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AP
Obada Mzaik, seen in this undated family photo provided by Dr. Firas Nashef, has been missing nearly three weeks after traveling to Syria on Jan. 3, according to relatives.
A 21-year-old Syrian-American has been missing for three weeks after returning to Syria from suburban Detroit, according to a family member in Michigan.
Obada Mzaik flew to Damascus from Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Jan. 3, but wasn't seen leaving an immigration checkpoint, Dr. Firas Nashef, his uncle in Farmington Hills, said.
Mzaik, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, was planning to study civil engineering at Al-Yarmouk University.
He had been temporarily living in the Detroit area with a younger brother while taking fall classes at Oakland Community College, Nashef said.
The brother, Obaie Mzaik, 19, who was on the same flight, was not detained in Damascus, Nashef said.
"We have no idea what happened," the dentist said.
"It's horrendous because knowing what we know about the prison system over there, anything goes," Nashef told the Detroit News Monday. "The prison system and justice system over there is not very impressive."
He added that Mzaik had been detained in Syria for 37 days last year, but had not been charged officially.
The Syrian government says the country is being attacked by extremists but some civilians say the only armed gangs in the city are the security forces. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
The State Department said it was aware of the matter and was working with authorities in Syria.
On Jan. 11, the U.S. government urged Americans to get out of Syria and to avoid any travel there.
Mzaik has citizenship in the U.S. and Syria. Nashef said the family returned to Syria in 1994 when his nephew was about 3.
"Most of his life he's been in Syria," Nashef said.
'Deep concern'
The Detroit News noted that a Facebook page, entitled "Freedom to our friend Obada Mzaik," has been set up.
It had 1,220 likes as of early Tuesday morning.
A link on that page led to a petition on the www.change.org website, which urges the State Department to help free Mzaik.
"As Syrians looking for freedom, we are outraged by the obscure circumstances surrounding Obada's arrest, and we express our deep concern over his safety in the Syrian regime's custody," the petition says.
One message, which msnbc.com was immediately unable to verify, says "because he is my son ... I want him free and now."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
People never learn
I wonder how much time and tax dollars are going to be wasted trying to rescue this doofus.
First off the U.S. considers and list Syria as a terrorist state, so:
A) why is he allowed to have dual citizenship with the U.S. and the terrorist state called Syria? First off you are suppose to pledge allegiance to this country and disavow allegiance to all other countries in order to obtain citizenship in this country.
B) why is he allowed to travel to this terrorist state?
C)Why isn't he and his whole family in Gitmo?
He is probably in a terrorist training camp for his futre mission. Engineering courses my azz.
There is more to this story not being told ''He added that Mzaik had been detained in Syria for 37 days last year,'' and you went back? Most likely this Syrian is a dissident and therefore well if you play with fire you may get burned.
Yes correct, some people never learn and when they do stupid things like travel to an unstable country and have trouble they want their government to help them out—but wait it is his government-- I think…what government would ever put this dumb boy in jail—now I suppose Ms. Hilary and the state department will have to bail his ass out too, just like the last three in Iran at a million apiece—well its only one boy so I guess one million is better than three million..
Says he was arrested in second to last paragraph...mystry solved...Title of the article shouldn't read US man 21 vanishes in Syria....it should read...US man's brain mysteriously vanishes before booking flight to a terrorist state that open hates US
What's with these imbeciles who go roaming about in these hostile rogue Muslim countries thinking they won't ever run into trouble and get waxed?
So now what are WE going to do - start W.W. III over this kid????????
Such arrogance. Maybe Darwin's natural selection theory will play out here.
My cat went missing in Britain last summer.
i completely agree with dave. WHY would he be allowed to have dual citizenship with Syria if the US considers syria a terrorist state? who cant do their job in immigration???
WHY isn't the University of Michigan good enough for this kid? Great engineering department. Like previously posted, there is much more to this "studying abroad" notion. ObL was an engineer grad, too. The Hezbollah have their hooks into this kid.
You did notice that he was born in the U.S. and lived here until he was 3, right?
You did notice Syria is in political turmoil and the government is murdering people, right?
What kind of idiot wants to go to someplace like that to go to school when there are other choices?
Sorry, I can't get behind the gnashing of teeth on this one. Anyone stupid enough to be in one of these 3rd world cesspools deserves what comes.
This 21 year old was detained...AGAIN?! What is with this "kid?" What does he have going on? Why is the Syrian government so interested in him? Did the government detain him "at the border" or pick him somewhere along the way? What does the 19 year old brother have to say about the matter? Why was the 19 year old not detained? Why was "the kid" detained for 37 days last year? Why was he let go from detention?
