Matt Schrier

Matthew B. Schrier is an American former photographer who escaped from al Qaeda.

Early life and career

Schrier is from Deer Park, New York, and attended Hofstra University, where he was an English major who also studied film production.[1][2][3] He entered Syria with the help of the Free Syrian Army. Schrier captured images of FSA rebels fighting forces of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.[4]

Abduction by the al-Nusra Front

In late December 2012, Schrier was captured by Jabhat al-Nusra, the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, while traveling on the road between Aleppo and the Turkish border.[5] A Jeep Cherokee cut across from the side of the road and three men jumped out. Schrier told 60 Minutes, "One of 'em was cloaked completely in black, you know, like the guys in the movies -- scarf around his face, AK-47 in his hand, and he took me out, put me in the back seat of the Cherokee and he put the barrel of the gun to the side of my head."[4] He was among a collection of kidnapped American journalists held by Syrian jihadis.[6] He was eventually held in a series of rebel-controlled prisons in the Syrian city of Aleppo.[7]

He strategically converted to Islam in March 2013 as a survival tactic to get better treatment, a tactic that ended up working.[1]

Escape

In July 2013 Schrier became the first Westerner to ever escape from al Qaeda. Before sunrise he squeezed himself through a small window with the help of his cellmate Peter Theo Curtis, who got stuck in the window and did not escape. According to Schrier this was despite his best efforts to get him out - Curtis however disputes this and maintains Schrier failed to help him adequately and abandoned him, while simultaneously admitting that he told Schrier to go.[8][7] [9]During the planning of the escape Schrier claims that Curtis knocked on the door to alert the guards about the escape, a claim Curtis admitted in an interview with Die Zeit.[8]

Aftermath

His book The Dawn Prayer (Or How to Survive in a Secret Syrian Terrorist Prison): A Memoir (ISBN 1944648887) was published on April 3rd, 2018.

In January 2020, Schrier filed a lawsuit against Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), as he claimed that they provide sponsorship for al-Qaeda.[10][11]

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See also

References
  1. "The New York Times". nytimes.com. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  2. "Syria strife, through a lens darkly - Times Union". timesunion.com. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  3. "Matthew Schrier, of Syosset, returns to U.S. after being held in Syrian prison - News 12 Long Island". longisland.news12.com. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  4. Pelley, Scott. "210 Days in Captivity". 60 Minutes. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  5. Baksh, Nazim and Adrienne Arsenault (25 November 2015). "Ex-hostage says there may be Canadian al-Qaeda link". CBC News. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. Pelley, Scott (August 21, 2014). "Escaped Hostage: "Oh My God They Are Collecting Us"". www.cbsnews.com. CBS News. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  7. Chivers, C.J. "American Tells of Odyssey as Prisoner of Syrian Rebels". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  8. Berbner, Bastian. "Die Hölle, das ist der andere". Die Zeit. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  9. Picard, Ken (November 30, 2016). "Former al-Qaeda Prisoner Theo Padnos Reflects on His Ordeal". Seven Days. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  10. "Complaint: Plaintiff Matthew Schrier alleges the following in support of his claims" (PDF). United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. January 2020.
  11. "Former American Hostage Sues Qatari Bank For Allegedly His Al-Qaeda Captors, Says Royals Were 'Neck Deep In This'". Newsweek. 5 February 2020.
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