Jakarta , Indonesia
CNN - A French journalist who once held captive ISIS said that the kelompok was almost oblivious of religion and did not even have the Koran .
Didier Francois , spent ten months into ISIS prisoners in Syria .
" There was never really any discussion of the text or discussion - it's not a religion . It is a discussion about politics , " said Francois told Christiane Amanpour of CNN in an exclusive interview on Tuesday ( 3/2 ).
"It's embarrassing is that they teach us about the Koran . Because it has nothing to do with the Koran . They do not even have the Quran , they even do not want to give us the Quran . "
Francois released in April last year , but rarely talk about the experiences and suffering during the hostage ISIS . He is a rare case , since ISIS rarely release their hostages .
Currently , there are a woman from the United States held hostage by a militant grup that , among their other hostages . It is recognized by the US President Barack Obama in an interview with NBC News last weekend .
Francois told Amanpour that he had met the woman twice , but are reluctant to provide further details for fear of further endangering the safety of the woman .
In general , he said , the hostages women " have a little more freedom to move , " but being a hostage ISIS has been " pretty scary " and " being a woman does not make it easier . "
Francois saw unimaginable horror when arrested .
When ISIS detained in a hospital in Aleppo , he regularly hears and sees his captors torture committed against a local citizen of Syria and Iraq which does not approve the group's hard to understand .
" We can see some of them in the corridor when we were taken to the toilet , " he said , " and we could see some people lying bloodied their own . "
" You can see the hanging chain or rope hanging , or bars , " said Francois .
Francois also give you an idea of how he was treated during his captivity .
" Of course we were beaten . But not every day . I mean , it's pretty hard - you do not need to exaggeration . "
" It's hard enough to lose your freedom . Quite difficult to be in the hands of people who you know have killed hundreds and thousands of local residents in Syria , Iraq , Libya , Tunisia , can plant bombs in our country . "
" It was pretty scary . Powerful punch , but not every day . It happens sometimes . "
" If they want to destroy you , they can . None of us would be able to survive if beaten every day and tortured every day . "
' We were lucky '
Francois released before ISIS swept Iraq , control of large parts of the country .
View current conditions , he said , he believes he and three colleagues will not be released if they are still in the hands of ISIS , " especially with France's involvement in the coalition and the bombings in Iraq . "
" We were lucky . "
When he went to Syria , he told Amanpour , arrests of journalists or NGO workers are not reported , making it difficult to know just how dangerous conditions.
" So we do not know the level of risk or we are not aware of the level of risk at the time. Plus it is a time when people of ISIS still hiding in the Al-Nusra Front and does not yet carry out a coup in the al - Qaeda itself , " said Francois .
Unlike the US and the UK , European countries are believed to pay ransom for hostages held by terrorist groups , including ISIS .
But France openly denied paying a ransom for the release of journalists .
" It's never just a matter of money , " said Francois , called speculation in the alat about the amount of money that may have been paid as " absolutely ridiculous . "
As a former prisoner , Francois has incredible perspective related to what is happening in the ISIS organization .
"The people of Iraq and Syria to join their ISIS is far more conservative and traditional than the tribes . "
" And sometimes it is not easy for them to adjust to the jihadists who come from other countries , because they do not berbagi the same idea , they do not sharing the same behavior , they do not have the same code . And sometimes it's really thrilling . "
Unlike al - Qaeda , which ISIS is a crack , the leader Abu Bakr al - Baghdadi " always try to use local conflict in the organization . "
" He's always trying to push the Sunni tribes , Bedouin , to fight Shia or Yazidi , or Christians . And they are trying to play the opposite of this community . Such is how she survived . Such is how he recruited . "
" He's using , of course , young people who come from Europe or come from all over the place . But that is only one part of the organization . The strongest part of the organization is tribal , local Sunni tribes . "
Survive, said Francois , is to try to be " among them . "
When imprisoned , Francois along with James Foley , US journalist brutally executed by ISIS , which is followed by spreading the execution video . This video is the first of a series of videos released ISIS viciously until the latest video on Tuesday ( 3/2 ) showing the burning alive of prisoners suspected al - Kassasbeh Muath .
" James is a wonderful friend , " said Francois . " He never gave up . He has a tremendous heart . "
" He's always trying to get something for someone else . "
When the guard asked the hostages if they need something , they all will instinctively answer no , do not want to rock the boat .
Foley , on the contrary , would suggest maybe they could have some vegetables to the health of their diet .
" They ( ISIS ) do not like the fact that he has not changed . And that's the reason why he got more punch . Because he was not broken . He was still struggling , in his own way. He still arguing . "
When Foley was killed by a savage , Jihadi propaganda John visible in Video ISIS put a knife to the neck journalists.
Beheading is not shown on kamera , leading to speculation about whether Jihadi John actually being behind the murder.
Francois told Amanpour he believes is Jihad John who committed the murder .
