Iraq: Concern grows for kidnapped archbishop

He needs his meds.

I found this statement quite interesting and frankly, quite telling.

It is common in kidnap cases in Iraq for a ransom to be demanded. If the kidnappers are motivated by financial gain then the victim is usually released after a ransom has been paid. However, if the kidnappers are religiously motivated then the victim is usually killed even if a ransom is paid.

Now what religious group would be motivated to kidnap an archibishop, I wonder?

Hmmm?

On another Iraqi kidnapping note: Nothing has been reported about the kidnapped CBS mystery journalist since this. I'm betting this is a religiously motivated kidnapping. CBS has suppressed the name of the journalist and you know what that means ... they are pulling out the checkbook to pay the . Too bad that isn't working.

Our continued prayers go out to these two victims of the Religion of Peace.

Read Islam's stance on killing captives beneath the fold.

From IslamOnline.

(Get out your Moslem goggles and be prepared to try and translate the gobbledy-gook speak of the Imam...this is the condensed version. I showed "grace" to you.)

On the other hand, there are some jurists who say that there is no alternative in the case of polytheist captives other than killing them. Those jurists are of the opinion that the verse that mentions "grace" and "ransom" is abrogated by Allah's words:

"So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them" (At-Tawbah: 5).

A third point of view, mainly from At-Tabarani, an eminent scholar, is that both verses which mention "ransom" and "grace" and that which mentions slaying them are applicable in the case of captives. No verse abrogates the other. According to this view, verse 5, Surat At-Tawba means that killing them is an option too, for the rest of this verse includes "and take them captives…" in which case the Imam (ruler of the Muslims), reflecting on what is in the best interests of the Muslims, is to decide whether to kill them or release them either for free or for ransom. This is derived from the way the Prophet handled the cases of captives. For example, he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that `Uqbah ibn Abu Mu`ait and An-Nadhar ibn Al-Harith, who were captives at the Battle of Badr, be killed. And at the conquest of Makkah, it was said to him that Ibn Kattal, an evil enemy of Islam, had sought refuge at the Sacred House of Al-Ka`bah to prevent the Muslims from killing him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Kill him (any way)". He (peace and blessings be upon him) also released some captives for free and some others for ransom.

Contemplating the Qur'anic texts and hadiths concerning the issue at hand, I agree with Imam Al-Hassan Al-Basri that the basic ruling to be applied to captives is either to set them free out of grace or for ransom [which also implies exchange of captives] according to Allah's words: 'and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens' (Muhammad: 4)

But there is an exception to be followed with criminals of war who are held in captivity. They are to be killed as a punishment for the atrocities they have committed against the Muslims- as was the case with `Uqbah ibn Abu Mu`ait, Ibn Khattal, the Jews of Banu Quraydhah, and the like. Such criminals are to be killed according to (the first option mentioned) in verse 5, Surat At-Tawbah."