Iraq's largest Sunni Muslim group calls for release of hostages
 

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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