BOSTON -- The Massachusetts father who says his ex-wife kidnapped their two sons and took them home to Egypt visited his boys on Monday.
“I come back to the U.S. determined,” said Colin Bower.
Fighting to get his boys back, Bower arrived back in Boston from Egypt on Tuesday morning, returning after meeting with 7-year old Ramsay and 9-year old Noor for 25 minutes on Monday. It was the first time he got the chance to see them in 13 months.
“It was a very emotional moment for me. It was something that I very much looked forward to, and it was very sad in many ways,” said Bower.
It’s sad because Bower was awarded sole custody of the children following a divorce from his wife, Mirvat El-Nady, in 2008. A year later, his ex-wife fled to Egypt with the boys using fake passports.
Bower said it has been a living nightmare.
“When you see your children, the worst nightmare is when they’re abducted, and then you wonder about their safety, and then you see them again for the first time and you realize they’re not as healthy as they were when they left, and that’s very sad. It’s the worst thing a parent can see,” said Bower.
Sen. John Kerry has sent three letters to senior government officials in Egypt over the past year.
“I hope that the involvement of the U.S. government can help bring this tragedy to its rightful conclusion by reuniting these boys with their father,” wrote Sen. Kerry.
Bower, wrestling with a mix of emotions a day after finally seeing his boys, had a message for them.
“Noor, if you’re watching, Daddy does not blame you. He does not blame Ramsay for any of this. Daddy loves you very much,” said Bower.
Bower said a custody hearing is scheduled in Egypt next month, and he remains confident that he will eventually bring his boys back home.
(Copyright (c) 2010 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)