She needs all of us… She needs our prayers… [POST TO BE UPDATED]
The abductors of Jill have threatened to kill her if the United States does not free Iraqi women prisoners within 72 hours, Aljazeera reported last night. [Post to be update]
Aljazeera aired a brief video on Tuesday showing Jill speaking to the camera, without broadcasting her voice.
The Qatar-based station said the kidnappers identified themselves as members of a previously unknown armed group calling itself the "Brigades of Vengeance".
Jill's former employers The Jordan Times published a Sunday editorial, stating: "The kidnappers who abducted her could not have chosen a more wrong target. True, Jill is a US citizen. But she is also more critical of US policies towards the Middle East than many Arabs… Jill has been from day one opposed to the war, to the invasion and occupation of Iraq. "
Jill’s father issued the following statement:
"Jill is an innocent journalist and we respectfully ask that you please show her mercy and allow her to return home to her mother, sister and family. Jill is a kind person whose love for Iraq and the Iraqi people are evident in her articles. She has been welcomed into the homes of many Iraqis and shown every courtesy. From that experience, she understands the hardships and suffering that the Iraqi people face every day. Jill is a friend and sister to many Iraqis and has been dedicated to bringing the truth of the Iraq war to the world.
"We appeal for the speedy and safe return of our beloved daughter and sister."
"Jill Carroll's colleagues at The Christian Science Monitor and journalists around the world appeal to her captors to release her immediately and without harm. They have seized an innocent person who is a great admirer of the Iraqi people. She is a professional journalist whose only goal has been to report truthfully about Iraq and to promote understanding. As an intelligent, dedicated, open-minded reporter, she has earned the respect of her Arab and Western peers. Since arriving in Iraq in 2003, Jill has always been treated as a guest by Iraqis and has sought to reflect their views and their hearts to the world. She has doggedly pursued stories for a variety of news organizations from several different countries. She began to file stories to The Monitor early last year.
"Jill is in our prayers."
– Richard Bergenheim, Editor
"The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply alarmed by a report today that kidnappers in Iraq have threatened to kill U.S. reporter Jill Carroll if the United States does not free all female Iraqi prisoners within 72 hours."
"A while ago, the media agencies have talked about the kidnapping of Jill Carroll, a correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, in al Adil neighborhood in Baghdad after the killing one man with her. Yesterday, one armed group announced responsibility of the kidnapping and put 72 hours to meet their demands or she will be killed.
The IIP denounces the kidnappings because it is conduced against innocent people, who are mostly sympathized with the Iraqis in their miseries. At the same time, the IIP urges the kidnappers to release this female journalist as soon as possible."
The IIP denounces the kidnappings because it is conduced against innocent people, who are mostly sympathized with the Iraqis in their miseries. At the same time, the IIP urges the kidnappers to release this female journalist as soon as possible."
"Jill has always shown the highest respect for the Iraqi people and their customs," Mary Beth Carroll said Thursday on CNN's "American Morning."
"We hope that her captors will show Jill the same respect in return. Taking vengeance on my innocent daughter who loves Iraq and its people will not create justice.
"To her captors I say that Jill's welfare depends upon you, and so we call upon you to ensure that Jill is safely returned home to her family who needs her and loves her."
"We hope that her captors will show Jill the same respect in return. Taking vengeance on my innocent daughter who loves Iraq and its people will not create justice.
"To her captors I say that Jill's welfare depends upon you, and so we call upon you to ensure that Jill is safely returned home to her family who needs her and loves her."
Azzaman newspaper wrote a very nice editorial in their front page today. It was all about Jill. here is some of it: [UPDATE]
Azzaman has a word to say
Freedom to the messengers of freedom
The danger that surrounds the foreign journalists in Iraq, regretfully, reflected a false and bad image about the Iraqi people. The image came false because of what happened to the foreign journalists by unknown men.
Azzaman stands on the side of another messenger of the truth, who is the American journalist Jill Carroll. She is known for honesty and transparency in her articles. She didn’t take a side in her job and wasn’t deceived to adopt her country’s administration’s attitude on the war on Iraq. Also, it is not known for the newspaper that sent her, the Christian Science Monitor, to have published anything that provokes against the Iraqis or offends its traditions. There is no doubt that her kidnapping is considered as a crime and an action that harms Iraq and its people. This journalist was one of the closest to the sufferings of Iraqis. Her articles were known for their balance and objectivity, which are characteristics of the newspaper that sent her to Iraq. We are asked to protect those journalists and offer all the necessary needs to facilitate their work to help us pass this crisis of the country. The absence of Jill Carroll doesn’t benefit any side and harms our national cause. Azzaman urges all those involved in her kidnapping to protect her life and release her and send her to her country. We don’t know who is behind this kidnapping, but we sincerely ask them to think about the negative results of kidnapping her and threatening her to be killed without any political or national reason.
