hˈæmdənz mˈʌðɚ wʌzɐ sˈɪkstiːnjˈɪɹˈoʊld fɹʌm pˌækɪstˈæn wɛn ʃiː mˈæɹid hɪz fˈɑːðɚ, ɐ nˈuːklɪɹ ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹ ʌv pˌæləstˈɪniːən dᵻsˈɛnt hˌuː ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ˌɪlənˈɔɪ mˈɛt hɜːɹ ˌɔn ɐ bˈɪznəs tɹˈɪp.
Hamdan's mother was a 16-year-old from Pakistan when she married his father, a nuclear engineer of Palestinian descent who attended the University of Illinois met her on a business trip.