The American hostage in Iraq, Thomas Fox, who's name was first revealed on The Jawa Report on Nov. 29th, is also a blogger. His blog, Waiting in the Light, was last updated on November 9th. In his last entry, Tom Fox, now held by Sunni insurgents with links to those who fought the U.S. in Fallujah, decries the U.S. led assault on that city. Despite the fact that Fallujah was run by a form of strict Islamic law before the U.S. liberated that city--in which civilians were murdered for appearing too 'Western'-- Fox's entry decries the U.S. occupation with no words of criticism of the 'resistance' that fought his fellow countrymen.

Further, Fox seems to believe a Muslim cleric's version of the Fallujah narrative over those of the Marines and soldiers that liberated that city. Perhaps Fox was unaware that the cleric was possibly a member of the Shura council which ran Fallujah and which meted out death sentences to prostitutes, collaborated and gave refuge to al Qaeda linked terrorists (possibly some of the same terrorists holding Fox hostage now), and which saw even the possession of Western media a sign of apostasy?

It is tragic irony that those now holding Fox hostage are those that he found difficult to criticize, and that the U.S. Marines and soldiers which he found so easy to fault are his best bet on surviving his ordeal alive.

His entries are a mix of personal reflection and first-hand reporting from Iraq. His blog also reveals that Fox was a truly committed pacifist, willing to die rather than do violence to others. There is much to be admired in a man willing to die for his beliefs.

However, it remains unclear why it is that Western pacifists seem so eager to take on the U.S. and Israel and so willing to overlook the violence and aggression of Jihadis and Palestinians? If all violence is equally bad, then why the focus on Western violence and not on those who are the enemy of the West?

Unless of course the pacifist really doesn't believe his tactics would work in totalitarian states or among violent religious fanatics? Which, I think, is quite revealing.

Regardless of his naivite and poor judgement, we pray for his and the other hostages release and that those responsible will meet a swift and deadly justice. Fox is an innocent and a victim, and those who are holding him captive are guilty and aggressors. At The Jawa Report, we will not equivocate between the two and hold that the value of the life of an innocent is greater than the value of the life of those guilty of hostage taking.

Posted by: Rusty at 06:19 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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