I invite you all to join me in praying for the wellbeing and safe release of the four members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) who were abducted by unknown assailants in Iraq on Saturday.
CPT headquarters has now released the names of the abductees. They include a fellow Quaker from Virginia called Tom Fox. I’ve never met Tom, but I just received an anguished call from a f/Friend who is a member of his Quaker meeting, in northern Virginia. Tom has intemittently, since October 2004, been keeping a blog called Waiting in the Light, that contains some very moving pieces of writing.
The other CPT abductees are Norman Kember, 74, from London, UK; James Loney, 41, from Toronto; and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, also from Canada.
Al-Jazeera has aired a video it received, presumably from the kidnappers: it showed the four men and a quick image of Kember’s passport. The abductors called their group the “Swords of Righteousness Brigade”. No group of this name has been heard of before. A voice on the tape accused the four CPT-ers of being spies working undercover as peace activists.
(A German woman archeologist called Susanne Osthoff was also, separately abducted in Iraq, apparently last Thursday. A video handed to a rep of the German t.v. station ARD in Baghdad showed images of Osthoff in captivity and threatened to kill her and her Iraqi driver–also abducted– “unless Berlin stopped cooperating with the US-backed Iraqi government.”)
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an incredibly brave and visionary organization, supported principally by three of the historic “peace churches”– the Quakers, the Brethren, and the Mennonite– but with the participation of pacifists from a number of other Christian denominations. Small CPT teams maintain a constant “ministry of presence” in a number of areas of strife and tension around the world. One of their concepts stresses the need to “Get in the Way”, in order to obstruct the perpetration of violence, but to do so in a way that embodies equal love and respect for everyone.
When I was in Hebron with a group of Quakers in 2002, we were given a quick, informative tour round the extremely strife-torn central part of the city by two red-capped members of the local CPT team. CPT has had a presence in Hebron for many years, where their presence gives some protection to the city’s much-diminished Palestinian population, who face continual bouts of extremely nasty violence from Israeli settlers who’ve been trying to take over the heart of the city
Tonight I’m praying for the five abductees in Iraq, and the families who wait anxiously for news of them at home… For the people who are holding them– that they can speedily come to understand and respond positively to the love, humanity, and extremely non-threatening nature of the CPT mission… For all the thousands of people being extra-legally detained inside Iraq, for their anxious families, and their captors… And for all the decisionmakers inside and outside Iraq whose decisions can lead either to a further escalation of tensions inside the country, or to their calming.
I see the historic peace churches as the heart of authentic, pre-Augustinian and pre-“Just War” Christianity. They/we try to keep faithful to the original, strongly pacifist and antiwar teachings of Jesus. The CPT people are true, but quiet, heroes because of the way they commit to living out their witness.
Please, you kidnappers, speak with these wise, gentle people from CPT and learn about all the work that they do! And then, please find a way to release them– and Susanne Osthoff– in safety.
17 thoughts on “Christian Peacemakers abducted in Iraq”
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The CPT people are true, but quiet, heroes because of the way they commit to living out their witness.
With my sympathy to Tom and his team, wish them all a fast release hoping be freed soon by who did this unhuman acts and paying will be returned to us well.
Helena, as I said a while ago, the West makes the war and makes their HEROES by sending them there making stories about grieved people by your insults on that nation coupled with crimes against the humanity using WP or other killing machines or tortured them…
Is it Iraqis in need to your Christianity Teaching or Healing so urgently?
Salah, the CPT folks are not with any government, and they certainly do not approve of what the US/UK/Israeli governments are doing…. they very much disapprove.
They are not there to convert anyone to Christianity, or to teach them anything. They go to places like Hebron and Iraq to help people and protect them from human right violations, or at least document the violations. They are committed to non-violent means and committed to treating all people respectfully, no matter who they are or where they are from.
They are also a source of information (for those of us in the US) about what is truly going on in Iraq and Israel…. a source of accurate information, not government nonsense or corporate media nonsense, where human rights abuses are covered up or somehow justified.
And, while I think it is a tragedy that they were kidnapped, it is only a tragedy they share with many tens of thousands of Iraqis. They may get more press here in the USA (like Marla Ruzicka did) but they are no more (or less) important than the Iraqis, in my eyes and the eyes of other people who are supporting them.
They are committed to non-violent means and committed to treating all people respectfully, no matter who they are or where they are from.
from the CPT website:
“We pray that those who hold them will be merciful and that they will be released soon. ”
Can you imagine almost-reverent language such as this directed at the coalition?
“We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. governments due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people.”
