Metro grad kidnapped by Iraqis
by Tabitha Dial
The Metropolitan
Metro graduate Urban Hamid was held hostage for two hours April 8 after
three armed men from the Mujah Hadeen jumped into his car outside of Fallujah
and pointed their AK-47s at him.
Hamid was driving from Iman, Jordan to Baghdad when he had a close call
with death, but later was released without harm.
The Mujah Hadeen accused Hamid of being an American, though he told them
he was working for a Swedish newspaper.
"It was a harrowing experience," Hamid told The Met Report,
Metro's weekly newscast.
Hamid was born in Stockholm, Sweden to an Iraqi father and a Swedish
mother. He believes his heritage and ability to speak Arabic saved his
life.
The Mujah Hadeen accused Hamid of being an American when he told them
he was working for a Swedish newspaper.
Hamid remembers thinking he was not going to survive. He had difficulty
recalling the experience after The Met Report asked what the 46-year-old
freelance journalist had been thinking during his experience with the
Mujah Hadeen.
"I don't think you have thoughts in a situation like that,"
Hamid said.
This is not the first time Hamid's life was at risk. He reported on being
held hostage in the Philippines in the March 14-20, 2002 issue of the
Cairo Times.
Hamid graduated from Metro with a BA in French, Spanish and Arabic in
1994, eight years after he spent a year in the Middle East.
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