Popular Slideshows On CBS11TV.COM
Sep 29, 2009 9:59 pm US/Central
Father Says Terror Suspect Was A Religious Fanatic
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
-
-
Maher Smadi, the father of accused terror suspect Hosam Smadi.
KTVT / KTXA
From his home in Jordan, Maher Smadi scanned over a Fort Worth Star-Telegram after giving his first interview to American television. "I blame my son and the FBI agents who trapped my son and made him an extremist," he said.
Maher says his son, Hosam Smadi, led a normal life in his early childhood. Hosam Smadi attended a Baptist grade school in Jordan. His English teacher, Aysaar Mazahreh, says tragedy changed the young boy's life.
"Hosam went through a lot of family problems. His mother and father were divorced. They had a bad divorce. A year after that, his mother was really sick. She had a brain tumor and she died in a bad way," explained Mazahreh.
Maher says he wanted a better life for his two sons, so in 2007 he sent them to America to be educated. But during the interview Maher was vague about his son's move from California to Texas.
In April, 2009 Maher came to visit his son, Hosam, in Italy, Texas. By that time, the elder Smadi says his son had become fanatical in his religious beliefs. "This big change in my son's life truly scared me. I was about to call the police for the safety of my son."
Maher says his son's extremist views led to anti-American sentiment. "He talked about the martyrs in Gaza, Afghanistan and Iraq. I told him that America did nothing to Gaza, but he said to me that Israel did with American weapons."
Maher says Hosam has no allegiance to Al Qaeda or Osama Bin Laden. Instead, he believes Hosam was brainwashed on the internet. "I'm sure it was the FBI agents who pretended to be extremist religious leaders," he said.
Despite his opinion about the FBI, Maher Smadi truly believes his son will get a fair trial in America. "I have complete and blind trust in the integrity of the American justice system."
The FBI declined to comment about Maher Smadi's claims, saying the case against his son is still pending. Hosam Smadi's next court hearing is set for October 5.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Recent Celebrity Deaths
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
