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Posted on 03/23/2006 1:22:09 PM PST by Stultis
CPT Statement: CPTers Released
23 March 2006
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."
The RESCUE was completed without any shots being fired and with no kidnappers present, suggesting the operation was carefully planned and carried out.
Join me.
Contact: CPT in US: 773.277.0253
These remarkably stupid, ungrateful and self-righteous losers are in Iraq to further their own agendas. I don't believe they are motivated by Christian beliefs and humanitarian out-reach, they are simply a grubby band of losers and America-haters using the media to discredit and lie about our brave troops. If they are so concerned about their fellow man then trot down to Afghanistan and help out the poor man who will be torn limb from limb for converting to Christianity. Islam is a murderous and hate-filled cult and no amount of making nice with those terrorists will save or spare one life.
its still good news that everything worked out
I'm not surprised. They are typical.
This is yer "social gospel" churchianity.
They just rang up the kidnappers and said "we're terribly sorry old chaps, but we WILL come in tonight and get those hostages. We wouldn't mind if you first vamoosed, not a bit."
These people are an abomination. They aren't over there to spread the gospel, they're over there to stick it to the US. I understand why Christians might want to go in there if they were really going to preach the truth, but these were just marxists using twisted Scripture to support their socialist agenda.
ping
I am glad they are free. As much as I detest them and every single thing they stand for, I would have hated to see their decapitated bodies found in the street.
However, I wonder if they would feel the same way if their captors had slowly sawn off the head of one of their comrades while the rest were forced to watch.
Or, perhaps if one of them had been fed feet-first into a chipper-shredder while they looked on.
Whenever I see the code words "root cause" my BS detector immediately chooses a side for me.
Just an FYI ping. Won't make it a habit I promise. ; ).
This was the other bit on the grapevine tonight.
Seemingly a meaningless act to these loons.
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.
They are talking about the US here.
And no, poor tom won't be joining them, even in spirit.
Seriously - did I miss the section where they thanked the brave soldiers that saved their lives?!
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
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That came out beautiful!!!
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