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Peter Kassig now known as Abdul-Rahman, meaning 'slave of the merciful'
His parents insist his 'journey toward Islam' started before his capture
26-year-old shared a cell with devout Muslim and converted by Dec 2013
He told them in letter he prays five times a day and faith gives him comfort
His mother Paula wore headscarf in appeal to ISIS and she tweets in Arabic
Quran teaches Muslims cannot kill other Muslims unless by accident
The US hostage formerly known as Peter Kassig has converted to Islam, changed his name to Abdul-Rahman and prays five times a day, his parents have revealed - but they insist it was voluntary.
Kassig, 26, started his 'journey toward Islam' in 2013 while living and working with Syrian Muslims for his own humanitarian aid company in Beirut, they said.
According to a statement tweeted by Ed and Paula Kassig last night, their son observed a month-long Ramadan fast between July and August 2013, which had a 'great impact on him'.
But it was not until after he was captured by ISIS in eastern Syria on October 1, 2013 that he made his conversion to the faith while sharing a cell with a devout Muslim.
Now going by the name Abdul-Rahman - which means 'slave of the merciful' in Arabic - the former US Army private prays five times a day.
Details of Kassig's journey have finally been released by the family after he was named by ISIS as their next beheading victim.
They had learned about his abduction and interest in Islam last October from his former colleagues but maintained a one-year silence while they waited for news.
Last night, the couple from Indianapolis tweeted part of a letter from their son describing his faith.
'In the letter,' they wrote, 'our son said he prays every day and that his situation is 'dogmatically complicated' - which we understand was a reference to his conversion
'A former hostage says our son voluntarily converted to Islam sometime between October and December 2013, when he shared a cell with a devout Syrian Muslim.
'After converting, he took Islam's practices seriously, including praying the five daily prayers and taking on the name Abdul-Rahman.
'We see this as part [of] our son's long spiritual journey.'
They said the letter should help the world 'understand' their son, and urged the media to adopt Peter's new name Abdul-Rahman.
In his letter Abdul-Rahman Kassig wrote: 'In terms of my faith, I pray everyday and I am not angry about my situation in that sense.
'I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at peace with my belief.'
News of Kassig's conversion comes after friends of British hostage Alan Henning - who was beheaded by ISIS last week - claim he was planning to convert and learn Arabic.
The Quran (4:92) teaches that Muslims must not kill other Muslims unless it is an accident.
The passage roughly translates as: 'Never is it for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake - then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to the deceased's family [is required] unless they give [up their right as] charity.'
It also says that if the killed Muslim was a prisoner of war, then the killer must release a believing slave.
Many have cited the passage as evidence that hostages like Kassig may convert to save their life.
However, speaking to his former colleagues, Mr and Mrs Kassig learned that their son started moving toward Islam in 2013 and experimenting with the spiritual practices with friends.
They conceded that he had always been 'searching for his place in the world' and that his belief appeared to bring him great comfort.
'His friends say that Abdul-Rahman's journey toward Islam began before he was taken captive,' they said.
'Along with his Muslim colleagues, he observed the month-long Ramadan fast in July-August 2013 prior to his capture, and spoke of the great impact this spiritual practice had on him.
'He had also worked and lived alongside Syrian Muslims before his capture and had come to admire and respect them greatly.'
Nonetheless, an anti-terror expert told MailOnline that conversion - whether forced or not - would do nothing to help hostages save their own lives.
Dr Andreas Krieg, a King's College London professor, spoke from Iraq to say: 'Conversion in the case of IS [Islamic State] would not save the individual from death.
'IS does not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims, they differentiate between those following their ideological construct of Islam and those that do not.
'Only those that adhere to their ideology, which they call Islam, are being spared.
'In the case of Western hostages, or hostages with Western passports, neither will save them.
'The propaganda value of these beheadings is just too precious for them to spoil it on ideological considerateness.'
He added that it is possible a form of Stockholm syndrome - where hostages sympathize with their captors - could have spurred on Kassig's fascination with the faith.
However, Dr Krieg said that ultimately he thinks 'Kassig’s decision to convert has probably nothing to do with his captivity' and that 'he was probably inspired by Islam during his time on tour in Iraq'.
'I could imagine that the atrocities he witnessed during the war might have changed his mindset and attitude once he returned,' Dr Krieg added.
Last week, Mr and Mrs Kassig released an appeal pleading for the US to cease its attacks on ISIS and for their son's captors to have mercy.
Paula Kassig wore a headscarf out of respect as she addressed his captors.
Her son's letter also thanked his parents for their 'strength and commitment' to raise 'a son like me'.
He wrote: 'The first thing I want to say is thank you.
'Both to you and mom for everything you have both done for me as parents; for everything you have taught me, shown me, and experienced with me.
