The Voices in the Wilderness website is no longer maintained. VitW.org will be available indefinitely for archival and research purposes.

For updates about the four members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams who were abducted in Iraq on November 26th see cpt.org and Electronic Iraq. For ideas about how you can help please see Free The Captives.

Please see Voices for Creative Nonviolence’s website for our statement and further information about the four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) working in Baghdad who went missing this past Saturday, November 26. We will keep updates on that website.

Sign the petition now!

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An Urgent Appeal: Please Release Our Friends in Iraq

Four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams were abducted this past Saturday, November 26 in Baghdad, Iraq. They are not spies, nor do they work in the service of any government. They are people who have dedicated their lives to fighting against war and have clearly and publicly opposed the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They are people of faith, but they are not missionaries. They have deep respect for the Islamic faith and for the right of Iraqis to self-determination.

C.P.T. first came to Iraq in October 2002 to oppose the US invasion, and it has remained in the country throughout the occupation in solidarity with the Iraqi people. The group has been invaluable in alerting the world to many of the horrors facing Iraqis detained in US-run prisons and detention centers. C.P.T. was among the first to document the torture occurring at the Abu Ghraib prison, long before the story broke in the mainstream press. Its members have spent countless hours interviewing Iraqis about abuse and torture suffered at the hands of US forces and have disseminated this information internationally.

Each of the four C.P.T. members being held in Iraq has dedicated his life to resisting the darkness and misery of war and occupation. Convinced that it is not enough to oppose the war from the safety of their homes, they made the difficult decision to go to Iraq, knowing that the climate of mistrust created by foreign occupation meant that they could be mistaken for spies or missionaries. They went there with a simple purpose: to bear witness to injustice and to embody a different kind of relationship between cultures and faiths. Members of C.P.T. willingly undertook the risks of living amongst Iraqis, in a common neighborhood outside of the infamous Green Zone. They sought no protection from weapons or armed guards, trusting in, and benefiting from, the goodwill of the Iraqi people. Acts of kindness and hospitality from Iraqis were innumerable and ensured the C.P.T. members’ safety and well-being. We believe that spirit will prevail in the current situation.

We appeal to those holding our colleagues to release them unharmed so that they may continue their vital work as witnesses and peacemakers.

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Related Links
- BY TOPIC on ElectronicIraq.net: Abduction of four CPT members in Iraq

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. Christian Peacemaker Teams is a violence reduction program. Teams of trained peacemakers work in areas of lethal conflict around the world.