Azzaman has a word to say
Freedom to the messengers of freedom
The danger that surrounds the foreign journalists in Iraq, regretfully, reflected a false and bad image about the Iraqi people. The image came false because of what happened to the foreign journalists by unknown men.
Azzaman stands on the side of another messenger of the truth, who is the American journalist Jill Carroll. She is known for honesty and transparency in her articles. She didn’t take a side in her job and wasn’t deceived to adopt her country’s administration’s attitude on the war on Iraq. Also, it is not known for the newspaper that sent her, the Christian Science Monitor, to have published anything that provokes against the Iraqis or offends its traditions. There is no doubt that her kidnapping is considered as a crime and an action that harms Iraq and its people. This journalist was one of the closest to the sufferings of Iraqis. Her articles were known for their balance and objectivity, which are characteristics of the newspaper that sent her to Iraq. We are asked to protect those journalists and offer all the necessary needs to facilitate their work to help us pass this crisis of the country. The absence of Jill Carroll doesn’t benefit any side and harms our national cause. Azzaman urges all those involved in her kidnapping to protect her life and release her and send her to her country. We don’t know who is behind this kidnapping, but we sincerely ask them to think about the negative results of kidnapping her and threatening her to be killed without any political or national reason.
Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya television stations aired Jill's father's appeal.
"I want to speak directly to the kidnappers of my daughter Jill, who could be fathers like me. My daughter has no influence, she doesn't have the power to free anyone, she's just a journalist and an innocent person ... Use her as a reporter to support your cause."
Adnan Dulaimi, a prominent Sunni politician pleaded for the release of American journalist Jill Carroll on Friday, the day of a deadline set by her captors.
"I urge those who kidnapped her to release her without a condition. I will take care of dealing with the issue of releasing the detainees from the Iraqi and U.S. forces prisons. I have paid many efforts to release those detainees, and some of these efforts were fruitful and many detainees were released. Kidnapping this noble journalist will decrease the importance of y efforts. No, it will interrupt them. I urge the men who kidnapped this woman to release her for the sake of God and our country and our religion and our honor. We call for the unity of the Iraqis and at the same time we call the government to stop the government’s terrorism, which provokes these actions. Raiding houses, torturing and killing is behind provoking violence in the country. Since the elections, 50 men and young men were killed. Don’t these actions provoke violence? We call for the American and the Iraqi authorities to activate the law and stop the raids, which will encourage us to continue our efforts to rebuild Iraq.
I repeat my call for those who kidnapped this journalist, who came to convey our news and defend our rights. I repeat my plead to release her without any condition. We, in the Conference for People of Iraq, will demand those conditions of releasing the detainees in the Iraqi and American prisons. We will demand this by word, negotiations, and talks with Iraqi and American officials.
In the name of God, in the name of religion, in the name of every word of sympathy that exists in Iraq, I urge you to release this female journalist. She is one of the journalists who denounced the war on Iraq. We call for all to protect the journalists no matter what their nationality is and urge all to release any journalist or innocent non-journalist.
This act tore me apart and pained me. A journalist came to interview me and after she left my office without meeting me, she was kidnapped 300 meters away from my office. If it wasn’t embarrassing, I would cry.
The entire world is waiting for her release now. I get calls form the Islamic communities asking me to intervene. I plead to you to release her. "
I repeat my call for those who kidnapped this journalist, who came to convey our news and defend our rights. I repeat my plead to release her without any condition. We, in the Conference for People of Iraq, will demand those conditions of releasing the detainees in the Iraqi and American prisons. We will demand this by word, negotiations, and talks with Iraqi and American officials.
In the name of God, in the name of religion, in the name of every word of sympathy that exists in Iraq, I urge you to release this female journalist. She is one of the journalists who denounced the war on Iraq. We call for all to protect the journalists no matter what their nationality is and urge all to release any journalist or innocent non-journalist.
This act tore me apart and pained me. A journalist came to interview me and after she left my office without meeting me, she was kidnapped 300 meters away from my office. If it wasn’t embarrassing, I would cry.
The entire world is waiting for her release now. I get calls form the Islamic communities asking me to intervene. I plead to you to release her. "
Please do not forget to pray for her. She needs my, your, her, his, their, our prayers. She needs all of us.
