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Rescued from ISIS

The Gripping True Story of How a Father Saved His Son

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

This is the inspiring and terrifying tale of one man's journey to the Middle East to save his child from radical Islam.

Dimitri Bontinck lived every parent's worst nightmare: his teenage son, introduced to Islam by his girlfriend, fell into the clutches of a radical mosque. Dimitri watched helplessly as his son Jay transformed from a gentle boy to a soldier in training, wearing traditional robes and following a strict diet. Completely brainwashed, Jay snuck out of the house and traveled to Syria, all but vanishing. Too late, Dimitri learned that their country, Belgium, was the leading hotbed of Islamic radicalization. Large numbers of teenagers were being lured into this world and expertly indoctrinated into radical Islam. One by one, they disappeared into the Middle East, most never to be seen again.

With no one to help him, Dimitri—a white, Christian-raised atheist—set off on his own to save his son. Using only his military training, a lot of courage, and a little luck, he gradually made contacts in the Middle East and, after months of searching, was able to find his son and bring him home. The world was shocked at his unprecedented success, and he started receiving pleas from families around the world, asking that he get their children back, as well. Increasingly fearful for his own life but unable to ignore these cries for help, Dimitri accepted his newfound role as the jihadi hunter.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 26, 2017
      Bontinck, a former Belgian soldier and U.N. peacekeeper in Slovenia, writes of his harrowing quest to find his radicalized son, who joined a group of ISIS terrorists. His pride in his son, Jay, born to a Nigerian mother, never wavers as Bontinck charts the evolution of a curious, Catholic boy into a 16-year-old jihadist, brainwashed by “hardline, pure Islamic views,” militant videos, and lectures on Islamophobia and “corrupt Christians.” In 2013, Jay joined a group of foreign fighters willing to die for Allah in Syria, while his father traveled to the war-ravaged region in desperate search of him. Following two fruitless trips, Bontinck learned that the group had accused his son of being a spy and that Jay was being held in an ISIS prison containing American journalist James Foley and British photographer John Cantlie. Bontinck’s dogged determination and meaningful contacts opened the door for Jay’s release months later. The rescue is one of the few success stories among parents who have lost their children to ISIS recruitment. Bontinck’s account is a loving and revealing tribute to the father-son bond.

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

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  • English

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