Iraq Hostages' Families Plead for Release

Dec. 4, 2005 — -- Family and friends of four hostages held in Iraq are publicly pleading for the release of their loved ones.

"Harmeet … is a peace loving man," said Manjeet Kaur Sooden, whose son, Harmeet Sing Sooden, is among the four hostages. "He went to Iraq to do good. I pray those who are holding Harmeet will look into their hearts [and] see the good that is in my son."

Four members of a group called the "Christian Peacemaking Team" are said to be held by a group called "Swords of Truth." Tom Fox from Clearbook, Va., James Loney from Toronto, Soden, also from Cananda, and Norman Kember from England were kidnapped on Thursday.

Their captors claim they are spies working under the cover of being peace activists.

But in reality, the Christian Peacemaking Team is an aid group working in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, and views the war in Iraq as an invasion.

"I think [Swords of Truth] made a mistake," said the Rev. Carol Rose, co-director of Christian Peacemaker Teams. "They've gotten many messages from Islamic leaders that perhaps will convince them who we are. Non-violence has the potential to undo this mess."

The Christian Peacemaking Team works for the release of prisoners and helps Iraqi families locate and visit detained relatives. The group also places teams in Fallujah, Karbala and Najaf to document war crimes.

A year ago, Fox took part in a demonstration to protest the border wall being raised by Israel. In the Palestinian territories, Fox used to walk farmers to their fields and children to schools across the border and barriers.

Loney's family also spoke to his captors and pleaded for his release.

"Please release him," said his mother, Claudette Loney. "We miss him. We love him. And we want him home."

"We want him to be able to continue the work that is just so important to him with the Iraqi people," said Loney's sister, Kathleen Weir.

Fox is said to have prepared his family in case he was taken hostage, something many aid workers going over to Iraq feel the need to do. The family is reluctant to speak out because they fear it will harm Fox and his co-workers.

"A number of Christian peacekeeper teams actually have prepared statements of conscience in case something should happen," Rose said. "Tom's team was developed with co-workers knowing the prevalence of threat. … They wanted to make sure that everyone knew they did not want military or a forceful group to rescue them."

The first recent American hostage to receive considerable media attention was Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped in Pakistan and beheaded.

Later, Nicholas Berg, American businessman kidnapped in Iraq, befell the same fate.

Military and civilians from Bulgaria, South Korea and Italy have been captured and beheaded in Iraq. Beheading has become a preferred tactic of terror for insurgent groups and al Qaeda.

Even still, Christian Peacemaker Teams refused armed protection in Iraq.

"We don't use guns, we are non-violent," Rose said. "What kind of integrity would a non-violent group have if they were guarded by men with guns? To be honest, members of our group often act as non-violent guards and in Palestine. Tom was escorting Palestinian farmers to work through border points."