—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
JAMAICA, New York (January 24, 2006) – The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), a grassroots organization of American Muslims, has strongly condemned the wrongful abduction of American journalist Ms. Jill Carroll of Christian Science Monitor and has called for her immediate release. ICNA Houston president Hanif Harris joined Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Houston’s Muslim leadership in a press conference to fervently denounce this act of kidnapping of a journalist.
A recent report said that 28 year-old Jill Carroll, recently helped her Iraqi friends prepare the traditional Eid Al-Adha meal in their backyard. She speaks proficient Arabic and has been reporting from Iraq since April 2003. Carroll was going to interview Dr. Adnan Al-Dulaimi, head of the Iraqi Accordance Front Party, when on January 7, 2006, she was abducted in Baghdad near Dr. Dulaimi’s office.
In a video delivered to and broadcasted on Al-Jazeera, Ms. Carroll’s kidnappers said that they would kill her unless US military authorities free all Iraqi women in their confinement. The cassette showed her conversing, although Al-Jazeera did not transmit the expressions. She looked weary, although not unhealthy. Though no group has clearly asserted responsibility for theis act, a motionless snapshot taken from the video showed the term: “Brigade of Revenge.” in the background.
In a statement issued from their Jamaica, New York headquarters, ICNA stated:
“All members of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) join Muslim communities nationwide in condemning the wrongful abduction of American journalist Jill Carroll. Even in a state of war, as per a famous saying of Prophet Mohammad (SAW), Islam does not allow the killing and forceful abduction of women, children, elderly and non-combatants.
In no uncertain terms, ICNA strongly urges the kidnappers of American Journalist Jill Carroll to immediately release her, so that the highest principles of Islam and free journalism could be upheld. ICNA further appeals to the US government to use maximum influence to bring all innocent abductees worldwide out of their forced imprisonment.
ICNA stands with Ms. Carroll’s family and colleagues at the Christian Science Monitor at this time of extreme anguish and pray for her safe return home.
