Teaching Quran to escape Syria torture horror - Features - Al Jazeera English

About two dozen students attend the Quranic lessons, which are held in a mosque [Basma Atassi/Al Jazeera]

Hantoutin, Syria - Sheikh Abu Mohammad used to be an officer in a state institution considered by many Syrians to be the regime's most notorious and feared: the air force intelligence department.

A year into the uprising, however, Abu Mohammed said he could no longer tolerate the scenes of brutality he witnessed on the grounds of the headquarters in Damascus.

Anti-government protesters were frequently arrested and tortured there before they were tucked into narrow and dark dungeons, he said.

Eight months ago, Abu Mohammad, in his forties, gathered enough courage to leave his job. He said the tipping point for him was when he saw an imam being tortured in front of his eyes.

LINK: Teaching Quran to escape Syria torture horror - Features - Al Jazeera English