Posted on 03/23/2006 6:33:31 AM PST by SittinYonder
Statement By Christian Peacemaker Teams
“Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad. Christian Peacemaker Teams rejoices with their families and friends at the expectation of their return to their loved ones and community.
"Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad.
“We rejoice in the return of Harmeet Sooden. He has been willing to put his life on the line to promote justice in Iraq and Palestine as a young man newly committed to active peacemaking.
“We rejoice in the return of Jim Loney. He has cared for the marginalized and oppressed since childhood, and his gentle, passionate spirit has been an inspiration to people near and far.
“We rejoice in the return of Norman Kember. He is a faithful man, an elder and mentor to many in his 50 years of peacemaking, a man prepared to pay the cost.
“We remember with tears Tom Fox, whose body was found in Baghdad on March 9, 2006, after three months of captivity with his fellow peacemakers. We had longed for the day when all four men would be released together.
"Our gladness today is made bittersweet by the fact that Tom is not alive to join in the celebration. However, we are confident that his spirit is very much present in each reunion.
“Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict.
"They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers.
"We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.
“Today, in the face of this joyful news, our faith compels us to love our enemies even when they have committed acts which caused great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their families.
"In the spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of vengeance.
“We give thanks for the compassionate God who granted our friends courage and who sustained their spirits over the past months.
"We pray for strength and courage for ourselves so that, together, we can continue the nonviolent struggle for justice and peace.
“Throughout these difficult months, we have been heartened by messages of concern for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
"That support continues to come to us day after day.
“We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.
“During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they? Will they be released? When?
“With Tom’s death, we felt the grief of losing a beloved friend. Today, we rejoice in the release of our friends Harmeet, Jim and Norman. We continue to pray for a swift and joyful homecoming for the many Iraqis and internationals who long to be reunited with their families.
"We renew our commitment to work for an end to the war and the occupation of Iraq as a way to continue the witness of Tom Fox. We trust in God’s compassionate love to show us the way.
“Living through the many emotions of this day, we remain committed to the words of Jim Loney, who wrote:
"With God’s abiding kindness, we will love even our enemies. With the love of Christ, we will resist all evil. With God’s unending faithfulness, we will work to build the beloved community."
March 23, 2006
They couldn't even a tack on an oh-by-the-way thanks to the individuals who rescued them?
Not only clueless, but classless as well.
Ahhhh not enough coffee ride= "right"
Have the guys who were being held released any statements?
They were tied up according to an article I read and in a "hostage cell."
One of them was shot in the head.
They Americans and Brits got information as to where they were being held from someone they arrested three hours before they went and got these folks.
Unless the information I read in another article is incorrect, then yes, I call it a rescue.
I am an Episcopalian. An ECUSA group who seem to think they are working for peace solicited me to join in a rally. I traded quite civil e-mails with one of them. He told me that a democracy cannot be imposed by force. He's right. But he missed the point, and the example of our own American Revolution with regards to the French, when he fails to note that a democracy can be prevented by force, and that force can be used to defend a democratic movement while it gets organized and becomes strong enough to defend itself.
They haven't.
People commit suicide for their beliefs all the time. what makes you think this guy wasn't wacked in the head enough to be their lamb? Obviously they are nuts enough to think these Islamic nuts, who hate Christians Jews and anything not Islam are their pals.
What a bunch of worthless jackasses.
I'm looking fwd to hearing what the actual rescued people have to say...to see if they get the same talking points.
Either way I'm glad they got rescued...
I bet Hannity and/or O'Reilly will have something to say about this. The absence of gratitude to their rescuers and the Tokyo Rose attitude towards our troops will not set well with SH and BOR.
(Yes, I know these folks don't represent ALL Christians, but neither do the articles on atheists and agnostics posted here represent all of us non-believers.)
If they are so committted they ought to have told their rescuers that they'd prefer to stay captive.
Justice would have them getting shot dead by terrorists and dumped unceremoniously in the street this time if it happened.
You are going to have lots to be angry about in the days to come. lefty media will be swooning over them for days and broadcasting their story multiple times daily. Keep your barf pail handy.
Did any of these folks ever travel to Iraq to show their "solidarity" with the people before the Iraq war? I doubt it. I would bet that Saddam's prisons and torture chambers never drew a peep of protest from them, or, if it did, it was of the tepid sort which is immediately followed by a blast at the USA, blaming us for Saddam's misdeeds.
Of course his captors were innocent of his torture and murder and were driven to do this by George Bush and US imperialism. We forgive them but will blame Bush for everything.
These people make me puke.
For these people to call themselves "Christian" is violating the commandment against taking the name of the LORD your God in vain.
"He has cared for the marginalized and oppressed since childhood . . . ."
I would like to know what he did as a child to care for the marginalized and blah blah blah.
These people are turining a VERY blind eye towards the kangaroo court case currently underway in Afghanistan.
A Christian brother is about to lose his head and become a martyr or be shut in a third world prison, labeled insane, for escaping Islam.
But that doesn't matter. "It's Bush's fault."
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