Posted on 08/27/2006 8:48:04 AM PDT by TaxachusettsMan
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Two FOX News journalists were released by their kidnappers Sunday, nearly two weeks after they were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Steve Centanni, 60, and Olaf Wiig, 36, left Gaza and have since crossed into Israel after their release. The men left Gaza through the Erez border crossing.
The freeing of Centanni, a correspondent, and Wiig, a cameraman, ends the longest-running drama involving foreign hostages in Gaza.
The two journalists were dropped off at Gaza City's Beach Hotel by Palestinian security officials and appeared to be in good health. A tearful Centanni embraced a Palestinian journalist briefly as he entered, then rushed upstairs as Wiig followed.
Centanni, in a phone interview shortly after his release, said "I'm fine. I'm just so happy to be free."
He recounted how he and Wiig were pulled out of their car on August 14 and taken at gunpoint into another car. The kidnappers blindfolded them and handcuffed their hands behind their backs with plastic ties. They were then transferred to another car and driven to a building that they later learned was a garage.
"We were pushed down onto the dirt-covered concrete floor and we were forced to lie face down with our handcuffs on," Centanni said.
"Olaf was in the same room with me. Our shoulders were wrenched back, very painful."
Both of the men were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, Centanni said.
"We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint," Centanni told FOX News. "Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
"33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
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Yet Peter denied Jesus not once, but three times, then went on to found a church, if I'm not mistaken. You're being very selective in your reading, I fear.
This just goes to show what really ignorant idiots we're dealing with. If one can convert, one can convert again back to Christianity, or whatever.
No one was pointing a gun at either of them when they did their "warm and wonderful people" act after being released. The acted like they'd promised to say exactly those words and were determined to get them in; camera guy even repeated Cintani's words.
Waiting to see what they have to say once they are out of the area, but I'm betting on more a$$ kissing.
Not nearly as selective as you've been.
None, eh?
So, just for instance, Khalid Duran, who was a vital researcher and resource for Steve Emereson in compiling the information in American Jihad, and who coauthors articles with Daniel Pipes, doesn't count?
Or a muslim security guard in Pakistan, who engages at risk of life in a gun battle with Islamists, and drives off a deadly attack on a Christian church or school (by my recollection of new reports this has happened more than once) doesn't qualify either?
Nor do thousands of Iraqis fighting side by side with American soldiers and marines against Islamists in Iraq?
Your attitude is ever bit as false, stupid, and damaging to the cause of liberal civilization in the struggle against Islamist extremism, as it would have been during the Cold War to claim, for instance, that Natan Sharansky, being a Russian, was just another commie.
"As I said above, judgment both earthly and Heavenly will await whatever decision I make, if I'm faced with this same situation. Does that sound "easy" to you?
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Given the fact that you are not faced with the situation, why, yes, it sounds easy to me. Perhaps you would martyr yourself under those circumstances, but we don't know that, do we?
Making judgments on others in situations like this is just prattle. Not only that, it is vaunting yourself above others, with no evidence that you would do any differently.
You are sitting in some comfortable room, typing on a computer. Nobody is threatening you. Yet, you feel worthy of criticizing a man who, a short time ago, had a gun to his head.
Yes, I'd call that easy. I'm not sure what you'd call it.
"...deny Christ?"
Only God knows what's in one's heart. I'd lie like a dog to save my skin. Think God expects us to first survive. Not big on matyrs here, unkike the Muzies.
Islam denies Christ. To convert to Islam is to deny Christ.
But, in islam-it's a death sentence-not so in Christianity. Big difference.
Whatever. You have NO idea what's in my mind or heart, so get off it. You seem pretty comfortable passing your own judgments from in front of YOUR computer, either. And, I might add, you do it all the time on FR, as do most of us.
It is true we all deny Christs sacrifice when we sin. And it is by his grace that we are forgiven. But I could not deny Him by publicly converting to islam without risking eternity away from Him.
Not according to the Bible.
Again, not saying I'd do any better in the same boat. Just saying, the Bible is pretty clear what God's thoughts are on denouncing him under threat of death and/or torture. Go re-read the story on Daniel in the Lion's den. Then read about Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. Then read accounts of Peter denying Christ.
Again, Peter clearly recieved forgiveness. But, it's clearly no Ok to denounce God even under duress.
"We judged him from our comfortable homes as a hero sitting in front of our pc's, didn't we?
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We did. He was a hero. Few men are heroes, I'm afraid. While I will celebrate a hero from the comfort of my desk, I will not condemn a man who acts in a way to save his life.
Nothing Quattrocchi could have done would have saved his life. He died in defiance of his captors.
Such was not the case in the present story. By mouthing some words, two men are free to return to their families. I will not condemn them for saving their own lives. Had Quatrocchi been able to do the same, I would not have spoken against him, either. But that was not a choice available to him.
Was he a hero? Yes. Are the two Fox newsmen cowards? Well, I wouldn't say that at all. They saved their own lives, but did so at no risk to others. They lied to their captors. So?
As for the state of their salvation, I have no idea, nor does anyone else.
"MineralMan must be a MUSLIM ;-)
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If you are going to write about me in a Free Republic thread, please do me the courtesy of adding my name to the To: field. That is just good manners.
I am not a Muslim. I am an atheist.
I suspect you are correct. Plus, the touchy feely "I have the greatest respect for Islam" statement is likely as much to pay back those Palestinians who helped them as it is to not queer the deal for other reporter's ability to report from Gaza.
Centanni: "....don't get me wrong, I have the deepest respect for islam".
What type of respect is Centanni talking here. Somethin' is up with somebody converting to islam.
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