Why IS hostages are calm before execution

They think they're not going to die because they have already gone through multiple sessions of mock beheading.

PETALING JAYA: An Islamic State (IS) defector has explained why the militant group’s hostages look calm before they are beheaded.

The hostages feel secure, thinking the execution will not happen, because they have undergone several sessions of mock beheading, according to “Saleh”, a former translater for IS.

“The hostages were compliant when it came to their deaths because they did not realise they were really going to die; they had been subjected to mock executions and had a false sense of security,” Sky News has reported after interviewing Saleh.

Saleh said he was instructed by the infamous Jihadi John to tell hostages: “No problem, only on video. We don’t kill you. We want from your government [to] stop attacking Syria.”

“We don’t have any problem with you; you are only our visitors.”

According to Saleh, Jihadi John is actually Mohammed Emwazi, the 26-year-old British executioner suspected of killing several foreign hostages.

Saleh said Emwazi was one of the most respected members of IS because of his willingness to kill foreigners.

“John the big boss. Only he talks orders. Others do,” he said.

He said the mock executions were performed so frequently they became normal, making hostages think they were not going to die.

He also revealed that hostages were given Arabic names to make them feel as though they were among friends. For example, Japanese photographer Kenji Goto was addressed as “Abu Saad”. Saleh said this made him “relax”.