Christian Peacemaker Team's Statement Today

From the Christian Peacemaker Team website--an appeal to the terrorists.

Iraq Team Statement
[6 Dec 2005, 7:00CST]

"We are very concerned about our friends. We would very much like to know that they are in good condition.

It is our most sincere wish that you will immediately release them unharmed.

While we believe the action of kidnapping is wrong, we do not condemn you as people. We recognize the humanity in each person, and respect it very much. This includes you, our colleagues, and all people.

We believe there needs to be a force that counters all the resentment, the fear, the intimidation felt by the Iraqi people. We are trying to be that force: to speak for justice, to advocate for the human rights of Iraqis, to look at an Iraqi face and say: my brother, my sister,

Perhaps you are men who only want to raise the issue of illegal detention. We don't know what you may have endured.

As you can see by the statements of support from our friends in Iraq and all over the world, we work for those who are oppressed.

We also condemn our own governments for their actions in Iraq.

Please, we appeal to your humanity to show mercy on our brothers and let them come back safely to us to continue our work.

May God spare our friends, and all the people of Iraq any further suffering."

I have been quite hard on the CPT organization since the kidnapping of their team members. I see their activities as actually increasing the violence by emotionally supporting terrorists, protecting them, and by encouraging them to continue in their fight. This statement does little to dampen my attitude.

If my friends and companions were being held by murderers I would be desperate as well. But, this statement is pandering to the terrorists and is extremely empowering to them. In this statement, the terrorists are the good guys, the misunderstood guys, the downtrodden and taken advantage of. The US is condemned. The statement just about makes me want to hold hands and have a big group hug with these murderers for all they "may have endured."

I do hope these four are released soon because their families and friends have suffered enough, but the CPT as an organization is quickly dropping down on my list of favorite charities. To support, embrace and encourage the evil in others is not, let me say, the sort of Christian charity I prefer.