Anxious Wait as Deadline Passes for Christian Peace Worker Hostages in Iraq

The deadline for the Christian British hostage being held in Iraq, Norman Kember, and his three colleagues has passed with no information emerging as to the outcome of the situation. Diplomats working in the region are desperately searching to discover what has happened to the four captives as friends and family anxiously wait.

|PIC1|A terrorist group named ‘Swords of Truth’ has claimed the kidnappings and have stated their claims that the Christian peace workers were spies and that they would be executed unless their demands were met.

The extended deadline passed, however, on Saturday with no news surfacing; increasing the tension surrounding the negotiations.

An inter-faith prayer vigil has been organised for tonight, Dec. 12th, outside St Martin's in the Fields Church in London’s Trafalgar Square. Hundreds of Christians, Muslims and people of other faith groups are expected to gather for the vigil to take place from 6pm.

Meanwhile, the British government has said that it is doing all it could possibly do to ensure that the hostages, which as well as Kember include American Tom Fox, 54, and Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, are released safely.

Pat Gaffney, who is the General Secretary of Pax Christi, which is one of the promoters behind the London prayer vigil, reported to Ekklesia, "For Christians, Advent is a time of waiting and expectation. This year, the waiting and expectation of Advent take on another quality and meaning as we remember our friends Norman, Tom, Harmeet and James held in Iraq.”

|TOP|Gaffney continued by saying, “Our vigils and prayers are an attempt to wait with them. To remember them and their families. To remember those who hold them at this time and hope that they hear the message of peace. We also vigil and witness as a reminder of the ongoing challenge to do all we can to bring peace and justice to the people of Iraq.”

Repeated pleas have been made by Christian leaders as well as Muslim leaders for the hostages to be released, as the four men had in fact simply travelled to Iraq as a “gesture of solidarity” with Canada-based international Christian group, the Christian Peacemaker Teams.

The friends and family of the British hostage have had to endure a restless period, waiting for any news that would fulfil their hopes of Kember’s safe return.

Kember is a trustee of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and its Director Chris Cole said, “We are looking for a miracle at this stage.”

|AD|The BBC report that a friend of Kember, Bruce Kent said, “I haven't given up hope at all. They may be working on some way of getting off the hook without losing face. It's quite possible they may be preparing a video to say why they are releasing them.”

As the weekend came to an end, Iraqi interior minister, Bavan Jabr commented that he had “no new information” on the hostages. He added, “We are always ready to protect them. They are all people who came to serve us.”

In addition, the British Defence Secretary, John Reid said that the government has received no further information regarding Kember. He said, “We are doing, through the Foreign Office, through (Foreign Secretary) Jack Straw, everything possible to try and make sure his life is saved and that of his colleagues is protected.”

The BBC World Affiars Editor John Simpson, in Baghdad, reported to the BBC that it is likely to take days before it is known what has happened to hostages after deadlines pass. He referred to the murders of other Britons previously in Iraq, including Ken Bigley and Margaret Hassan, saying, “It's difficult to be too hopeful about the future but, of course, there's always the possibility that this time will be different.”

The prayer vigil for the Christian peace workers will take place in Trafalgar Square tonight from 6pm.