Can you imagine the CPT directing their [rather un-christian] anger at the captors themselves? Note the passive voice: “has happened” to our teammates. It’s as if those directly responsible for their capture and threatened execution are exempt from the standards CPT itself professes to uphold.
Salah, Susan is absolutely right. CPT does NOT seek to convert anyone at all. They seek to GET IN THE WAY of the forces of violence and colonialism. They also reach out and hold deep, respectful dialogues with leaders and people from all religious communities. Including, for example, the Association of (Sunni) Muslim Scholars in Iraq.
“They seek to GET IN THE WAY of the forces of violence and colonialism.”
I don’t see anything in the CPT mission statement relating to colonialism. Nor would I expect to see any, since “anti-colonial” movements have often tended to be violent movements.
In an article about kidnapping of Christians by Muslims, Helena manages to insert snarky remarks about the Jews of Hebron. A total irrelevancy unless Helena’s real purpose is to support the terrorists who would, given the chance, kidnap Helena Cobban herself.
Stunning, really. I would think there would be room for some teeny tiny criticism of the kidnappers?
I’ve never heard of CPT before, so I can’t comment intelligently on their activities, except to say they should, perhaps, be more careful in whom they trust.
But I have heard of the insurgents kidnapping and beheading the innocent, so I’m scathingly critical of this criminal act against innocent civilians. It proves again that this gangster clique of Sunnis, Return party activists and Islamists cannot be allowed to take over Iraq.
“We’ll get the Americans out, even if it means killing every infidel.”
-Harith Al-Dari, Sec. General of the Association of Muslim Scholars — CPT’s deeply respected partners in peace.
http://www.tikkun.org/rabbi_lerner/news_item.2005-11-03.0001803731
How far are you prepared to go with this line of yours, vadim? Are prepared to come right out and proclaim yourself a colonialist? If not then all your sneering and jeering at these brave believers is a bit cheap really, isn’t it?
If you are against colonialism, what have you done about it? If you in favour of it, why don’t you say so openly? Or are you just a naughty boy who likes to say rude things?
“If not then all your sneering and jeering at these brave believers is a bit cheap really, isn’t it?”
Dominic I’m simply acknowledging that imperatives of pacifism and anti-colonialism are often at odds, as Al Dhari’s comment above reveals. Your “brave believers” compromise their own [admirable] non-violent principles by allying with violent movements like Al Dhari’s.
For what it’s worth I don’t think Iraq has ever been a colony of the US nor would I expect or want it to become one now. As Mark Levine suggests in the Tikkun piece to which I linked, the violent resistance promoted by “holy men” like Al Dhari does nothing but prolong the unwanted US occupation, while claiming innocent Iraqi lives by the thousand (at least 10 Iraqi lives for every yank occupier.)
Vadim, you deeply misunderstand nonviolent social action when you equate the holding of a dialogue with any party with “allying” with it.
CPT, like nearly all organizations committed to nonviolent activism, believes in the value of holding respectful dialogues with all parties relevant to its mission, whether it agrees with their platforms and actions, or not. That includes (in no particular order) the US government, the US military, the Israeli settlers in Hebron, the AMS in Iraq, Iraqi NGOs committed to nonviolence, the IDF, Hamas, US aid organizations in Iraq… everyone!
This is not the same as “allying” with all of these parties, at all. (CPT certainly has a strong record of allying with Israeli, Palestinian, and Iraqi nonviolent movements.)
What they maintain– and live out– is the radical notion that even if you disagree strongly with someone else, there is an alternative to engaging in violence against them. You seem not to recognize the fact that there is always a nonviolent alternative.
Luckily, Mahatma Gandhi did recognize that fact, with regard to his strongly held opposition to British colonial actions in South Africa and India… and he helped return many people in the worldwide Christian community– including Martin Luther King Jr.– to the path of “true”, i.e. nonviolent, Christianity.
Sorry if this upsets your view of the world.
But I’m still wondering where the intense hostility that you and Warren W are displaying here stems from. You know what? Living with such deep anger as you show here is very corrosive to both your psyche and your phsysical body… I hope you feel better soon.
Meantime, are you joining the rest of us in praying/wishing for the wellbeing and safe release of these abductees and all those unlawfully denied their liberty in Iraq today?
But I’m still wondering where the intense hostility that you and Warren W are displaying here stems from.
Helena, I’ve no anger or “intense hostility” for anyone & I’m baffled at how any of my comments could be thus interpreted by anyone.
CPT, on the other hand “[is] angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. governments.” It says so on their website. Strangely they have no anger for the insurgents holding their associates hostage. Do you think anger at colonisers –real or imagined– is warranted? What about “deep, respectful dialogue”??
