christian peacemakers hostages

It's nearly a month since the four men of the Christian Peacemaker Team were taken hostage by the Swords of Truth group in Iraq and nearly two weeks since the deadline passed. Still no word on what has happened.

Their kidnapping has caused a commotion on the news and on the blogosphere, many posing opinions, arguments and questions surrounding pacifism, the appropriate involvement of the West on issues in the Middle East, Christian vs Muslim, right wing vs left wing, and of course the appropriateness of risking one's life for such a situation.

Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) has been operating since 1984 and was formed with a vision to reduce violence by nonviolent means, particularly by 'getting in the way'. It is a spiritually based group applying non violent direct action strategies in the attempt to protect human rights and manage violent conflict. They have sent delegation upon delegation in some of the most volatile regions over the past several years and have brought change to some of these situations.

CPT has been in Iraq since October 2002, half a year before the US led invasion. Their work there primarily surrounded human rights and supporting UN weapons inspection. As the war and circumstances in Iraq changed, their work shifted, although at all times opposing the war and working on human rights abuses. The kidnappings and death of foreign aid workers in the last year caused the team to downsize and reduce their visibility.

I have great admiration for the many people who risk their lives in support for an alternative to war. It takes such faith and idealism that I'm not sure I have, although I do believe very strongly that war is hardly an option.

Macleans, a Canadian weekly magazine, published an article in its most recent issue questioning the validity of the CPT strategy in Iraq. Should nonviolent resistance, particularly from a Western group be an option in such a place as Iraq? They suggest that if part of the mission is to possibly die for the mission, then perhaps this is the place for it, because although they walk in with good intentions, insurgents and criminals may see them as either another obstacle that must be rid off or walking $$.

I can't believe the number of times I've heard or read something to the effect that 'it's their fault that this is happening to them, they walked right into it.' Granted the situation is volatile, I hardly think that the purpose of the group and of nonviolent action is to get kidnapped, killed or hurt in the process of creating an alternative to nonviolence. There is a chance it will happen, but it certainly is not the purpose. The work of those CPT delegates was to deal with issues of human rights abuses, and to raise an alternative awareness of the situation in Iraq. These aren't suicide missions for the delegates and to suggest that the purpose of going is to die for this cause or that there is no room for sympathy because it is pure foolishness is ignorant and narrow.

I try to remain hopeful but my heart sinks. Hope and pray for the release of Jim Loney, Tom Fox, Harmeet Sooden, and Norman Kember. May Christmas bring comforting news to the families of the kidnapped and to peacemakers everywhere.