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Friends United Meeting |
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December 5, 2005
Information on the four members of CPT who are missing
Four members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams; Tom Fox, Norman Kember, James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden were abducted on Saturday, November 26th in Baghdad, Iraq. They are still missing. Tom Fox is a member of Baltimore Yearly Meeting and attends Langley Hills Friends Meeting.
You can find more information on the four members of CPT who are missing on
http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/cptmissing.html
Mission of Christian Peacemaker Teams
CPT offers an organized nonviolent alternative to war and other forms of
lethal inter-group conflict. CPT provides organizational support to persons
committed to faith-based nonviolent alternative in situations where lethal
conflict is an immediate reality or is supported by public policy. CPT seeks
to enlist the response of the whole church in conscientious objection to
war, and in the development of nonviolent institutions, skills and training
for intervention in conflict situations. CPT projects connect intimately
with the spiritual lives of constituent congregations. Gifts of prayer,
money and time from these churches undergird CPT's peacemaking ministries.
Friends support for Christian Peacemakers Teams
Friends are shocked and saddened by the disappearance of Tom, Norman, James and Harmeet.
These loyal friends of the people of Iraq are not spies as it is claimed by the 'Swords of Righteousness Brigade' and, indeed, are not supporters of the US coalition in Iraq either. Along with many people in Europe and the United States with Friends among them, they are opposed to the use of violence in any form. These four friends are not missionaries and deeply respect the religious traditions of all the people that they work with including and especially the Muslim and Christian peoples of Iraq. Their only intention is to respond to the Love of God by putting their lives at risk by doing what they can to ensure that people who are victimized by the conflict are heard and heeded.
Friends are greatly encouraged by the statements from Palestine and the from the Muslim community in Britain and elsewhere who have strongly supported the work of Christian Peacemaker Teams and are pleading with the group of people holding the four members of CPT to release them. Friends join voices with the Christian and Muslim communities around the world who ask for the immediate release of the four CPT members are still missing. Their collegues and their loving families are anxious and fearful and wish to have their safe return to their homes as soon as possible.
FUM is a founding member of Christian Peacemaker Teams and representatives of FUM continue to serve on the Steering Committee of CPT. Friends warmly support and are grateful for the courage and for the work and witness of members of CPT in Iraq and Israel/Palestine.
Action requested
The most urgent need is for prayer. Please form prayer vigils up and down the land wherever you may be, in Kenya, in the USA, in Jamaica, in Palestine and in Belize.
- CPT asks that communities of faith intensify their prayers for the transformation of the hearts of those who are holding our friends
- Pray for Tom Fox, Harmeet Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember and hold them in the Light
- Pray that they will remain strong and brave and that Jesus will work through them in miraculous ways to transform this current predicament.
- Pray for all people currently missing in Iraq, for prisoners in Iraqi jails and for the prisoners' families. (As December 5th, in this recent spate of abductions, there are six North American/European people missing and four Iranians).
- Pray for all of those members of CPT in Iraq, Chicago and Toronto and elsewhere who are working tirelessly to try to communicate with those holding our friends and to support the families and colleagues of these loved ones.
You will find other resources for prayer on the Mennonite website including a handout available to any who might be considering a prayer vigil or a street demonstration. This is available on the following link
http://peace.mennolink.org/resources/cptmissing.pdf
If you are planning to hold a vigil or a prayer meeting and you would like to open it up to others in the Christian community who might join you, please visit the Christian Peacemaker Teams website (www.cpt.org) and register your vigil/prayer meeting as soon as possible. The link for registration is
Langley Hills Friends Meeting, where Tom Fox attends, is in prayer each day at 7.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. Eastern Standard time (US). You are invited to join in prayer with this meeting at these times or at 7.00 your time wherever you are in the world so that our globe is wrapped in prayer .
You may wish to write letters of support, encouragement, affirmation to Tom's meeting;
Langley Hill Friends Meeting, P.O.Box 118, McLean VA 2201
You may also like to write letters of support to the families of the four missing persons. Please do so by sending such letters c/o Christian Peacemaker Teams, P.O.Box 6508, Chicago, IL 60680, USA
Other action that you might like to take.
A petition has begun for the release of the four CPTers and you might like to join the many well known international names who have already lent their name. You will find the link on
Petition Spot - An Urgent Appeal: Please Release Our Friends in Iraq
ADDENDUM
A brief history of CPT involvement in Iraq
October 2002: Established a presence in Iraq
Gave support for the UN Weapons Inspection Program as an alternative to war;
Exposed injustice and deaths from the US-led economic sanctions;
Put a human face on Iraq, helping people in the United States understand
that Saddam Hussein was not the only person living in Iraq.
March/April 2003: During the "Shock and Awe" military campaign
Provided an alternative voice to the reporters "embedded" with Coalition
Forces;
Used their bodies to protect critical civilian infrastructure such as water
treatment facilities, electrical plants, and hospitals.
April/May 2003: In the aftermath of the bombing of Baghdad
Drew attention to the huge and under-reported problem of unexploded
ordnance;
Gave an alternative perspective on the invasion based on interviews with
Iraqi civilians.
June 2003 to September 2004: During the early stages of the occupation
Documented abuse of detainees by Coalition forces;
Assisted Iraqis in gaining access to loved ones in detention;
Launched the Adopt-a-Detainee Campaign asking churches to advocate on behalf
of Iraqi detainees
Supported a variety of new and established Iraqi human rights organizations,
which suddenly found themselves with space and freedom to operate.
October 2004 to December 2004: Following a rash of kidnappings of foreign
aid workers, the Team was forced to reduce its size and visibility.
January 2005 to the present: Human rights workers continue to encourage the
Team in their work in spite of the danger of insurgent and other attacks.
Provided a 5-day non-violence training and ongoing work with the Kerbala Muslim Peace Team
Accompanied Palestinian refugees to the Syrian border
Hosted international delegations. Since October of 2002, the Team has
hosted a total of 120 people on 16 delegations.
Documentated the impacts of the occupation on the people of Baghdad,
Falluja, Kerbala, Najaf, and other cities.