Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

'Jihadi John': Mohammed Emwazi's father 'condemned son as dog' and hoped 'he would be killed' after he fled to Syria

Colleague says Emwazi's father was distraught after his son was identified as British Isis militant

Heather Saul
Tuesday 03 March 2015 17:31 GMT
Comments
26-year-old 'Jihadi John' is believed to have left Britain in 2012-13
26-year-old 'Jihadi John' is believed to have left Britain in 2012-13

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The father of the British man unmasked as Jihadi John reportedly condemned his son as a "dog, an animal and a terrorist" and hoped he would be killed after he fled to Syria.

Mohammed Emwazi’s father blasted his son in a tearful phone call with a colleague to explain his absence from his job in a Kuwait supermarket, The Telegraph reports.

His son had been identified in reports as the notorious hooded militant who appeared in videos showing the brutal beheading of journalists and aid workers.

His colleague Abu Meshaal said it was a “catastrophe” for Emwazi’s family.

“He said he had talked to him a lot trying to persuade him to return to his personal life but that the son didn't listen to him. He said, 'To hell with my son'."

He said Emwazi son had called him to ask for his parent’s blessing to travel to Syria for "jihad" in 2013.

"Mohammed called his father and said 'I'm going to Syria to fight jihad, please release me and forgive me for everything'," Mr Meshaal said. "Jassem said, "f*** you. I hope you die before you arrive in Syria."

He described Emwazi's father as a a "respectable and polite" man who commutes 30 miles to get to work in a remote desert region every day.

Mr Meshaal said he had not returned to work since the news broke on Thursday, despite assurances from his employers that he is free to return to his job.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in