Archbishop Gary Beaver Urges for the Release of Iraqi Hostages

A previously unknown militant group called The Swords of Righteousness Brigade has released a harrowing statement demanding the release of all prisoners in U.S. and Iraqi detention centres by the 8th of December, a failure of which, will consequence in the execution of four hostages in their grip.

A video broadcast by Al-Jazeera television accompanying the statement showed two Canadian hostages, An American and a Briton, all looking very frightened but urging the U.S. and British governments to withdraw from Iraq.

All four hostages, Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va, USA.; Norman Kember, 74, of London; James Loney, 41, of Toronto; and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, of Canada - have always maintained the Christian message of peace.

Archbishop Gary Beaver has appealed to the kidnappers to show mercy, and release these men. He stated "Look into your conscious, do you want the blood of four innocent men on your hands, men who have done nothing but support your beliefs of an Iraq free of war, how does this offend you? These men are not your prisoners of war, they are peace activists, and you have seized them like lambs."

The men had moved around Iraq without bodyguards, and were seized in the same place where Giuliana Sgrena, a reporter for the Italian newspaper Il Manifesto, was seized on February 4th.

"The religion of Islam", said Archbishop Gary Beaver, "does not promote the slaughter of innocents, killing one life is akin to killing humanity itself, but to show mercy and spare the life of one, is likened to sparing the lives of all the people, The world is not blind to the plight of Iraq, nor are we immune to the daily pain of the Muslims of Iraq"

Referring to the identity of the group, Archbishop Gary Beaver stated" righteousness cannot be attained through the act of murder.
Please don’t let the scars of war harden your hearts to the innocent men you have kidnapped. They are sons, they are husbands, they are brothers.
In the name of God, please give them back to their families."

Old Catholics in Britain gathered today to hold evening Mass with special prayers for the hostages.