacher characterized as dangerous and irresponsible."

If that was dangerous and irresponsible I wonder what the teacher thinks now?

[Ishmael]

Bravo Farris! As someone who walked the streets of muslim cities from Rabat to Aqaba, Alexandria to Bandar Abbas, Jeddah to Karachi, I applaud your courage to see for yourself. This kid may be naive and even crazy for trying somethng like this, but he certainly has sand. He went there in the open, on his own. Not like some thief in the night, unannounced and undercover, like members of this administration have done. Give the kid credit for that. His experience just goes to show that God watches out for cripples, drunks and children. If I was his teacher, I would give him an A+ for his extra credit work. He learned more about Islam and the Arab world in that little jaunt than 10 years in the classroom would teach him. So keep on keepin' on Farris. It's kids like you that may just pull this iron out of the fire if it doesn't kill you first. Once again, Bravo Zulu, Whiskey Delta and good on you for having the cojones to try this and pull it off.

[Abraham]

I have to admit to Ismeal that the guy took a bold initiative, and that given the fact that he was doing a journalism course his 'investigative' attitude should be rewarded, not saying that his teachers should warn him for risks, thougg.
I wonder what he wrote afterwards and how he was rewarded.
Anyway, the little fart is a real newsmaker!

Abraham

(with party cap on)

[Takeda Shingen]

I would like to applaude Neal for not taking the obvious Ferris Bueller pun.

[fire-fox]

well all i can say to this is that if he can do it then any one that wonts to get into iraq that badly can wether its to be a terorist or an ideat can with no problems what saw ever.

[Marhkimov]

Originally Posted by fire-fox

well all i can say to this is that if he can do it then any one that wonts to get into iraq that badly can wether its to be a terorist or an ideat can with no problems what saw ever.

Not written in the best of English, but I understand exactly what you are trying to say.

But this holds true for mostly anything: if someone wants to do something badly enough, then he or she will do so. There's not much that can stand in the way of will-power, which is the both the crux and apex of humanity's existence.

[kiwi_2005]

I saw this on the news over here a few days ago, i thought the guy had guts to do what he did, hes lucky nothing happened to him. Still if he was white & waving the US flag i dont think he would off.