'I cannot imagine the strength and commitment it has taken to raise a son like me but your love and patience are things I am so deeply grateful for.
'I am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing, wondering, hoping and wondering if I should even hope at all.
'I am very sad that all this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through.
'If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need.'
He added: 'I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you.
'Just know I'm with you. Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me.
'I love you.'
Kassig first went to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier in April 2007 when he was deployed to Iraq with the 75th Ranger Regiment.
He returned to Indianapolis in June 2007, and was honorably discharged as a first class private in September of that year due to an unspecified medical condition.
In the next two years, he reportedly got married and then divorced before enrolling as a political science major at Butler University, Indiana, in 2011.
He graduated in 2012 after taking a spring break holiday in Beirut. His trip inspired him to return later that year and set up his own humanitarian aid company, SERA (Special Emergency Response and Assistance).
The medically-oriented emergency relief group served refugee populations and internally displaced persons from Gaziantep, Turkey.
As of January 2013, he was based in Beirut, Lebanon, and traveled often to Gaziantep and parts of Syria.
Between July and August 2013, he observed Ramadan.
It was while working on a project for SERA almost exactly a year ago, on October 1, 2013, when he was captured by members of ISIS as he headed to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria.
On Friday he was threatened with death in a chilling video showing the beheading of 47-year-old British aid worker Alan Henning.
'I WISH THIS PAPER WOULD GO ON FOREVER': THE EMOTIONAL MESSAGE ABDUL-RAHMAN KASSIG WROTE PARENTS FROM ISIS CELL
This is the letter that Paula and Ed Kassig received from their son in captivity on June 2, 2014. Before it was released the text was edited for length and sensitive information redacted:
'The first thing I want to say is thank you. Both to you and mom for everything you have both done for me as parents; for everything you have taught me, shown me, and experienced with me.
'I cannot imagine the strength and commitment it has taken to raise a son like me but your love and patience are things I am so deeply grateful for.
'I am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing, wondering, hoping, and wondering if I should even hope at all.
'I am very sad that all this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through.
'If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need.
'In terms of my faith, I pray everyday and I am not angry about my situation in that sense. I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at peace with my belief.
'I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you. Just know I’m with you.
'Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me. I love you.'
How American captive Peter Kassig converted to Islam in ISIS captivity and now prays five times a day under the new name Abdul-Rahman | Daily Mail Online
His parents insist his 'journey toward Islam' started before his capture
26-year-old shared a cell with devout Muslim and converted by Dec 2013
He told them in letter he prays five times a day and faith gives him comfort
His mother Paula wore headscarf in appeal to ISIS and she tweets in Arabic
Quran teaches Muslims cannot kill other Muslims unless by accident
The US hostage formerly known as Peter Kassig has converted to Islam, changed his name to Abdul-Rahman and prays five times a day, his parents have revealed - but they insist it was voluntary.
Kassig, 26, started his 'journey toward Islam' in 2013 while living and working with Syrian Muslims for his own humanitarian aid company in Beirut, they said.
According to a statement tweeted by Ed and Paula Kassig last night, their son observed a month-long Ramadan fast between July and August 2013, which had a 'great impact on him'.
But it was not until after he was captured by ISIS in eastern Syria on October 1, 2013 that he made his conversion to the faith while sharing a cell with a devout Muslim.
Now going by the name Abdul-Rahman - which means 'slave of the merciful' in Arabic - the former US Army private prays five times a day.
Details of Kassig's journey have finally been released by the family after he was named by ISIS as their next beheading victim.
They had learned about his abduction and interest in Islam last October from his former colleagues but maintained a one-year silence while they waited for news.
Last night, the couple from Indianapolis tweeted part of a letter from their son describing his faith.
'In the letter,' they wrote, 'our son said he prays every day and that his situation is 'dogmatically complicated' - which we understand was a reference to his conversion
'A former hostage says our son voluntarily converted to Islam sometime between October and December 2013, when he shared a cell with a devout Syrian Muslim.
'After converting, he took Islam's practices seriously, including praying the five daily prayers and taking on the name Abdul-Rahman.
'We see this as part [of] our son's long spiritual journey.'
They said the letter should help the world 'understand' their son, and urged the media to adopt Peter's new name Abdul-Rahman.
In his letter Abdul-Rahman Kassig wrote: 'In terms of my faith, I pray everyday and I am not angry about my situation in that sense.
'I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at peace with my belief.'
News of Kassig's conversion comes after friends of British hostage Alan Henning - who was beheaded by ISIS last week - claim he was planning to convert and learn Arabic.
The Quran (4:92) teaches that Muslims must not kill other Muslims unless it is an accident.
