neveraneasyone. paintedblackinsideandouttoprevent howcloseweweretobreakingdown." "Ihadscares.Thecarcassesofcars, themfromseeing. Itwasonlywhentheonsetofthe buses,tanksthatpunctuatetheroad, Goodarzysaysthecaptorssubjected globalcoronaviruspandemicoccurred thereactionofpassengerswhopanic themtopsychologicaltorture, inMarch2020thatGoodarzyandhis assoonasthereisaroadblock.Itisnot alternatelytauntedthemandchatted fellowcaptiveswerefreed.He uncommonforIslamiststodisguise withthemaboutFrenchsoccerstars. eventuallyrejoinedhiswifeandsonin themselvesassoldiersoftheSyrian Theyweretoldto"forget"aboutseeing France. armytostop,shootanddecapitate theirfamilieseveragain. passers-by,"hesaid. Awordofwarning "AllthisIknew,andIwas sometimesafraid.ButIknew GoodarzyhopesKidnapped Godwasthere." inIraqwillserveasawarning Despitetheriskstohisown toothernationsaboutthe life, Goodarzybelievedhewas threatofradicalIslam. doingtheLord'swork. "The[Christian]Lebanese, "Once[wearrived]in SyriansandIraqisoftentell Aleppo,youmeetallthese us:'Whatwehavealways forgotten,almostneglected experiencedwithIslamwill people....Youtellyourselfthat happentoyou!Youarenot it's worthit,"hesaid."Wehave carefulenough!Whatstrikes sometimestotakerisksfor ustodaywillhappentoyou God.TherestisinHishands." tomorrow!'" Aftertravelingbackand "Manyofthemurderers forthontheperilous12-hour whowenttojihadinSyriaand busridefromDamascusto IraqcomefromEurope,"the Alepporegularlyfor18 authoradded."Itisobvious months,Goodarzywas thatwiththeirwarlikeand abductedalongwiththree murderousexperienceinthe othercharityemployeesand MiddleEast,theyrepresenta heldcaptivebyIraqiterrorists dangerforEuropeancountries duringatriptoBaghdadin wheretheyriskimportingthis January2020. violenceforthesamepurposes atonetimeoranother." Morethansimplywanting 'Yourliveswillend tosharehishorrific here' experience,Godarzysayshe Sometimesnoteatingfor wantstheworldtoknowabout ▲ Imageof'KidnappedinIraq'cover|SophiaInstitute Publishing morethan24hours—often thewarningshereceivedfrom sharingtwocansoftunafor Syriansduringhistimethere. fourpeople—GoodarzysaidtheShiite "Yourliveswillendhere,"Goodarzy "Inprivate,whentheyopenupto militiathatabductedthemwouldplay recountshearingoneofhiscaptorssay. you,itisnotuncommontohear Quranicchantingonaloopdayand Eveninthebleakestof remarkslike:...'Througharmsand nightforaweek. circumstances,prayerhelpedsustain institutions,theMuslimBrotherhood Hesaidthemilitantskeptthe Goodarzyfromonedaytothenext. isgainingground,nibblingawayat captivesonacoldfloor.Attimes,he "Sometimeswecaughteachother social,culturalandpoliticalspace. andtheotherscoveredthemselvesin praying,almostasifwewere Whatweputofftodaywillreappearin blanketswithastenchthatwasoften embarrassed,"hewrote."Itwasn'tso 20years.Wehavebeenlivingwiththis moredifficulttobearthanthefloor muchembarrassmentattheprayeras problemfor1400years,'"hesaid. itself. it wasembarrassmentatthe "'ButyouinEurope,youdon'tknow Theireyeswerecoveredwith acknowledgmentofweaknessandfear. them.You'veonlylivedwiththemfor blindfoldsorgogglesthatwerespray- Wedidn'twanttoleteachotherknow 50years.'" Christianpost.com 49