Parents of Bolingbrook Terrorism Suspect Speak

Photo: Mohammed Hamzah Khan

The parents of 19-year-old Mohammed Hamzah Khan are speaking out about their son and his alleged attempt to join ISIS, NBC Chicago reports.

On the day Khan was arrested, Zarine and Shafi Khan were shocked to discover their son was not at home in his bed where they believed him to be. Nor were two of their other children, who had gone with Khan.

“It was a Saturday and we slept late since it was a weekend. After six we do Fajr, the Morning Prayer, and then we took a nap,” Zarine Khan said. “After some time the door [bell] rang. The agents were knocking. They came inside and said ‘Do you know where your children are?’ I’m like, ‘They’re home. They are sleeping.’”

The Khan’s did not realize this was a raid. Zarine Khan led federal agents upstairs to the children’s rooms.

“I moved the covers and they were not there,” she said. “That was as if the earth had just moved from under our feet.”

Despite the charges against their son, his mother doesn’t believe he could hurt or kill anyone.

“He would never hurt anyone,” said Zarine. “He would never hurt even an animal, forget about hurting a person.”

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