Direct contact has been made with the kidnappers of Norman Kember, the British professor abducted in Baghdad last week along with two Canadians and one American, reports the BBC.
The four men were kidnapped in the Iraqi capital over a week ago whilst working for peaceful reconciliation in the country under Christian Peacemakers Teams.According to Canadian radio station CFRA, the founder of CPT, Gene Stoltzfus, said he would not rethink his views even if worst comes to worst for the four hostages, adding that he feels “enormous personal responsibility” for the kidnapped men.
Regarding the contact with the kidnappers, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the British Government is “ready to hear what they have to say”, but underlined the Government’s refusal to negotiate any kind of pay ransom with the kidnappers.
British peace worker Norman Kember, 74, was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, along with Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., and Canadians James Loney, 41, of Toronto, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, formerly of Montreal who had been living in New Zealand.
The four men were abducted by a group of men calling themselves the Swords of Righteousness Brigade, who have threatened to kill the men if Iraqi prisoners are not released from American and Iraqi jails by December 8. The Brigade has accused the four men of being spies.Pat Kember, the wife of Professor Kember, made a televised appeal for the safe release of her husband, describing him as a very caring man who believed in peace and who had come to Iraq to help its people.
Mrs Kember’s 30-second appeal was broadcast by Arab broadcaster al-Jazeera.
“Throughout his life he bravely fought against all kinds of injustice,” she said. “He went to Iraq to help the Iraqi people to stop the spread of abuse and to understand the situation in order to make Iraq a safer place.
“Please release Norman and his colleagues so that they can continue their work for the sake of peace in Iraq.
“They are friends and allies who want to help you to overcome evil by engaging in a humanitarian action,” she said.
