| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraqi Militants Hold 2 French Journalists |
| 2004-08-29 |
| Islamic militants released a brief tape showing two French journalists kidnapped recently in Iraq and said they were holding the men to protest a French law banning headscarves in schools, according to footage aired Saturday by an Arab TV station. The station, Al-Jazeera, said the group gave the French government 48 hours to overturn the law but mentioned no ultimatum. Christian Chesnot of Radio France-Internationale, or RFI, and Georges Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper and RTL radio have not been in touch with their employers since Aug. 19, the French Foreign Ministry said last week. The station's news reader said the group described the French law banning religious apparel in public schools as "an aggression on the Islamic religion and personal freedoms." The tape, lasting 3-4 seconds, showed the men separately, each standing in front of a black background emblazoned in red with the group's name, the Islamic Army in Iraq, in Arabic. The tape did not give the hostages' names, but their employers in France later identified them. Chesnot appeared first, saying in poor Arabic that "we are being held by the Islamic Army in Iraq." The tape then showed Malbrunot. "First of all, I want to tell my family that all is well and we are being treated well," he says in French just before the tape cuts off. France's Foreign Ministry issued a brief statement calling for the journalists' release. "The services of the French Embassy in Baghdad, like the French authorities, are mobilized more than ever. Once again, we call for the liberation of the two French journalists." Sheik Abdulsattar Abduljawad, from the Association of Muslim Scholars, an influential Sunni Muslim group believed to have links to insurgents, also called for their release — and for concessions by the French government. "We call the Islamic Army in Iraq to free the French hostages and ask the French government to cancel their decision forbidding the wearing of the Hijab (the head scarf)," he told Al-Jazeera early Sunday. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 So these guys are French. And they're "journalists".... I know I'm a bad person, but I just can't seem to work up the usual sympathy and outrage. The only thing that would make it worse is if they were Ram fans....... |
| Posted by: Anonymous6209 2004-08-29 6:36:02 PM |
| #6 He will.... 1)Hope they let them go after paying them off. 2)Hope they let them go after NOT paying them off. 3)Wait until the 2 guys are dead then blame Bush. |
| Posted by: 98zulu 2004-08-29 6:27:31 PM |
| #5 This story is BIG. I cannot wait to see how it plays out...Now what are you going to do Jacques? |
| Posted by: Kentucky Beef 2004-08-29 2:00:01 PM |
| #4 I think the kidnappers aren't reaching high enough. They should demand that France make Islam the state religion. This will make de jure what was de facto the case anyway. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-08-29 11:05:04 AM |
| #3 We call the Islamic Army in Iraq to free the French hostages and ask the French government to cancel their decision forbidding the wearing of the Hijab ... Step 1: Terrorize the French into submitting to the mullahs' initial demands about school dress codes. Step 2: Terrorize Moslems schoolgirls in France into dressing as the mullahs order. Step 3: Terrorize non-Moslem schoolgirls in France into dressing as the mullahs order. . |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-08-29 10:16:55 AM |
| #2 This would appear to be a stupid move by the jihadees. That fits. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-08-29 10:13:58 AM |
| #1 YAWN!! |
| Posted by: Jack is Back 2004-08-29 10:10:31 AM |