'Just World News' with Helena Cobban: CPT abductees: still praying

'Just World News' with Helena Cobban Info, analysis, discussion-- to build a more just world
« The US and Iran in Iraq \| JWN front page \| Perils of the Inquisition » CPT abductees: still praying Posted by Helena Cobban December 6, 2005 5:05 PM EST \| Link Filed in Violence/nonviolence Lauri Perman, who's the presiding clerk of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), of which my Quaker Meeting is a part, is asking people to hold the four CPT abductees "in the Light" every day at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (That's Quaker lingo for "pray for them.") She is also asking us to hold in the Light their abductors and all those who are working for their release. Here is a collection of Arabic-language materials about the abductees and the work the CPT has been doing in Iraq, and appeals for the release of the four. Here is the CPT' website's main page on the abductions. Here is a new blog where you can post (as comments) message of support for the abductees' families. « The US and Iran in Iraq \| JWN front page \| Perils of the Inquisition » Comments Comment from... Shannon, at December 7, 2005 11:16 AM: I'm probably very naive asking this, but have efforts been made to pay off the kidnappers? My impression from some previous kidnappings is that many of these kidnappers are just criminals looking to make a buck. Others are insurgents who are pragmatic enough to realize sufficient cash outweighs the impact of a dead kidnappee. I would hate to think that a ransom was not being offered because of ideological reasons. I truly apologize, however, if such offers have been made and rebuffed. Comment from... salah, at December 7, 2005 04:52 PM: I pary to all the team hopes for thier realse..... BTW, in the samee time one more start Iraq lost due to US occupation of Iraq "Iraqi geologists have known Dr. Al-Hashimi as an accomplished scientist, and teacher. Under the ever-growing chaos and sinister powers to be in Iraq, scientists and intellectuals in the country are constantly targeted as part of the demolition, not only of the physical infrastructure of Iraq, but of the intellectual assets. Dr Wissam Al-Hashimi happens to be one of the latest victims of the occupation and the chaos around it. He was kidnapped and killed although his family paid the ransom! As a student of geology, I knew Dr. Wissam Al-Hashimi in the 1970's as a dignified and good scientist. I would like to express my condolences to his family and utter disgust at what has become of Iraq!" "Wissam (allah yerhama) was my classmate for four years, at the College of Sciences in Baghdad, between 1961 and 1965. He was an outstanding student and then became a leading name in his specialty. The way he died was both shocking and sad. He was assassinated (August) just before he was supposed to deliver a research paper at the International AAPG Meeting in Paris. May God rest his soul in peace" Comment from... salah, at December 7, 2005 04:56 PM: In Memoriam: Wissam S. Al-Hashimi Comment from... Susan - NC, at December 7, 2005 05:21 PM: I hold in the light all the victims of violence and lawlessness in Iraq, particularly the children. And, Monday through Friday, I call the White House, my Representative, and both US Senators and tell them that this war is wrong and we need to get out of there... and I tell them that I want the torture, kidnapping, imprisonment without charges, and murder by US MILITARY AND US AUTHORITIES TO STOP NOW. This is the thing that is bothering me about these candlelight vigils of the CPTer's: it fails to recognize that our military and our government agencies (CIA) is doing the very same thing (without publicity) and the American people are not holding vigils or calling or visiting their government officials to STOP IT, even though we (the citizens) presumably are the ones running this government. Why is saving the necks of westerners so much more important? That said, I think (know) the CPTer's are good people and I hope they will be released unharmed. Even more, I hope the US citizens and soldiers stop their torture, kidnapping and murder of innocents even more. They are not supposed to be criminals if they are on the government payroll. Comment from... Susan - NC, at December 7, 2005 05:25 PM: I got an appeal the other day to write to al Jazeera (among others) saying that the CPTers should be released. I imagine the al Jazeera folks were thinking "how about releasing our reporters from US run prisons in Iraq and Cuba? Prisoners who have never been charged with a crime. Where's the outrage over the killing of al Jazeera reporters, and where's the outrage over the reports that Bush wanted to bomb al Jazeera?" And I imagine that they have to wonder just what is wrong with Americans!! Comment from... WarrenW, at December 8, 2005 04:37 PM: Susan Susan: I really don't think it's the policy of the US to kidnap people and kill them just for their nationality. The story about the CPT people being spies is just hogwash. If the CPT people were combat soldiers or undercover operatives fighting in Iraq you could say the "US is doing the same thing" but that's not the case. Clearly its the insurgency that's deliberately keeping the US active in Iraq and it's the insurgency that's foiling the expressed will of the majority of the Iraqi people. It's time for the "Left" to admit that the insurgency has illegitimate demands: they don't want a seat at the table they want the whole table, and want to evict the Shiite and Kurds from any position of power. Comment from... Susan - NC, at December 9, 2005 04:53 PM: actually, the US is kidnapping people and sending them to US secret prisons and not-secret prisons and even sending them to other countries to be tortured. They may not be doing it on nationality, but I wouldn't rule that out. If the insurgency is keeping the US busy, why doesn't the US go home? They were not keeping us busy here in the USA. Seems to me the US authorities (well, Bush & company anyway) want to control the whole table.	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CPT abductees: still praying

Posted by Helena Cobban
December 6, 2005 5:05 PM EST | Link
Filed in Violence/nonviolence

Lauri Perman, who's the presiding clerk of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), of which my Quaker Meeting is a part, is asking people to hold the four CPT abductees "in the Light" every day at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (That's Quaker lingo for "pray for them.") She is also asking us to hold in the Light their abductors and all those who are working for their release.

