This week on the WarriorU Podcast Bram Connolly talks to Australian criminal and human rights lawyer, retired British Army officer, author, professional speaker and hostage survivor Rabia Siddique.
In 2005 Rabia was sent on a mission to Basra in order to negotiate the release of two British Special Forces Soldiers. Not long after her arrival, the compound was stormed by an angry mob who had been mobilised by Iranian backed insurgents. Another military officer and a further group of four SAS soldiers were subsequently detained in the chaos. 8 hours later they would all be freed by British forces, but not before Rabia had been subjected to the most harrowing treatment at the hands of the local police.
This would seem to be the life test that would define Rabia; however, the true test would come almost 18 months later when Rabia, who had exhausted all other options to have her role in the rescue of the soldiers acknowledged, took her case for discrimination against the UK Ministry of Defence to the highest court in the UK – which she won.
Rabia shares her story of resilience and in particular the lessons that she learnt from being held hostage that could then be applied for when the real fight would begin.