I took my daughter, 8, to IRAQ – I told her the terror risk and let her decide… people think I'm a great dad or an idiot
A father has been criticized for taking his eight-year-old daughter on holiday to Iraq against the advice of the British government.
Michael Gell, 32, says he warned the youngster about the country's “terror risks” but she was still keen to visit.
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Young Mia Gell flew to Erbil with her father, Iraq while they were on vacation Qatar and spent all Saturday exploring.
Michael, van MiddelsbroughNorth Yorkshire, said he had told her in advance that “there is the occasional missile attack” but that “there are risks all over the world”.
The foreign, Commonwealthand the Development Office has urged Britons not to travel to Iraq, citing incidents of violence and ongoing regional tensions as some of the many reasons not to visit Iraq.
It reminds the people of Britain that a number of areas in Iraq are currently subject to “sporadic artillery attacks, dronesand missiles” and that a threat remains to Western interests, including to British citizens.
The department advises against travel to the region Michael and Mia visited, the Kurdistan region, and all travel to the rest of Iraq, as terrorists are “very likely to attempt to carry out attacks.”
Michael said he and his daughter toured a 6,000-year-old castle before visiting a local castle markets and the developing “Westernized” café and restaurant scene.
Photos shared by the father Facebook showed young Mia posing with an armed official and smiling in front of a market stall.
The post received strong reactions, with some calling Michael's decision to visit Iraq with his daughter “stupid” and describing the country as the “last place” they would take their own children.
But others praised Michael, as one told him the trip was a “fantastic way to raise your daughter”.
One Facebook user said: “Did you have private security? It is quite risky, even for just 24 hours, because if something goes wrong, the embassy in Erbil has very little capacity to help.”
“I'm all for adventure, but I wouldn't take a child somewhere where no one can help if things go wrong.”
Another said: 'What turns me on is that people are ignoring the government travel advice which is based on a wide range of sources, local and international.
“When something goes wrong, those same people expect the government to help them.”
Someone else wrote: “I love this post that breaks stereotypes about places. I hope you both had a good time.”
I told her that there is a lot going on, but there are risks everywhere in the world.
Michael Gell
Michael hit back at the critics, claiming that “you need to explore different cultures” and that “you would be stuck inside” if you always listened to the British government's advice.
Their visit closely followed one attack by terrorist group Hezbollah on the American military base in Erbil which injured three U.S. service members, including one who was in critical condition.
The father explained: “She didn't really understand the country, so before I booked it we had a discussion and I showed her photos and videos.
“I was open and honest. I said there are occasional missile attacks, but there is a US Air Force base near the airport, so 99 percent of them are targeted there and there is minimal risk to the public.
'I told her that there is a lot going on there, but that there are risks all over the world. They are probably bigger there, but she knows that 99 percent of people just want to live a normal life.
“I told her, 'It's your decision,' but she's an adventurer like me, so she was all for it and so was her mother.”
He said he could understand why some people would say his decision to take his daughter to Iraq was “irresponsible,” but he believed travelers were safe as long as they “take precautions and use your brain”.
The dock worker's father added that he had gone through scenarios with Mia before he left so she knew who to call and what to do if something happened to him.
His original plan was for them to stay in the country for two days, but Michael opted to stay only 20 days due to rising political tensions.
He said they paid £110 for visas, arrived in the country at around 1.30am and stayed in a hotel for £125.
They left Iraq to return to Qatar around 10pm and are believed to be looking forward to going back one day with Mia's mother Katie.
According to Michael, Mia “absolutely loved” the trip.
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