NPR

'I Would Do Anything For Her': A German Dad's Search For His Daughter, Taken By ISIS

A German father fights to find and bring home his young daughter, taken by his ex-wife when she went to Syria five years ago with her new husband, an ISIS fighter.
Danisch Farooqi with his daughter Aaliya in Hamburg. "I haven't seen her in five years," he says. He wonders if she has forgotten him.

Five years ago this month, Danisch Farooqi dropped off his daughter Aaliya at her mother's house in the German port city of Hamburg.

He remembers walking the girl, then almost 4, to his ex-wife's front door and hugging her.

"And I said, 'I'll see you next week,' " he recalls.

A few days later, he received a call from an unknown number in Turkey. It was his ex-wife's new husband. He told Farooqi he was in Turkey, recovering from injuries while fighting in Syria. He'd brought the whole family to Turkey, including Aaliya.

"I was shocked," says Farooqi, a native of Hamburg. "I didn't know what [he] was talking about."

He demanded an explanation and threatened to call the police unless Aaliya came home immediately. But the man hung up on him. A month later, Farooqi got a WhatsApp message from his ex-wife, saying they had moved to Syria.

"She said, 'We went

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
FAA Is Investigating Boeing For Apparent Missed Inspections On 787 Dreamliner
The FAA says Boeing informed the agency in April that required inspections to confirm that the wings were properly bonded to the carbon fiber fuselage on certain 787 jets were not completed.
NPR2 min readWorld
Israel Orders Rafah Evacuations; Boeing Plans To Launch A Spacecraft
Israel has ordered Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah after cease-fire talks failed. Boeing is set to launch two astronauts to the International Space Station tonight.
NPR2 min readInternational Relations
Israeli Forces Take Control Of The Gaza Side Of The Rafah Crossing With Egypt
An Israeli tank brigade seized control Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities said, as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife's edge.

Related Books & Audiobooks