Farris Hassan poses for a portrait in front of the Ramadan 14th mosque in Baghdad, Iraq. Hassan traveled on his own to Iraq. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Leaving Home: Florida Teen Sneaks Into Iraq 

A 16-year-old high school student from Florida spent much of December in Iraq. However, he did not even tell his parents he was going.

The teen’s name is Farris Hassan. He is a junior at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale. Hassan learned about “immersion journalism” in class. He wanted to practice it with his Middle East trip.

Immersion journalism stresses living the life of the people you write about.

Hassan wanted to write about the Iraq war for a class project. So he thought he would travel to the country.

He risked his life to travel to Iraq

He risked his life to go to Iraq. The U.S. State Department says travel to the war zone is “very dangerous.” Kidnappings are a big problem in Iraq. Dozens have been killed.

Still, Hassan bought a $900 plane ticket and left the U.S. on December 11. He told only two high school friends where he was going.

Hassan landed in Kuwait City, in the neighboring country of Kuwait.  He called his parents who were born in Iraq to tell them he was in the Middle East. His mother said she was “shocked and terrified.” She asked him to come home. He said no.

Tried to cross border

Hassan twice tried to cross the border into Iraq. Both times border patrols turned him away. Luck was on his side. The country is unsafe, especially for Americans.

“If they’d let me in from Kuwait, I probably would have died,” Hassan said. “That would have been a bad idea.”

Hassan found time to e-mail an essay to his class on Dec. 15.

His family arranged for him to go to Beirut in Lebanon to stay with relatives.

Then, on Christmas, Hassan flew to Baghdad in Iraq. He stayed in a hotel near the airport. Hassan only left it once, to get food at a local diner. He felt uncomfortable and quickly returned to his room

Hassan later went to the Baghdad office of The Associated Press. He told workers there what he was doing. They called the American embassy, and he was taken into custody. Hassan returned to the U.S. January 1.       

“I don’t think I will ever leave him in the house alone again,” his mother told The Associated Press “He showed a lack of judgment.”