CPTnet
10 March 2006

CHICAGO/TORONTO/IRAQ: We mourn the loss of Tom Fox

In grief we tremble before God who wraps us with compassion. The death of
our beloved colleague and friend pierces us with pain. Tom Fox's body was
found in Baghdad yesterday.

Christian Peacemaker Teams extends our deep and heartfelt condolences to the
family and community of Tom Fox, with whom we have traveled so closely in
these days of crisis.

We mourn the loss of Tom Fox who combined a lightness of spirit, a firm
opposition to all oppression, and the recognition of God in everyone.

We renew our plea for the safe release of Harmeet Sooden, Jim Loney and
Norman Kember. Each of our teammates has responded to Jesus' prophetic call
to live out a nonviolent alternative to the cycle of violence and revenge.

In response to Tom's passing, we ask that everyone set aside inclinations to
vilify or demonize others, no matter what they have done. In Tom's own
words: "We reject violence to punish anyone. We ask that there be no
retaliation on relatives or property. We forgive those who consider us their
enemies. We hope that in loving both friends and enemies and by intervening
nonviolently to aid those who are systematically oppressed, we can
contribute in some small way to transforming this volatile situation."

Even as we grieve the loss of our beloved colleague, we stand in the light
of his strong witness to the power of love and the courage of nonviolence.
That light reveals the way out of fear and grief and war.

Through these days of crisis, Christian Peacemaker Teams has been surrounded
and upheld by a great outpouring of compassion: messages of support, acts
of mercy, prayers, and public actions offered by the most senior religious
councils and by school children, by political leaders and by those
organizing for justice and human rights, by friends in distant nations and
by strangers near at hand. These words and actions sustain us. While one
of our teammates is lost to us, the strength of this outpouring is not lost
to God's movement for just peace among all peoples.

At the forefront of that support are strong and courageous actions from
Muslim brothers and sisters throughout the world for which we are profoundly
grateful. Their graciousness inspires us to continue working for the day
when Christians speak up as boldly for the human rights of thousands Iraqis
still detained illegally by the United States and United Kingdom.

Such an outpouring of action for justice and peace would be a fitting
memorial for Tom. Let us all join our voices on behalf of those who
continue to suffer under occupation, whose loved ones have been killed or
are missing. In so doing, we may hasten the day when both those who are
wrongly detained and those who bear arms will return safely to their homes.
In such a peace we will find solace for our grief.

Despite the tragedy of this day, we remain committed to put into practice
these words of Jim Loney: "With the waging of war, we will not comply. With
the help of God's grace, we will struggle for justice. With God's abiding
kindness, we will love even our enemies." We continue in hope for Jim,
Harmeet and Norman's safe return home safe.

Contact:

DR. DOUG PRITCHARD,
CPT CO-DIRECTOR 416-423-5525 (CANADA)

REV. CAROL ROSE, CPT CO-DIRECTOR
KRYSS-CHUPP
773 277-0253 (USA)