Here is a collection of Arabic-language materials about the abductees and the work the CPT has been doing in Iraq, and appeals for the release of the four.

Here is the CPT' website's main page on the abductions.

Here is a new blog where you can post (as comments) message of support for the abductees' families.

Comments

Comment from... Shannon, at December 7, 2005 11:16 AM:

I'm probably very naive asking this, but have efforts been made to pay off the kidnappers? My impression from some previous kidnappings is that many of these kidnappers are just criminals looking to make a buck. Others are insurgents who are pragmatic enough to realize sufficient cash outweighs the impact of a dead kidnappee.

I would hate to think that a ransom was not being offered because of ideological reasons. I truly apologize, however, if such offers have been made and rebuffed.

Comment from... salah, at December 7, 2005 04:52 PM:

I pary to all the team hopes for thier realse.....

BTW, in the samee time one more start Iraq lost due to US occupation of Iraq

"Iraqi geologists have known Dr. Al-Hashimi as an accomplished scientist, and teacher. Under the ever-growing chaos and sinister powers to be in Iraq, scientists and intellectuals in the country are constantly targeted as part of the demolition, not only of the physical infrastructure of Iraq, but of the intellectual assets. Dr Wissam Al-Hashimi happens to be one of the latest victims of the occupation and the chaos around it. He was kidnapped and killed although his family paid the ransom! As a student of geology, I knew Dr. Wissam Al-Hashimi in the 1970's as a dignified and good scientist. I would like to express my condolences to his family and utter disgust at what has become of Iraq!"

"Wissam (allah yerhama) was my classmate for four years, at the College of
Sciences in Baghdad, between 1961 and 1965. He was an outstanding student
and then became a leading name in his specialty. The way he died was both
shocking and sad. He was assassinated (August) just before he was supposed
to deliver a research paper at the International AAPG Meeting in Paris. May
God rest his soul in peace"

Comment from... salah, at December 7, 2005 04:56 PM:

In Memoriam: Wissam S. Al-Hashimi

Comment from... Susan - NC, at December 7, 2005 05:21 PM:

I hold in the light all the victims of violence and lawlessness in Iraq, particularly the children.

And, Monday through Friday, I call the White House, my Representative, and both US Senators and tell them that this war is wrong and we need to get out of there... and I tell them that I want the torture, kidnapping, imprisonment without charges, and murder by US MILITARY AND US AUTHORITIES TO STOP NOW.

This is the thing that is bothering me about these candlelight vigils of the CPTer's: it fails to recognize that our military and our government agencies (CIA) is doing the very same thing (without publicity) and the American people are not holding vigils or calling or visiting their government officials to STOP IT, even though we (the citizens) presumably are the ones running this government.

Why is saving the necks of westerners so much more important?

That said, I think (know) the CPTer's are good people and I hope they will be released unharmed. Even more, I hope the US citizens and soldiers stop their torture, kidnapping and murder of innocents even more. They are not supposed to be criminals if they are on the government payroll.

Comment from... Susan - NC, at December 7, 2005 05:25 PM:

I got an appeal the other day to write to al Jazeera (among others) saying that the CPTers should be released.

I imagine the al Jazeera folks were thinking "how about releasing our reporters from US run prisons in Iraq and Cuba? Prisoners who have never been charged with a crime. Where's the outrage over the killing of al Jazeera reporters, and where's the outrage over the reports that Bush wanted to bomb al Jazeera?"

And I imagine that they have to wonder just what is wrong with Americans!!

Comment from... WarrenW, at December 8, 2005 04:37 PM:

Susan
Susan: I really don't think it's the policy of the US to kidnap people and kill them just for their nationality. The story about the CPT people being spies is just hogwash.

If the CPT people were combat soldiers or undercover operatives fighting in Iraq you could say the "US is doing the same thing" but that's not the case.

Clearly its the insurgency that's deliberately keeping the US active in Iraq and it's the insurgency that's foiling the expressed will of the majority of the Iraqi people.

It's time for the "Left" to admit that the insurgency has illegitimate demands: they don't want a seat at the table they want the whole table, and want to evict the Shiite and Kurds from any position of power.

Comment from... Susan - NC, at December 9, 2005 04:53 PM:

actually, the US is kidnapping people and sending them to US secret prisons and not-secret prisons and even sending them to other countries to be tortured.

They may not be doing it on nationality, but I wouldn't rule that out.

If the insurgency is keeping the US busy, why doesn't the US go home? They were not keeping us busy here in the USA.

Seems to me the US authorities (well, Bush & company anyway) want to control the whole table.