Of course any sane person hopes the CPT workers are released unharmed. I also hope that CPT itself recognises the futility of misdirected anger, and of “deep respectful dialogues” if not allegiances with groups that cheerfully endorse slaughtering infidels.
Intense Anger and Deep Hostility
It’s kind of natural to dismiss ideas that are very different as “Crazy”. When there is a large gulf to talk across it’s easier just to dismiss the different as the “Other” that doesn’t think straight, is immoral, or has ulterior motives.
Try not to succumb to that sort of thinking. If, indeed, my ideas follow from pathology, you should be able to show their illogic by sticking to facts and using logic, not by resorting to pseudo-psychiatric name-calling. You really can’t conclude that people are insane, immoral or defective just because they disagree.
These ideas probably sound familiar. You probably believed them once, especially if you were trained as a pacifist. We all have our road to hoe.
Luckily, Mahatma Gandhi did recognize that fact, with regard to his strongly held opposition to British colonial actions in South Africa and India… and he helped return many people in the worldwide Christian community– including Martin Luther King Jr.– to the path of “true”, i.e. nonviolent, Christianity.
Thanks Susan and Helena for informative post.
Helena, this is what I believe should be the case Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. both where were actives on their ground and home they succeeded because the got supported by their citizens, in the case of CPT, other in Israel or Iraq or ales where what the achievements they can get with strange nation more over there mission may be misunderstood there due to culture /politic differences. Said that what we or the world achieved from Hebron mission did the world need approve for Israeli irony from violation of human rights and using bands weapons, mass killing of Palestinians?
What the world did with all of these acts in Plastin? The world did with state refused to comply with 99 UN resolutions for years in regards for its violence in ME?
In Regard to Iraq do we need any more proves that US did violate the human rights , used band weapons and mass killing of Iraqi, its all their and recorded.
What we needs to be done, I believe and I argue with all the supporters of CPT the working ground is home there in US to stope the colonist of planing for wars and stope there act towards other nation and this should be achieve where you got supporter form same nation.
The history and role of nonviolent social movements is both fascinating and important, especially its rich history in anti-colonial movements. Gene Sharp’s recent book (2005) that summarizes an extensive body of his own work spanning the past several decades has a middle section of case studies (23 in total) and good analysis of nonviolent social action from a non-religious perspective. You can find the book here http://www.wagingnonviolentstruggle.com/ if you are interested. There’s much more available on this subject, of course. One of my favorite essays is Barbara Deming’s “On Revolution and Equilibrium”…. the CPTers stand in the midst of remarkable and dedicated people from around the globe resisting new forms of imperialism and colonialism. As an aside, when it was first started up I was quite opposed to the use of “Christian” in the naming of the group. Still feel somewhat the same. I had hoped the energy of that group would be added to Peace Brigades International, who were one of several pioneers of these ideas in modern times (based on Gandhi’s idea of a shanti sena). But it’s like it is and perhaps the “christian” world needed to have this radical revisioning of its core message planted firmly in its midst. The events of the past week certainly place the message front and center. What was it that Gandhi said? — something to the effect that if all christians would stop fighting with weapons a vast majority of the world’s war zones would no longer exist. What I see the CPTers doing is helping to address the root of the problem by holding up a mirror to a complacent and often indifferent body of people, mostly living in what is sometimes called “the West”, who call themselves christians.
Rick
Bush Offers ‘Strategy for Victory’ in Iraq
”The country is now in reach of going from Saddam Hussein to self-government and, I’d add, self-protection,” the Connecticut Democrat said in a conference call with reporters. “That would be a remarkable transformation … I saw real progress there.”
Yah that would be a remarkable transformation
US STATE 52= Kurdish North Iraq
US STATE 53= Sha’at South Iraq
US STATE 54= Sunni Middle Iraq
Lieberman ‘encouraged’ by Iraq visit
”The country is now in reach of going from Saddam Hussein to self-government and, I’d add, self-protection,” the Connecticut Democrat said in a conference call with reporters. “That would be a remarkable transformation … I saw real progress there.”
Yah in Green Zone he visited, I don’t know what’s he saw from all Iraq “GREEN ZONE”
I still praying for the Release of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) with all engorging news by GWB and Lieberman
Salah – For all of Joe Lieberman’s contributions to the war effort, he really ought to be given some medium-size Iraqi city to run, don’t you think? Maybe Tal Afar?
No, No Johan Let give him Jorf Al-Sakher ” جرف الصخر” part a village to Al-Masyiab”المسيب” Town south Baghdad…
Thanks john