Christian Peacemaking Team members still held hostage

[undeterred]

Please say a prayer or keep a good thought for them. Here's a link to some of the work these four men have done in the past.

http://electroniciraq.net/news/2222.shtml

[CBHagman]

1. Thanks for the update.

I am keeping them in my prayers.

[Cell Whitman]

2. I was privileged to travel with Jerry Levin a member of CPT

to two war protests in DC. Jerry was the CNN Beirut bureau chief who was kidnapped by Hezbollah and held for almost a year. He went from Agnostic to Christian through the process. Quite a tale.

Jerry wears his Christian desire for peace for all on his sleeve. He and his wife are a couple of saints.

He has written a series of dispatches from the ME that describe the day to day goings on over there which can be found here:

http://www.cpt.org/hebron/levin/levin.htm

[undeterred]

4. Thanks for the link

When it comes to Christians, CPT are the real deal.

[FreedomAngel82]

3. I hope they're okay

My local news just told how a guy who is held hostage used to live here. :(

[undeterred]

5. There was a threat of a December 8 deadline to kill them

if demands weren't met... and in Iraq its December 8.

[Citrene]

6. Attend a vigil in your area, link to locations:

http://peace.mennolink.org/vigillist.html

Prayer Vigils and Gatherings for Christian Peacemaker Team members in Iraq

CPT encourages groups to organize public candlelight prayer vigils throughout the coming week highlighting the messages: "Love your Enemies;" "End the Occupation;" "Release the Peacemakers."

Scheduled Vigils

Asia/Pacfic Europe
Canada: Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Ontario Quebec Yukon
United States: Arizona California Colorado Florida Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Texas Virginia Vermont Washington Washington DC Wisconsin

Past vigils have been moved to another page. View completed vigils

[undeterred]

7. Thanks, and welcome to Democratic Underground Citrene!

[Citrene]

8. Thanks for the welcome.

We attended the wedding of two team members last summer. CPT does amazing work and my hubbie and I have considered joining with them.

Spread the word if you can about vigils and petition. It's over 27,000 last time I checked.

[undeterred]

9. I've been spreading the word about that

I am a Quaker and thinking about joining CPT too.

[goddess40]

10. Can someone tell me what they were doing there?

Did they go to promote peace or their religion? I just can't see how they thought they could make any headway in the chaos that exists there right now.

edit: I hope they get out of this unscathed!

[undeterred]

12. This is from the petition to free them:

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/freethecpt

Four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams were taken this past Saturday, November 26, in Baghdad, Iraq. They are not spies, nor do they work in the service of any government. They are people who have dedicated their lives to fighting against war and have clearly and publicly opposed the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They are people of faith, but they are not missionaries. They have deep respect for the Islamic faith and for the right of Iraqis to self-determination.

C.P.T. first came to Iraq in October 2002 to oppose the US invasion, and it has remained in the country throughout the occupation in solidarity with the Iraqi people. The group has been invaluable in alerting the world to many of the horrors facing Iraqis detained in US-run prisons and detention centers. C.P.T. was among the first to document the torture occurring at the Abu Ghraib prison, long before the story broke in the mainstream press. Its members have spent countless hours interviewing Iraqis about abuse and torture suffered at the hands of US forces and have disseminated this information internationally.

Each of the four C.P.T. members being held in Iraq has dedicated his life to resisting the darkness and misery of war and occupation. Convinced that it is not enough to oppose the war from the safety of their homes, they made the difficult decision to go to Iraq, knowing that the climate of mistrust created by foreign occupation meant that they could be mistaken for spies or missionaries. They went there with a simple purpose: to bear witness to injustice and to embody a different kind of relationship between cultures and faiths. Members of C.P.T. willingly undertook the risks of living among Iraqis, in a common neighborhood outside of the infamous Green Zone. They sought no protection from weapons or armed guards, trusting in, and benefiting from, the goodwill of the Iraqi people. Acts of kindness and hospitality from Iraqis were innumerable and ensured the C.P.T. members’ safety and wellbeing. We believe that spirit will prevail in the current situation.

We appeal to those holding these activists to release them unharmed so that they may continue their vital work as witnesses and peacemakers.

See also:
http://www.cpt.org/iraq/projectoverview.php

[Sapphire Blue]

11. Petitions, vigils & demonstrations (links)

Peitions:

Help Release Christian Peacemaker Team Members: http://ga3.org/campaign/releasehostages (more info from Faithful America @ http://ga3.org/campaign/releasehostages/explanation )

An Urgent Appeal: Please Release Our Friends in Iraq: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/freethecpt (More info from Christian Peacemaker Teams @ http://www.cpt.org)

Prayer Vigils and Demonstrations: http://www.cpt.org/iraq/response/PrayerVigils.htm

[undeterred]

13. Deadline has been extended by two days:

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=a776f7e0-cba8-41a0-ab98-82b9086b6e08

Kidnappers extend deadline: report
Al-Jazeera television says deadline extended by two days

Colin Perkel, Canadian Press
Published: December 7, 2005

TORONTO (CP) - Vigils were held around the world Wednesday for four Christian aid workers, including two Canadians, held hostage in Iraq as the immediate threat to their safety appeared to ease.

Hours after Britain warned the demands made by their Iraqi kidnappers could not be met, Al-Jazeera news reported the kidnappers had extended their deadline for the release of detainees until Saturday.

The group calling itself the Swords of the Righteousness Brigades had previously threatened to kill the four Christian Peacemakers if the U.S. and Britain hadn't freed all Iraqi prisoners by Thursday. The group says the men are spies.

Still, a Canadian colleague of the hostages called the situation "pretty dire.''