Share and Follow
A British mother-of-two has been left fearing for her children’s safety after they were allegedly abducted by their father and taken to Syria.
Alaa Azzam, 33, did not know when she dropped Kamal, eight, and Kefah, 10, off at Church Stretton train station in Shropshire on Valentine’s Day, that it would be the start of a living ‘nightmare’.
It was agreed by Ms Azzam and the children’s father that they could spend part of the half-term holiday with him.
But just two days later, she received a call from a relative to say her husband had been seen in Jordan, sparking fears her children had been abducted.
Detectives are now investigating the incident, with the children – who have dual British-Jordanian citizenship – being treated as ‘high-risk missing people’.
Ms Azzam has since flown to Jordan in a bid to find them, but fears they have been taken to Syria ‘where there are no laws and no courts’.
Alaa Azzam (pictured front) with her two children Kefah, 10, and Kamal, eight
Alaa Azzam (pictured right) with her two young children. They relocated to Shropshire two years ago
Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Azzam said: ‘I am a mother, I will take any risk to get my children home safely. My children are my life. There is nothing more I can do than go to Jordan and save them.’
‘My solicitors will start a High Court application but I can’t wait until then. I don’t know how my kids are feeling.’
A court order is in place that states Ms Azzam’s children cannot be taken out of the country without the consent of the parent responsible for them or the court’s permission, MailOnline understands.
Ms Azzam believes her husband has taken the children as a form of ‘punishment’, and admitted she has ‘never been apart’ from them.
She fears the children were taken to Jordan because the Middle Eastern country has not signed the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed they are assisting a British woman following a situation in Jordan.
Ms Azzam pictured with her two young children, who have British-Jordanian citizenship
Ms Azzam left her former home in Swansea two years ago, after her ex-husband of eight years ‘wanted them to move abroad to Jordan to live with his family,’ she claimed.
The relationship had allegedly been abusive before she relocated to Shropshire and moved into a refuge with the help of police.
When asked about her husband, Ms Azzam said: ‘He never allowed me to have any surroundings or community around me. I didn’t have any friends until I came to Shropshire. For eight years, he was my life.
She added: ‘He was very controlling of my daughter. She had very long hair, so she said to me, “mommy, I want to donate my hair to Cancer Research. I said to her, “it’s totally up to you. It’s your hair. And you can do whatever you want my lovely”.
‘She raised £250 for the community. When her father saw her hair that short he said to her “it is not up to you to do that to your hair”.’
Ms Azzam claimed her husband abducted the children as a form of ‘punishment’. Pictured: The family together
In August last year, the court granted Ms Azzam custody of her children, while their father was granted access to see them on a fortnightly basis and on school holidays.
Her husband, who is an A&E consultant, allegedly returned to Jordan after 20 years in the UK last year.
Ms Azzam received a message from him in January 2024 to say that he was returning to the UK and wanted to continue with court procedures.
‘I did not want to go back to court,’ Ms Azaam explained, ‘I didn’t want to have this again. I’d had enough, and I just wanted to live in peace with my children.’
Ms Azzam agreed to let her husband see their children and it was arranged for the end of February, during the half-term holiday.
Kamal and Kefah (pictured) just before Christmas with a friend dressed as The Grinch. The pair are now being treated as high-risk missing people.
‘On February 12 he sent me a message saying to me that on the 14th he’ll be coming and picking up the children, I said to him, “okay, that’s fine with me”.
‘My daughter starts crying, and she says to me, “I don’t want to go back to Daddy. I don’t want to go, and I don’t want to see him”.
‘And then I say to her, please try and enjoy your time with dad and that “we have agreed that you need to build a relationship with him”.
‘Now I feel that I have let down my daughter, and I handed her to him.’
Ms Azzam explained: ‘I went back home and on Friday, my cousin who lives in Jordan and is his parents’ neighbour, she called me and she said to me “Alla, where are the children?” I said to her “the kids are with their father having their half holiday”. She said to me the father is in Jordan.”
Ms Azzam started frantically calling her husband, asking to speak to her children, to which he allegedly responded with: ‘the children will speak to you in an hour’.
‘My concern started rising again that there is something not good. I called him again, and I said “where are the kids?” and he said “shut up and listen to me carefully”.
‘And then I started shouting and screaming at him at the phone, and when I hung up the phone I called the solicitor. I called the police.’
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: ‘On Friday February 16, we received a report that two children from Shropshire had been illegally taken abroad by a family member.
‘An investigation has been launched and the children, aged 10 and 8, are being treated as high-risk missing people. Extensive enquiries are underway to locate them and ensure they are safe.
‘The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are supporting their family.’
Do YOU have a story to be investigated? Email megan.howe@mailonline.co.uk.
