ISIS Hostage Says Terror Group Doesn't Care About Islam, Didn't Even Have a Quran
French journalist Didier Francois was help captive by ISIS for more than 10 months in Syria and during that time he observed that the terrorist group cares little about the Muslim religion or the Quran.
In an interview with CNN, Francois explained that ISIS never discussed anything found on the Islamic holy book with him while he was held captive.
"There was never really discussion about texts or — it was not a religious discussion. It was a political discussion," he said. "It was more hammering what they were believing than teaching us about the Quran. Because it has nothing to do with the Quran.
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"We didn't even have the Quran; they didn't want even to give us a Quran," he continued.
Francois is one of the few ISIS hostages to be freed. He escaped their clutches in April 2014 and provided little information on an American woman who's being held captive by the terrorist group, but explained that women aren't treated any better by ISIS and their experience in captivity isn't "any easier."
Francois claims to have seen several atrocities during his time in captivity, including the abuse of local Syrians and Iraqis who disobeyed the group's strict rules. He described a time when ISIS held him at Aleppo hospital.
"We could see some of them in the corridors when we were taken to the toilets," he said, "and we could see some people lying in their blood. You could see the chains hanging, or the ropes hanging, or the iron bars."
Various conservatives and Christians have railed against those in government who strive to separate ISIS terrorists from mainstream Muslims with their language. In an editorial this past summer, David French, a Harvard educated attorney and Senior Counsel at the American Center of Law and Justice, criticized President Obama for stating that ISIS, also known as ISIL, "speaks for no religion."
"What is he talking about? The Islamic State certainly speaks for their faith. In fact, the Islamic State defines itself by faith, an their faith doesn't just "teach" them to massacre innocents; it mandates such massacres," French said in a CP editorial. "Moreover, their faith has long roots within Islam, with jihadist movements flaring century after century. Even if we defeat the Islamic State now, we'll no doubt see other jihadist movements in the future."
He ended his editorial with a stern warning.
"No religion? Oh yes, they have a religion. And that religion wants you dead," he said.
Daniel Byman, a professor in the security studies program at Georgetown University and the research director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the left-of-center Brookings Institution, further explains how ISIS, which came out of the terrorist group al-Qaeda, is different in its tactics and strategy.
"Al-Qaeda and IS differ on tactics, strategy and leadership. IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi embraces beheadings and crucifixions, and he focuses on local regimes and rivals, ignoring [al-Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri's] credo of hitting the 'far enemy' — the United States," wrote Byman.
