The Fox Hunt

A Refugee's Memoir of Coming to America

By: Mohammed Al Samawi

Narrated by: Assaf Cohen

A young man’s moving story of war, friendship, and hope in which he recounts his harrowing escape from a brutal civil war in Yemen with the help of a daring plan engineered on social media by a small group of interfaith activists in the West.

Born in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen, to a pair of middle-class doctors, Mohammed Al Samawi was a devout Muslim raised to think of Christians and Jews as his enemy. But when Mohammed was twenty-three, he secretly received a copy of the Bible, and what he read cast doubt on everything he’d previously believed. After connecting with Jews and Christians on social media, and at various international interfaith conferences, Mohammed became an activist, making it his mission to promote dialogue and cooperation in Yemen.

Then came the death threats: first on Facebook, then through terrifying anonymous phone calls. To protect himself and his family, Mohammed fled to the southern port city of Aden. He had no way of knowing that Aden was about to become the heart of a north-south civil war, and the battleground for a well-funded proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. As gunfire and grenades exploded throughout the city, Mohammed hid in the bathroom of his apartment and desperately appealed to his contacts on Facebook.

Miraculously, a handful of people he barely knew responded. Over thirteen days, four ordinary young people with zero experience in diplomacy or military exfiltration worked across six technology platforms and ten time zones to save this innocent young man trapped between deadly forces— rebel fighters from the north and Al Qaeda operatives from the south.

The story of an improbable escape as riveting as the best page-turning thrillers, The Fox Hunt reminds us that goodness and decency can triumph in the darkest circumstances.

The fox hunt

This was a very good book I recommend it to anyone it’s a good read

Profound journey!

A profound journey into the human element which reside within us all... hope. The uncapped power one individual has to make a difference, multiplied by the efforts of many. A true example of how 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon is now more like 3. A window into a culture, religion, family, man, in a war zone half a world away. A truly eye opening perspective. Do not let the meaning of this book be lost on you! Simply amazing.

interfaith coming of a story

a beautiful young man becomes an NGO amidst a civil war. he put his life on the line, and his family at risk attempting to spread awareness of interfaith connectios betweenJudaism Christianity and Islam

Amazing story

I loved this book! It was informative about the very serious situation in Yemen, and it was also suspenseful and inspiring. I was in awe of how so many people rose to the occasion to help out in difficult circumstances, and that gave me a well-needed dose of hope for humanity. The narrator, Assaf Cohen, did an excellent job capturing the emotions of the story. This is the third book I’ve read that he has narrated, and I have been impressed every time!

The Power of the Human Spirit

Very well written memoir. Fast paced read will keep you on the edge of your seat.