Nigel Brennan

And I knew if I had the Qur'an I could potentially use that as a weapon as well.

So it took about three months to finally get it back and then I started to read it.

from cover to cover.

And I think in the remaining eight months, I probably read the book a hundred times.

I called it my Bible to survival.

You know, I started to look at it of ways of questioning my kidnappers about what they were doing to us.

So, you know, I would find surahs where it talked about, you know, when you say the profession of faith, you're a Muslim and therefore no other Muslim can stand in your way.

So I'd sort of have those religious chats with them and

and say well i don't understand here in the bible in the quran it says this and then they would flick through you know a page and find a a surah and say well here in the quran it says when you hold the slaves in your right hand you can do as you wish to them now like so before you were muslim you're a christian so therefore you're a slave and i was like well hang on here in in the quran it says this and they're like noah 100 you are muslim

100% you are, like, you have studied this book.

It's just like, yeah, I'm trying to find a way out.

This is my Rubik's Cube, man.

After the escape, I was told, like, you are not allowed to do exercise.

You are not allowed to stand up.

You either sit or lie down.

The only time you're allowed to actually stand on your feet is when you pray or when you go to wash.

before prayer and again that had some comical sort of outcomes I can remember you know I started passing blood every time I went to the toilet because I'd had like bouts of fever where I was so dehydrated and I hadn't gone to the toilet for like six days and it's just like I'm gonna unfortunately have to start pushing and obviously that created the bleeding and stuff like that but I can remember talking to my captors and saying I'm bleeding and

every time I go to the toilet.

And they're like, yeah, this is normal in Somalia.

And it's just like, well, it's not normal in Australia, mate.