Father Jacob Murad was one of 250 Christians who were captured by ISIS from the Syrian city of Al Qaryatayn. Miraculously, with the help of a Muslim friend he managed to escape the militants. He has now spoken out about his time in captivity and of the amazing perseverance of the other Christian captives.
"Even while being deported, with my hands tied behind my back, I surprisingly found myself repeating again and again: I am going towards freedom," Murad told the Arab Christian broadcaster Noursat TV-Tele Lumiere.
"My captivity was like being born again," he said.
Before his captivity Murad belonged to a monastic community on the outskirts of Al Qaryatayn. He was abducted on May 21 by jihadis and taken to the ISIS-controlled city of Palmyra. There, he was placed in a dormitory with hundreds of other prisoners including 250 Christians, also captured from Qaryatayn.
"The Christians," said Fr Jacques, "were often questioned about their faith and about the Christian doctrine.
"But they did not convert to Islam despite much pressure. They were faithful to the recitation of the Rosary."
Among other experiences, Murad spoke of how he celebrated a mass in the underground dormitory with the other captives. "This experience of trial strengthened the faith of everyone including my faith as a priest. It is as if I have been born again."
In a separate interview with Italian TV 2000, Murad recently told of how he was repeatedly asked to declare his faith in captivity, and threatened with death if he did not convert.
"Almost every day there was someone who came to my prison and asked me 'what are you?' I would answer: 'I'm a Nazarene, in other words, a Christian.' 'So you're an infidel,' they shouted. 'Since you're a Christian, if you don't convert we'll slit your throat with a knife.'"
Despite the threats, the priest said he refused to renounce his faith. He credits a Muslim friend and the Virgin Mary for his escape.
"I want to thank all those who prayed for my liberation," he said.
"It's truly a miracle that a priest has been freed from the hands of the Islamic State. A miracle that the Virgin Mary worked for me."
Now Murad is working with an Orthodox priest to help free the remaining Christians held in captivity by ISIS.