Spy, person of interest, family squabble, misunderstanding, fooling around with the Calif's daughter, idiot?
For those who are asking about the dual citizenship issue:
The US does not recognize dual citizenship. I suspect that Syria allows it. As a tame example, I have dual citizenship with Canada, but the US doesn't recognize it.
PJ is 100% correct.
Hold onto that Canadian citizenship. You may need it someday if this country implodes.
Gotta love the Canadians: wonderfully friendly folks.
U.S. citizens were warned to avoid Syria. Apparently this College student was unable to comprehend that Syria is very volatile and probably in a Civil War setting. I wish the young man luck, but he needs to re-evaluate whether or not he is really College material.
He was detained on the 3rd, the State Department warning was issued on the 11th, at least partially in response to this detention.
PJ:
I read up on "dual citizenship", advantages, etc. So, (if I understand correctly) an individual can be born in America and gain "dual citizenship" with another country who has no laws against such. But, a person from another country cannot have a "dual citizenship" (with America) because in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, the "oath" taken during the process of obtaining "U.S. citizenship" requires an individual to renounce their prior allegiences? Is that accurate?
PJ
But again, dual citizenship is recognized and perfectly LEGAL
in most countries, including the US
http://www.ascotadvisory.com/US_Dual_Citizenship.html
JK from PA - Probably because he doesn't have the grades or other qualifications to be admitted to Michigan or any other top ranked university in this country. I live in Ann Arbor. My friend's son was born in Michigan and has lived in Ann Arbor since he was 6 years old. He wants to go into engineering, but even though he was born in Michigan and attended K-12 in the same town as the university, his mediocre grades were not good enough for him to be accepted into the program.
With everything being equal you must question why young Muslim men constantly desire to return to the "homeland". Is there a garden spot in Syria that we dont see on television? Are we all being mislead by evil western media and the Middle East is more like Las Vegas?
No caring parent would allow their child to "return" to Syria of all places. The Saudi's just pulled their monitors out probably due to safety reasons. No sane person would desire to travel to Syria. Lastly, only an idiot would travel to Syria to study engineering.
So, all things being equal, Mzaik was either:
A: CIA operative
B: Traveling to Syria to sell blue jeans and Ipads.
C: Just another member of the "extremist" Muslim majority, err minority.....
@Sarcasticus 1...you have it reversed. An American with no family (normally parents) ties to another country, would have to renounce their U.S. citizenship to gain a foreign citizenship. A 'foreigner' can have dual citizenship (if their country recognizes this) e.g. a British citizen can hold both U.S. and British citizenship...they don't have to renounce their British citizenship, but the U.S. only recognizes the American, while the Brits recognize both.
It is nice to see common sense taking charge, for once, in a Newsvine comment forum. Most of the comments here are usually stupidly liberal and outrageously moronic. Good Job Newsvine readers, there's hope for you yet.
JK from PA - Michigan probably doesn't have course in building sand castles.
There are plenty of people who have come over here from Ireland/UK and didn't have to relinquish their Irish/UK citizenship when becoming a US citizen. They are dual citizens.
I wonder if he is the only one that finds Syria preferable to Detroit?
All should be OK he has 1,200 Facebook "likes." I am sure once the Syrians see that they will fold under the pressure or watch the number of like for terrorist nations drop. Seriously!? What do they expect when going to such a place?
No sympathy for someone that sticks their hand in the fire and then cries about being burned. He should have had a pre-cognitive notion that something bad was going to happen when on his last visit he was detained for more than a month. Dumbass.
And he went back? Noted; He's been officially nominated for a Darwin award. Posthumously?
Title of story: "No idea what happened": U.S. man vanishes in Syria. Idea: he vanished in Syria because he was a "U.S. Man" that went to fricken Syria!!!!
For PJ and others still wondering; the State Department's official stand on "Dual Citizenship" is that they do recognize it and honor the person's right to another citizenship outside of the United States, however, they do not recommend it since it may cause problems in countries that do not recognize dual citizenship. Immigrants are not required to relinquish their foreign citizenship when they take the oath for U.S. citizenship.
I'm getting tired of these dual citizen stories (regardless of whether its perfectly legal or not).
So let's make it simple. If he used his Syrian passport to enter the country, then he can use the benefits of his Syrian citizenship to get him himself out. The US shouldn't spend a penny on this guy...