The passage roughly translates as: 'Never is it for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake - then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to the deceased's family [is required] unless they give [up their right as] charity.'
It also says that if the killed Muslim was a prisoner of war, then the killer must release a believing slave.
Many have cited the passage as evidence that hostages like Kassig may convert to save their life.
However, speaking to his former colleagues, Mr and Mrs Kassig learned that their son started moving toward Islam in 2013 and experimenting with the spiritual practices with friends.
They conceded that he had always been 'searching for his place in the world' and that his belief appeared to bring him great comfort.
'His friends say that Abdul-Rahman's journey toward Islam began before he was taken captive,' they said.
'Along with his Muslim colleagues, he observed the month-long Ramadan fast in July-August 2013 prior to his capture, and spoke of the great impact this spiritual practice had on him.
'He had also worked and lived alongside Syrian Muslims before his capture and had come to admire and respect them greatly.'
Nonetheless, an anti-terror expert told MailOnline that conversion - whether forced or not - would do nothing to help hostages save their own lives.
Dr Andreas Krieg, a King's College London professor, spoke from Iraq to say: 'Conversion in the case of IS [Islamic State] would not save the individual from death.
'IS does not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims, they differentiate between those following their ideological construct of Islam and those that do not.
'Only those that adhere to their ideology, which they call Islam, are being spared.
'In the case of Western hostages, or hostages with Western passports, neither will save them.
'The propaganda value of these beheadings is just too precious for them to spoil it on ideological considerateness.'
He added that it is possible a form of Stockholm syndrome - where hostages sympathize with their captors - could have spurred on Kassig's fascination with the faith.
However, Dr Krieg said that ultimately he thinks 'Kassig’s decision to convert has probably nothing to do with his captivity' and that 'he was probably inspired by Islam during his time on tour in Iraq'.
'I could imagine that the atrocities he witnessed during the war might have changed his mindset and attitude once he returned,' Dr Krieg added.
Last week, Mr and Mrs Kassig released an appeal pleading for the US to cease its attacks on ISIS and for their son's captors to have mercy.
Paula Kassig wore a headscarf out of respect as she addressed his captors.
Her son's letter also thanked his parents for their 'strength and commitment' to raise 'a son like me'.
He wrote: 'The first thing I want to say is thank you.
'Both to you and mom for everything you have both done for me as parents; for everything you have taught me, shown me, and experienced with me.
'I cannot imagine the strength and commitment it has taken to raise a son like me but your love and patience are things I am so deeply grateful for.
'I am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing, wondering, hoping and wondering if I should even hope at all.
'I am very sad that all this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through.
'If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need.'
He added: 'I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you.
'Just know I'm with you. Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me.
'I love you.'
Kassig first went to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier in April 2007 when he was deployed to Iraq with the 75th Ranger Regiment.
He returned to Indianapolis in June 2007, and was honorably discharged as a first class private in September of that year due to an unspecified medical condition.
In the next two years, he reportedly got married and then divorced before enrolling as a political science major at Butler University, Indiana, in 2011.
He graduated in 2012 after taking a spring break holiday in Beirut. His trip inspired him to return later that year and set up his own humanitarian aid company, SERA (Special Emergency Response and Assistance).
The medically-oriented emergency relief group served refugee populations and internally displaced persons from Gaziantep, Turkey.
As of January 2013, he was based in Beirut, Lebanon, and traveled often to Gaziantep and parts of Syria.
Between July and August 2013, he observed Ramadan.
It was while working on a project for SERA almost exactly a year ago, on October 1, 2013, when he was captured by members of ISIS as he headed to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria.
On Friday he was threatened with death in a chilling video showing the beheading of 47-year-old British aid worker Alan Henning.
'I WISH THIS PAPER WOULD GO ON FOREVER': THE EMOTIONAL MESSAGE ABDUL-RAHMAN KASSIG WROTE PARENTS FROM ISIS CELL
This is the letter that Paula and Ed Kassig received from their son in captivity on June 2, 2014. Before it was released the text was edited for length and sensitive information redacted:
'The first thing I want to say is thank you. Both to you and mom for everything you have both done for me as parents; for everything you have taught me, shown me, and experienced with me.
'I cannot imagine the strength and commitment it has taken to raise a son like me but your love and patience are things I am so deeply grateful for.
'I am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing, wondering, hoping, and wondering if I should even hope at all.
'I am very sad that all this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through.
'If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need.
'In terms of my faith, I pray everyday and I am not angry about my situation in that sense. I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at peace with my belief.
'I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you. Just know I’m with you.
'Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me. I love you.'
How American captive Peter Kassig converted to Islam in ISIS captivity and now prays five times a day under the new name Abdul-Rahman | Daily Mail Online
