Wed 7 Dec 2005
Tomorrow is the deadline given by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade for Iraqi prisoners to be released or they will kill their four hostages. This is a sadly common reality. Idealistic gunmen holding idealistic prisoners ignored by idealistic governments and disenchanted law enforcement authorities. What makes this situation uncommon is the tragic irony involved.
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) opposed the war in Iraq and opposes the continued US (et al) military presence in Iraq. They have been very vocal in their opposition to the war and very active in their support of people they deem as victims of the conflict. As members of CPT, the four men, Briton Norman Kember, American Tom Fox, and Canadians Jim Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden, make terrible hostages.
- They oppose the war and the ongoing western military presence in Iraq. Their captivity means that less opposition is being voiced and demonstrated.
- They have no loyalty to the USA, Bush or capitalism. What ideologies will their captives try to beat out of them?
- They oppose a violent/military rescue. So the only help the military can give is unwelcomed.
- The US military doesn’t like them. CPT has been documenting abuse allegations in Iraqi prisons, creating human shields, and making accusations of war crimes and Geneva treaty violations ever since the bombing began. They have been a thorn in the side for the US military, so they wouldn’t want to rescue them, even if it was wanted.
- They have close friends in the Muslim community. High level muslim clerics are voicing their support of CPT and their work. Muslims all over Hebron are denouncing the kidnapping. Unless the strategy was to create disunity, it doesn’t seem to be working.
There are prayer vigils all over the world for the hostages today. Tomorrow will bring news of any developments. We can only pray that they will be positive.
CPT had hoped that this news wouldn’t reach the mainstream media. I don’t blame them. With this news getting out, it means more unnecessary attention to the anxious parents, and a slew of unwarranted opposition.
Here is a collection of articles related to the events:
News
Hostage family holds out hope
Sympathetic
CPT Home
Why are we here?
Un-Sympathetic
“Part of me likes this” - Rush Limbaugh
“Reaping what they sow” - FrontPageMagazine
December 8th, 2005 at 6:19 pm
I love the new look! Thanks for the link.
December 8th, 2005 at 10:50 pm
Your analysis does a fine job of discerning the irony in this sobering albeit not surprising clash between kingdoms. I scanned the first part of the Limbaugh article–it was especially of interest to me because I used to listen to him reguarly. The sardonic in me understands his viewpoint and even agrees with certain aspects of it, but the Christian in me cannot condone it as it stands.
This article impressed on me the irony that goes hand in hand with your post above. It is Ironic (and very sadly so) that the majority of mankind refuses to understand the fundamental differences between the way of the world and the way of Christ. I daresay that even the large majority of genuine Christians fall into this category. From Limbaugh:
“[Y]ou’ve met the bad guys, and you tried your technique on them, and now you’re blindfolded in a room with guns pointed at you and knives at your throat. I don’t like that.” He then added, “But any time a bunch of people that walk around with the head in the sand practicing a bunch of irresponsible, idiotic theory confront reality, I’m kind of happy about it, because I’m eager for people to see reality, change their minds, if necessary, and have things sized up.”
What people fail to grasp is that these CPTers HAVE . NOT . FAILED!!! They may not have accomplished their original personal goals, but in the work of Christ their capture, subsequent captivity, and possible death are not even setbacks! I’m getting worked up about this (and am probably preaching to the choir), but it frustrates me to no end when people cannot grasp theological truths that I have lived with from an early age (thanks to God).
I do not agree with many of the methods of the CPTers. (I recieved the regular updates from the Hebron, Israel team for about a year; so I feel qualified in that opinion). But I support them in their wholehearted effort to act out their belief on a radical level…just as Jesus acted most radically for us. The Messiah dying for the spiritual welfare of his people was the furthest thing from the collective Israelite mind as he went about his Father’s business back in the day. Everything he did pointed to and built up his position as our spiritual Saviour. Political conquest of a podunk country in the Middle East paled in utter insignificance next to his goal of world domination by spiritual conquest.
In a similar fashion I agree with Limbaugh. From the world’s perspective, the CPTers have gotten what they were asking for…this is reality. But from my perspective, “irresponsible [and] idiotic” are going to be the norm when you follow the man who turned down Satan’s offer in order to lead twelve of the densest and most misguided men around Israel for two or three years before finally turning himself in to be executed. Folks, we have a paradigm shift and I’m afraid it’s lost most of you. The new reality (although two millenia old) is Christ. It’s going to confuse Rush, but although the CPTers “got what was coming to them”, it simply does not matter…our goals are entirely different from what he thinks they are.
Didn’t mean to go off, I just meant to comment on how nice your blog is…nice blog by the way
. I’ll have to poke around it a bit more in the near future.
“…pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4
peace