Response to critics of CPT

They media coverage over the past few days has been a depressing postscript to the freedom from captivity of Jim, Harmeet and Norman. Almost as soon as their bonds were cut loose the attacks began, showing little sensitivity to their families and the 3 men who had also just been informed about Tom's death. One radio programme in the US told its listeners to phone the CPT offices in Chicago and Toronto and jam their phone lines. I have personally recieved some hate mail and those more centrally involved in CPT have recieved torrents of it.

A principle allegation is that the hostages and CPT as an organisation did not express gratitute to the military personel involved in their release. This allegation has been most widely reported through quoting General Sir Michael Jackson who spoke to Channel 4 News on Friday evening saying that “saddened that there doesn’t seem to have been a note of gratitude for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives”.

While it is true that CPT's first press release on Thursday morning did not contain specific thanks to soldiers, it is because this was released in the middle of the night in Canada, at 3.30am EST, when CPT had just recieved a phone call from Jim Loney's family saying that the three were free. At that stage CPT had no further details of what had happened and so issued a simple statement rejocing in their freedom and remembering Tom Fox. As soon as details emerged they issued an addenda to the statement that evening expressing specific thanks. This came a day before General Jackson's comments to Channel 4 News (which in fact he qualified on that interview by saying a thank-you may have been issued, but if so he was not aware of it - this qualification has usually been cut out from quotations). Furthermore in their first statements upon arriving home in England, Canada and New Zealand, all of the three men have expressed thanks to those involved in their release. Also, more important than press statements, the three men thanked the people who helped them face to face when they were in Baghdad.

As for other media attacks such as accusations of naivite etc., see this excellent set of responses to criticisms prepared by the religious think-tank Ekklesia.

In any case, it is better being attacked than ignored, it a sign that the powers-that-be are feeling uncomfortable. Jesus told his followers to expect things like this: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12).