With the unreliable news reports it is hard to tell truths from cover ups to reality. According to the news he just disappeared in Syria. People just don't disappear. The media tends to lead us to what they think happened there. If they don't know what happened they should not even report it. To many people , including myself, will think that he must be possibly either dead or alive. I thought the job of the press is to report the facts and not the possibillities.
Let Syria keep him. No problem.
Dave from Dana Point,
The subject was born in America and doesn't need to pledge anything. He can travel to Syria because there is no U.S. travel ban to that country, and if Syria recognizes him as a citizen he may have a Syrian passport or not need a visa. Lastly, what has he or his family done to be sent to Gitmo?
First of all nobody should be allowed dual citizenship with a terrorist country. Pick one. My niece and nephew were born in Greece while my uncle was in the service, and at age 18 they had to declare their counrty. I think it should be that way. In this case, I don't agree with anyone being allowed dual with a country that is a terrorist threat. Is our government crazy? I'm sorry this guy is missing, but who is to say he is really "missing". Maybe he is actively spying for Syria on the US. Who knows.
I think I'll go to Iran next week. I wonder if they like Americans there? OH well guess I'll find out when I get there.
Well with the NDAA now law we can look forward to Americans disappearing in America.
InFairness:
Oh, maaaaannnn! Don't tell me I'm an illegal! Sheesh! I knew I should have studied better in Civics class!
Seriously, thanks for the information. A little insight gained for the day!
He was detained last year for 37 days. He wanted to go back and see if everything was forgiven? Why do people with dual American citizenship think they are immune to all the bad things in the world?
The article also says he's got dual citizenship and has spent most of his life in Syria. I'm guessing one of two things. Either he's a hostage for ransom, or he's "disappeared" to a Taliban-sponsored training camp.
More like an Iranian-Hezbollah sponsored camp. I don't believe the ultra-conservative Sunni Talib see eye-to-eye with Shiite followers.
If I went to a country where I was detained for 37 days for no reason, I wouldn't go back.
hey mom and dad i wanna go to syria where there is bloodshed and killings everyday to study to be an engineer !!! ????? WTF?? go to a community college dude!! whats next? hiking in Iran again???
And . . .photo-journalistic trapsing in North Korea. We can list a plethora of ideotic "ventures" that ultimately cost the US taxpayer millions to bail out fools from foreign prisons.
You want "adventure"? Go to Greece: Great scenery, wonderful people, fantastic souvenirs, exciting demonstrations, and they serve wine and feta cheese in their jails :-)
It sounds from the poorly written article like he was ALREADY living in Syria, where he had spent most of his life (born in US and returned to Syria when he was three), and was just returning after a short visit to the US. So given that he was living in Syria, and his family lives in Syria, going to college there would be understandable.
Now why the family would move back to Syria and stay there when the kid was detained already for no reason is another story.
After hiking in Iran he was going Backpacking in Afganistan.
...
Syrian-American...first time I've heard this term. You're begging for trouble.
Syrians probably suspect that hes' a spy for the US. Haven't we heard this before about Americans of dual natonalities??
A muslim goes to Syria and disappears? Whatever could have happened? Fascinating, MSNBSTOOPID.
How stupid can people be? 21, not dry behind the ears. What an Idiot. He should point to his brain and repeat the abbrevations for Mountian.
I hope the CIA has this young pup on their list of dangerous people.
Perhaps the "detainment" is a cover and he is currently being debriefed on what he has learned during his time in the US....same as last year.
He's hiking in Iran.
He went back for 37 more days of terrorist training?
Hezbollah University
TT 201 Terrorist Training II: Self-Detination
Another stupid American, oops I mean spy, going somewhere that he shouldnt be. You dummies just don't ever learn. An American going to Syria at this time is nothing other than a spy. Good for you Syria. Maybe with enough abductions the United States will stop sending this morons into danger and then disavowing any knowledge of them. So typical, you try to help them then they turn their backs on you and pretend they have no idea whats going on. TOUGH LUCK!
you are all ignorant people.
there are plenty of Syrian-Americans prospering in this country.
up until recently Syria was a fairly stable, educated country with a sizable middle class;
a prime area for American companies looking to hire higher educated but lower cost specialists.
many did quite well here and still have close ties to family they visited regularly. even 6 or 8 months ago,
the unrest was limited to certain areas, so with families uninvolved with the crisis, it is feasible that
they believed, even if only from stubborn hope, that it would all blow over or be settled peaceably.
i don't believe stubbornness is something we should instantly condemn for...
if it was happening in our country, most wouldn't want to believe it either.
It may have been more stable but it's always been politically hostile to the US, especially for all the life of this young man.
