Saturday, December 3, 2005
Associated Press and Canadian Press

Baghad — Iraq's largest Sunni Muslim party called Saturday for the release of Western hostages in Iraq, saying such kidnappings tarnish the image of Islam and will have negative effect on those who call for ending the U.S. military presence.

The Iraqi Islamic party cited the four members of the Chicago-based Christian Peacemaker Teams — two Canadians, a Briton and an American — who were taken hostage in Baghdad on Nov. 26. The kidnappers have threatened to kill them on Thursday if Iraqi prisoners are not released from American and Iraqi jails.

"The Iraqi Islamic party calls the kidnappers to release them because continuing to hold them will give those who support the war against our country a chance to say that Iraqi's don't make a difference between those who support them and those who are against them" the party's statement said.

"The kidnapping will have a grave negative effect among those who call for ending occupation," the statement said. "There are some who are trying to tarnish the clear white image of our religion."

Jim Loney, 41, of Toronto, and Harmeet Sooden, 32, formerly of Montreal, along with Briton Norman Kember, 74, and American Tom Fox, 54, were grabbed off a west Baghdad street at gunpoint a week ago.

On Friday, Al-Jazeera news channel showed footage of the hostages.
The Canadians were shown eating from plates of what appeared to be Arabic sweets. In a second clip, the Briton and American were shown talking to the camera, but no audio was transmitted.

Quoting the kidnappers' statement, Al-Jazeera said the two were calling on the U.S. and British governments to withdraw from Iraq.

Prime Minister Paul Martin said the federal government was doing everything possible "to get these men back home, home to their families."
Canada has no official diplomatic presence in Iraq.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Russell Wilcox is a retired college professor who spends several months in Florida and several months in Rhode Island each year, and whose interests include boating and sailing, political activism, ballroom dancing and bridge. He has an MBA from Harvard, a Computer Systems CAGS from Bryant and a BS from Northeastern. He has worked in industry for EG&G and Texas Instruments, operated his own business with more than 200 employees, and served as Director of the Computer Information Systems Program for Stonehill College. He is a published author of two technical studies, and is the proud father of four children and the proud grandfather of six grandchildren. A holder of two patents in microchip connections and a true product of the melting pot, his father is the son of a Yankee farmer, and his mother the second generation daughter of Italian immigrants who retained their culture, but strove mightily to become Americans, sending four sons to fight against Hitler and Mussolini.