The parents of Tareq Kamleh — the Australian paediatrician who abandoned his medical career to join Islamic State and became internationally known as 'Doctor Jihad' — have broken their silence after learning their son is alive and being held in a Baghdad prison, nearly a decade after he vanished from Perth.

Kamleh, who was 30 years old when he left Australia in 2015, was widely believed to have been killed in a battle in Syria in 2017. But roughly four weeks ago, his father Imad Kamleh received a call from the Red Cross informing him that his son was, in fact, alive and imprisoned in Baghdad.

It has since emerged that Tareq Kamleh is one of 13 Australian men held in the Iraqi facility with links to ISIS, all of whom are seeking to return to Australia.

The Moment a Father Got the Call

Imad Kamleh described the experience of receiving the news as deeply conflicted — far from the relief a parent might expect to feel.

"It was a shock for us," he said. "I can't explain how I felt getting that call. I can't say I felt happy. I felt sorry for him. But sorry for him not as a father, just as a human."

He was unequivocal about where the family stands on their son's actions. "We don't endorse what he did. We hate what he did. We condemn it," he said.

When asked what message she would send to her son if given the chance, Tareq's mother offered nothing. "I give no regard to him. From me, nothing," she said.

His father said his message would be simple: that he and his wife are "very angry" with what their son chose to do.

A 'Normal and Bright' Boy Who Gave No Warning

Tareq Kamleh grew up in Perth's eastern suburbs, attending Lynwood Senior High School before going on to study medicine. He worked as a paediatrician across hospitals in Adelaide, Queensland and Perth — a career his parents say showed no hint of the path he would eventually take.

The family says they were given no indication of what was coming when their son told them he was heading to Melbourne for a two-week holiday. Instead, he travelled to Syria and joined Islamic State. The first they knew of it was when a slick ISIS propaganda video appeared on television news, featuring their son speaking as a doctor for the terrorist group. He later appeared in further videos holding a rifle.

"A doctor for children, he could have helped children here in Australia or anywhere in the world, he didn't have to go to Syria and ISIL and that crap. He is stupid," Imad said.

The Kamleh family has had zero contact with Tareq since the day he left Australia.

Government Rules Out Helping Kamleh Return

The prospect of Kamleh and the other Australian men returning from Iraq has drawn a sharp response from both sides of politics. A government spokesperson stated clearly that the government "has not and will not provide any assistance to any Australian who made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation." Housing Minister Clare O'Neill went further, saying as far as she was concerned Kamleh could "rot in jail". The Opposition has called for efforts to block his re-entry entirely.

Imad Kamleh said he understood and accepted that position. "Whatever the Australian law says should happen, should happen," he said. He added that he hoped his son no longer held extreme views and expressed a wish that, somehow, Tareq might one day contribute to de-radicalisation efforts.

A Family Isolated, a Community Shaken

Imad Kamleh, who emigrated from Palestine, and his wife, who came from Germany, said they feel a deep sense of privilege in calling Australia home — making their son's choices all the more incomprehensible to them.

"Here in Australia we are lucky, we have freedom, it is a good life. If people have different views they can talk. Why did he want to take that away from others? Why would he give that up himself?" Imad said.

The family described being profoundly isolated in Perth in the years since Tareq's disappearance — estranged from much of the local Muslim community as a consequence of their son's actions.