“Taking hostages and threatening to kill them brings no honor to Islam, Muslims or to the people of Iraq.”

Iraq- December 22, 2005

Muslim groups around the world are calling for the release of four hostages captured in Baghdad, Iraq.

On Nov. 29, a video attributed to the Swords of Righteousness Brigade was aired on Al Jazeera television. In the piece, this previously-unheard-of group displayed four hostages, Tom Fox of Clearbrook, Virginia, Norman Kember of London, England, James Loney of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, a former resident of Montreal, Canada who until recently attended college in Auckland, New Zealand. The terrorists accused the men... members of an anti-war group called The Christian Peacemaker Teams... of being spies, and threatened to kill them unless all Iraqi prisoners are released from Iraqi and American detention facilities by Dec. 8. The deadline was then extended by two days to Dec. 10. The hostages’ condition is presently unknown.

Since the original clip was broadcast, numerous religious organizations have voiced their opposition of this criminal action. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a news conference at its national headquarters in Washington, D.C., stating, in part, “Taking hostages and threatening to kill them brings no honor to Islam, Muslims or to the people of Iraq.” The Montreal-based Canadian Islamic Congress made a public appeal for the hostages’ release and sent an envoy to Baghdad. The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) Canada proclaimed, “Taking hostages and threatening to kill them only triggers dishonor to Islam and Muslims around the globe. It is regrettable to note that these actions have been manufactured in the name of Islam, while the Qur'an has clearly stated that ‘whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men.’ (5:32).”

Even radical cleric Abu Qatada, held in custody in England for suspected ties to terrorism, made a statement from his cell, begging, “I urge you to release the four prisoners in Iraq. This is a merciful act according to the principles of Islam.”
(Above courtesy of CENTCOM - What Extremists Are Saying)
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