Sobre los secuestros de activistas pro-derechos humanos en Iraq (en inglés) - Tortuga
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Sobre los secuestros de activistas pro-derechos humanos en Iraq (en inglés)

Domingo.4 de diciembre de 2005 1173 visitas Sin comentarios
Correo Tortuga - Daniel Izuzquiza SJ #TITRE

Os mando la página web de la asociación CPT (ECAP en castellano, Equipos
Cristianos de Acción por la Paz) en la que hablan del secuestro en Irak de
cuatro activistas. Se trata de una organización cristiana de noviolencia activa,
que practica la interposición en zonas de conflicto, acompañamiento a activistas
locales (similar a Brigadas Internacionales de Paz) y acción directa.
En Irak llevan desde el año 2002, y además tienen equipos en Palestina,
Colombia, con los "primeros pobladores" (indígenas) de Canadá, y en el desierto
de Arizona, frontera con México.

Ojalá pudiérais darle un poco de difusión.
Un abrazo,

daniel izuzquiza

Matthew 5:43-44 "You have heard that is was said, ’You shall love
your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you."

Matthew 26:52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its
place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword."

John 15:13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s
life for one’s friends.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good.

Update on Missing Persons in Iraq

Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 1:00 am, Baghdad, Iraq

BAGHDAD: We were very saddened to see the images of our loved ones on Al
Jazeera television recently. We were disturbed by seeing the video and believe
that repeated showing of it will endanger the lives of our friends. We are
deeply disturbed by their abduction. We pray that those who hold them will be
merciful and that they will be released soon. We want so much to see their faces
in our home again, and we want them to know how much we love them, how much we
miss them, and how anxious and concerned we are by what is happening to them.

"We are very worried about our four friends. We fear that whoever is
holding them has made a mistake. Norman, Tom, James and Harmeet are four men who
came to Iraq to work for peace and explain their opposition to the occupation.
They are not spies."

- CPT Iraq Team

We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of
the actions of the U.S. and U.K. governments due to the illegal attack on Iraq
and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people. Christian Peacemaker
Teams (CPT) has worked for the rights of Iraqi prisoners who have been illegally
detained and abused by the U.S. government. We were the first people to publicly
denounce the torture of Iraqi people at the hands of U.S. forces, long before
the western media admitted what was happening at Abu Ghraib. We are some of the
few internationals left in Iraq who are telling the truth about what is
happening to the Iraqi people We hope that we can continue to do this work and
we pray for the speedy release of our beloved teammates.

We can confirm the identities of those who are being held as follows:

Tom Fox, age 54, is from Clearbrook, Virginia and is a dedicated father of
two children. For the past two years, Mr. Fox has worked with CPT in partnership
with Iraqi human rights organizations to promote peace. Mr. Fox has been
faithful in the observance of Quaker practice for 22 years. While in Iraq, he
sought a more complete understanding of Islamic cultural richness. He is
committed to telling the truth to U.S. citizens about the horrors of war and its
effects on ordinary Iraqi civilians and families as a result of U.S. policies
and practices. Mr. Fox is an accomplished musician. He plays the bass clarinet
and the recorder and he loves to cook. He has also worked as a professional
grocer. Mr. Fox devotes much of his time to working with children. He has served
as an adult leader of youth programs and worked at a Quaker camp for youth. He
has facilitated young people’s participation in opposing war and violence. Mr.
Fox is a quiet and peaceful man, respectful of everyone, who believes that
"there is that of God in every person" which is why work for peace is so
important to him.

Norman Kember, age 74, is from London, England. He and his wife of 45
years have two married daughters and a 3-year old grandson. He has been a
pacifist all his life beginning with his work in a hospital instead of National
Service at age 18. Before his retirement he was a professor teaching medical
students at St Bartholemew’s Hospital in London. He is well known as a peace
activist, and has been involved in several peace groups. For the past 10 years
he has volunteered with a local program providing free food to the homeless. He
likes walking, birdwatching, and writing humorous songs and sketches. In his
younger days he enjoyed mountaineering.

James Loney, 41, is a community worker from Toronto, Canada. He has been a
member of Christian Peacemaker Teams since August 2000, and is currently the
Program Coordinator for CPT Canada. On previous visits to Iraq, his work focused
on taking testimonies from families of detainees for CPT’s report on detainee
abuse, and making recommendations for securing basic legal rights. James was
leading the November 2005 delegation in Iraq when he went missing. James is a
peace activist, writer, trained mediator, and works actively with two Toronto
community conflict resolution services. He has spent many years working to
provide housing and support for homeless people. In a personal statement from
James to CPT, he writes: "I believe that our actions as a people of peace must
be an expression of hope for everyone. My hope in practising non-violence is
that I can be a conduit for the transformative power of God’s love acting upon
me as much as I hope it will act upon others around me."

Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32 is a Canadian electrical engineer from Montreal.
He studdied at McGill University and is now working on a masters degree in
English literature inAuckland University in New Zealand to prepare for a
teaching career. He enjoys art, is active in squash and worked part time as a
local squash coach. His family describes him as peaceful and fun-loving and he
is known to be passionate about the plight of the underprivileged around the
globe. He works tirelessly in his spare time to educate and help others.

Statement of Conviction
In a "Statement of Conviction," the long-term Team members stated that
they "are aware of the many risks both Iraqis and internationals currently
face," and affirmed that the risks did not outweigh their purpose in remaining.
They express the hope that "in loving both friends and enemies and by
intervening non-violently to aid those who are systematically oppressed, we can
contribute in some small way to transforming this volatile situation."

Christian Peacemaker Teams has been present in Iraq since October 2002,
providing first-hand, independent reports from the region, working with
detainees of both United States and Iraqi forces, and training others in
non-violent intervention and human rights documentation. Iraqi friends and
human rights workers have welcomed the team as a nonviolent, independent
presence. CPT teams host regular delegations of committed peace and human
rights activists to conflict zones, who join teams in working with civilians to
document abuses and develop nonviolent alternatives to armed conflict. The CPT
Iraq Team has hosted a total of 120 people on sixteen delegations over the last
three years.

Christian Peacemaker Teams is a violence reduction program. Teams of
trained peacemakers work in areas of lethal conflict around the world. In
addition to the Iraq Team, teams of CPT workers are currently serving in
Barrancabermeja, Colombia; Hebron and At-Tuwani, Palestine; Kenora, Ontario,
Canada; and on the Mexico-United States border.


Christian Peacemaker Teams is a program of Brethren, Quaker and Mennonite
Churches (USA and Canada). The Baptist Peace Fellowship, Every Church a Peace
Church, On Earth Peace and The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship are also sponsors
of CPT. Christians from other bodies in the ecumenical Christian community are
particpants in the 40 member full time Christian Peacemaker Corps and the part
time 125 member Reserve Corps.

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