"I'm shocked." - Debra Hammami

New York, NY - September 4, 2009 - INSIDE EDITION speaks exclusively with the mother of Abu Mansour Al-Amriki, the 25-year-old who has become one of the most surprising faces and voices of terrorism.

Known as "The American", Al-Amriki, has been identified as Omar Hammami, born in Mobile, AL.  He has been fighting with a terrorist group in Somalia with ties to Al Qaeda, and has posted videos online, calling on Muslims to join the jihad.

Debra Hammami, Al-Amriki's mother, tells INSIDE EDITION she's "shocked" at the path her son has chosen, but she still loves him saying, "You know how a mother feels in her heart no matter what happens."

Reached by telephone, the 55-year-old describes herself as a "good Christian" and says, as a youngster, her son was very "fun-loving and mischievous," a "free-spirit," and a gifted student.  She says he never spoke of Al Qaeda and doesn't know what happened to turn her son into wanted a terrorist.

During the 9/11 attacks, her son was a student at South Alabama University and the president of the school's Muslim Student Association.  He told the campus newspaper, it was "difficult to believe a Muslim could have done this."  His mother says that her son grew "bored" with college and left after two years.

Al-Amriki's mother says she had no clue about her son's whereabouts, telling INSIDE EDITION, "I had a friend call and tell me it was on television.  He hasn't been in the states for four or five years.  We haven't heard from him.  We've been very worried."

Al-Amriki's father, Shafik Hammami is an engineer with the Alabama Department of Transportation, and is also president of the Islamic Society of Mobile.  Debra Hammami says she's been married to a Muslim for 32 years, and she's never known of anyone who embraced extremist activities.

Debra Hammami tells INSIDE EDITION she's never been contacted by law enforcement, even though al-Amriki has reportedly been indicted on charges of providing material support to terrorists.  But she says if he is brought back to the United States to face justice, she will stand by her son and be "fully supportive of him."

INSIDE EDITION is produced daily at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City and produced and distributed by CBS Television Distribution, a unit of CBS Corp.

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