Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey made a direct appeal to the kidnappers of 5 British men abducted a year ago in Baghdad and believed to be held in Iran. Via Times Online:
The former Archbishop of Canterbury has broken a year-long government news blackout to appeal directly to the group holding five “forgotten” British hostages who were abducted in Baghdad last May.
Lord Carey of Clifton released a video statement through The Times in which he greeted the hostage-takers as “honourable men” and “men of faith”.
His words were addressed, over the heads of British diplomats and Iraqi government officials, to the kidnappers.
“You believe, as I do, that faith is important in this broken world,” Lord Carey said. “I appeal to you, as good people, to release these men who long to be back home once more.”
The former Archbishop recorded his address yesterday at the House of Lords, accompanied by Canon Andrew White, his former Middle East envoy and now Anglican chaplain to Iraq. Canon White has devoted much of the past year to working with Iraqi religious and tribal leaders to try to open lines of communication and engage in dialogue with the hostage-takers.
He addressed the kidnappers on camera, speaking in English and Arabic, and emphasised that the men held captive were devoted to the rebuilding and restoration of Iraq.
The hostages, four security guards and the IT consultant they were protecting, were abducted at the Iraqi Ministry of Finance on May 29 last year. They were taken by a large group of armed men, many of whom were wearing Iraqi police uniforms. The five hostages are reportedly being held in Iran.
The father of one of the hostages also made a public appeal for the release of his son:
In a direct appeal to the kidnappers, Dennis, 57, who spoke on condition that the family surname be withheld, told The Times: “I’m pleading for his life, I’m literally begging for him to be let go. I know the hostage-takers have their own agenda but kidnapping innocent people is not the answer.”
Breaking a media blackout surrounding the kidnapping of his son Alan, Dennis continued: “My son wasn’t doing a military job or anything like that, he was just trying to help rebuild Iraq and has been caught up in this. Maybe they [the kidnappers] will show a bit of sympathy and compassion and let him go.”
On May 29 it will be a year since Alan, from Glasgow, who is married with two children, aged 2 and 13, was snatched by scores of men disguised as police from an Iraqi finance ministry compound in Baghdad.
The hostages are computer consultant Peter Moore, and his four bodyguards, identified only by their first names: Alan and Jason from Scotland, and Alec and Jason from Wales.
Please continue to pray for the safety and release of these 5 men, and for comfort and strength for their families.
Click here to see the Times video.
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