Daniel...did you eat stupid sandwiches before typing that?...what was "until quite recently"? 1960? Have you checked out the State Departments views and briefings on Syria in the last 30 years? Stable country? These guys have ties to the barracks bombing in Lebanon in 81. They spent the 90's firing rockets into Lebanon and Israel. Marines were killing combatants w/ Syrian passports on the Iraq Syrian border in 2004-2005 and finally marines took out large contingents of fighters supplied and funneled through Syria from other countries in the Sanhgin valley in AFG in 2010. get a reality check pal...stable countries usually have a couple of deciding factors including a respected currencey with a stable base history, Safe interior civil structure and an open political, trade and commerce with the majority of the rest of the world....oh and you don't have to be worried about being draggedx out into the street and shot or disapearing because of your views
its not the syrian-american point. seriously can anyone really say they believe or believed that things would settle over? even if that jack _— goes it will NEVER settle down just like all those other countries. all the uprising for absolutely nothing replace one one idiot for a group of idiots. plus he was detained 37 days last time. i mean come on man common sense has to tell you something..
Here's is the LATEST State Department's "STAY THE F__*K OUT OF THESE COUNTRIES BECAUSE YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN IF YOU GET INTO TROUBLE" list. Syria is on it:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
Dan- you obviously have been in a coma for the last 35 years- things have changed since you went under.
Guess what ?: We have a black guy as president now! Amazing!
Read up on at least the last 20 years of history and get back to us.
WHEW!!
you are all ignorant people
Daniel - considering your writing style, you obviously are not the brightest bulb in the box yourself.
Dave from dana point he was born in America so he does not have to disavow anything you idiot
Syrian "anchor" baby.
the hell with him let the wolves eat him dumb a$$
Well thats always a risk isnt it, when you go to a country in the midst of political upheaval. Especially if there's any anti-American sentiment on top of that. Hopefully it works out okay.
Someone needs to start a low-jack company for people when they travel to places like this. Or anywhere for that matter. So they can be traced and a location pin pointed. This would be a great feature for parents who have a college aged child travelling abroad, or going to school in another country. Make it so it can be implanted under the skin somewhere, and has to be removed by doctor. Or hidden in clothing or jewelry, like in the sole of your shoe. It would also be great for Parents, who simply want to protect their child from kidnapping or abduction. Im surprised there isnt something like this already to be honest. They low-jack just about everything else, why not children?
F4E:
A "lo-jack" is actually a pretty darn good idea! But even if I were painted radio-active, I wouldn't go to places like this! Personal, business, or otherwise; an American is at risk and it's just not a good idea to go there.
f4e would that really be freedom???? you have to be kidding me.... our government already has something like that in store for the american people.. it was stated right after 9/11 and a family in florida had it inplanted.. even barbra walters said it would be a great idea.... how funny i don't think that is freeedom at all to have a government know my every move... oh you will say i have something to hide... yes i do my own privicy... i like to mind my own business...
Given the current political situation in Syria is it a big surprise that American citizens are being targeted? There is no telling where he is. He could be sitting in a Syrian prison without charges or by some anti-government faction. Let's hope for the best for his and his familys sake.
Any contact with the west makes him suspect in the eyes of the syrians. He should have known this. The time has come where people will have to chose one country or another and stick to it.
The guy is a Syrian citizen who has had problems there before.
He chose to fly to Syria. The U.S. should not get involved.
These fools never learn.
I'm not certain the US government becoming involved would help this young man. Syria isn't our best friend in the world, to put it lightly, it could make them question his motives even more, if that's what they are doing...
He's an adult, was detained for over a month last year, did any of his family really expect different treatment this time?
He seems like a nice boy. I hope he is ok. It's too bad folks are so mean in this discussion.
Hang in there kid! Help is on the way!
I'm just curious... why do you think he's a "nice boy"?? Nothing was mentioned about him tutoring little kids, or saving puppies from the pound. He's a kid. He's taken classes in MI. He want to go to school in Syria. He was born here, moved there and was detained last year for over a month. I mean, he MAY be a nice kid, but he's a little naive and rather stupid. People on this board tend to be pretty aggressive. In this case, people are sick of our government having to bail out US citizens who are too dumb to use common sense. If help is on the way, I really don't want to pay for it. There are ramifications for stupid behavior.
Laura Bradley-Seaquest - where is there a statement anywhere in the article that would indicate what kind of person he is? You can't base character on a photograph. Ever hear of Ted Bundy?
What can you expect if you go to Syria!
Sounds like his bulldog mouth probably overloaded his young,poodle azz.
What does his brother, who was right there, say?