Education
Amherst College.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Farris Hassan
Edit Profile
Career
He said he was inspired by a personal attachment to the situation in Iraq and an English class having a project on "immersion journalism". Hassan"s parents, now divorced, are Iraqi-born but immigrated to the United States, where they have lived for 35 years. Hassan set off on December 11, 2005 flying from Miami International Airport to Kuwait City, arriving on December 13 at 12:05 a.m, and stopping in Amsterdam on December 12.
Failing to cross the Iraqi border by taxi, he then flew to Beirut, Lebanon, where he stayed with friends of the family and interviewed a media relations officer of Hezbollah.
On December 25, he took a plane to Baghdad International Airport. He then interviewed Iraqis and American soldiers about the situation in Iraq and looked for a humanitarian organization where he could do volunteer work.
On December 28, he was picked up by the 101st Airborne Division. The United States. embassy then issued a statement on December 30, stating that Hassan had departed Baghdad, and was safely on board a return flight back to the United States.
Projects have included:
Sending school supplies to refurbish schools in Iraq
Sending student written letters to American soldiers in Iraq
Associated with the Interfaith Outreach Group are South Florida"s Temple Beth Emet, El Azhar Islamic School, and Pine Crest School.
In July 2007, Hassan went to Kabul, Afghanistan. Hassan said he went to examine the reconstruction of the country, the development of women"s rights and education after 25 years of war, how civil problems such as the enormous number of street children and lack of infrastructure are being met, and to see what he could do to help. Hassan did not tell anyone of his leaving to Afghanistan until he was in the Middle East.
During his trip, he talked to women politicians and worked on a project to build a school for gifted children.
There were various misconceptions about Hassan on internet blogs that he has said are untrue such as his alleged affiliation with terrorists, his enrollment in a journalism class, and the question of who really knew that he was leaving. A list of these can be found on Hassan"s website.
Membership
Is a humanitarian organization that Farris Hassan established with support from members of his community in 2006.
