The father of the teen Somali boy who stowed away on the Hawaiian Airlines flight last week issued the below statement on Sunday regarding his son through the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“My name is Abdulahi Yusuf and I am —–‘s father. Our family was deeply concerned when my son went missing, and we were relieved to hear of his safety considering the circumstances of his trip.

My son, like many immigrant children, is struggling adjusting to life in this country.  Our situation was aggravated by our displacement in Africa for many years after fleeing our home country of Somalia because of war conditions. As a result, my son was not able to receive any formal education before we immigrated to the United States. —– is a good kid who I love dearly.  

I plan to fly to Hawaii soon to be reunited with him, and am excited to bring him back home to his family in California.  We thank everybody for their concern and support, and ask that people continue to respect our privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”

Source: KTVY.com