Tom Fox

In God's Name

On behalf of all of us here in Qom who admire the work of CPT in Iraq, we offer our condolences on the occassion of the brutal murder of Tom Fox to all his friends and relatives and colleagues in CPT and MPT .

Muslims offer condolences with the words of the Qur'an: "Verily, we are for Allah, and unto Him do we return." (2:156)

We were deeply dismayed by the abduction of the CPTers in Iraq, and find it difficult to understand how the perpetrators of such crimes can consider themselves to be Muslims. We would hope that the faithful of all religions and particularly Muslims would join us in calling for their release, and in expressing the strongest possible condemnation of such crimes, since we are repeatedly enjoined in the Qur'an to forbid evil.

Now with grieving hearts we join you in mourning over the martyrdom of our brother Tom Fox, for truly he bore witness to a profound faith in God through his life and death.

Peace,
Hajj Muhammad Legenhausen
The Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institue, Qom, Iran

SPECIAL ISSUE: Remembering Tom Fox, Christian Peacemaker 03.13.2006 www.sojo.net EDITORS' NOTE ^top Photo of Tom Fox with Palestinian refugee children in Iraq taken in Oct. 2005. The staff of Sojourners extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Christian Peacemaker Teams member Tom Fox, who was found dead near Baghdad on Thursday. His three teammates, seen in a video broadcast last week, are believed to be alive but remain captive. As we mourn Tom's death, we focus on his solidarity with the unnamed tens of thousands of Iraqi dead, disappeared, detained, and tortured. Christ is present in their suffering (Matthew 25). Yet, we also recognize that Tom's suffering is special because it was in voluntary obedience to Christ's call to suffer as he did to prove his love for both neighbors and enemies: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:34-35). As evidenced by the outpouring of support and sympathy from across religious and national boundaries, Tom's life and death are a testimony to the truth of Jesus' gospel - and a challenge to all who claim to follow it. - The Editors + Share this issue with your friends IN MEMORIAM ^top Tom's last journey by Doug Pritchard Our brother Tom has begun his final journey home. He left Anaconda military base at Balat, Iraq, at dawn on Mar. 13 (9 p.m. EST, Mar. 12), and is expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 1 a.m. EST, Mar. 14. CPT Toronto was originally informed by Canadian authorities at 1:30 p.m. EST Mar. 10, that a body had been found in Baghdad which was likely that of Tom Fox. An hour later, when the CPT Iraq team asked officials at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad if they could come to identify the body, they were told that it had already left on a military transport for Dover. Officials had repeatedly assured the team over the previous three months that CPT would be able to accompany our colleagues home "if at all possible." They now said that their only focus was getting the body back to the USA as soon as possible. At 8 p.m. EST, the U.S. State Department confirmed the identity as Tom Fox based on fingerprints. The next day, Mar. 11, at 10 a.m. EST, CPT Iraq learned that Tom's body was still at the Anaconda base at Balat. The U.S. Embassy arranged for Beth Pyles, a member of the CPT Iraq team, to travel to Anaconda, and she was able to keep vigil with Tom for the next 36 hours until his departure. Meanwhile, CPT members Rich Meyer and Anne Montgomery travelled to Dover, and have been in the vicinity since 5 p.m. Mar. 11, keeping vigil and awaiting Tom's arrival. Pyles was present on the tarmac at Anaconda as Tom's coffin was loaded onto the plane for Dover. She reported that his coffin was draped in a U.S. flag. This is unusual for a civilian, but Tom may not have been uncomfortable with this since he had always called his nation to live out the high ideals which it professed. Iraqi detainees who die in U.S custody are also transported to Dover for autopsies and forensics. On this plane, right beside Tom's coffin, was the coffin of an Iraqi detainee. So Tom accompanied an Iraqi detainee in death, just as he had done so often in life. At Tom's departure, Pyles read out from the gospel of John, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it" (1:5). In honour of Tom's Iraqi companion, she spoke the words called out repeatedly from the mosques of Baghdad during the Shock and Awe bombing campaign in March 2003, "allah akhbar" (God is greater). She concluded the sending with words from the Jewish scriptures, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). Dawn broke. The contingent of Puerto Rican soldiers nearby saluted. The plane taxied away. Venus, the morning star, shone brightly overhead as the night faded away. Godspeed you, Tom, on your final journey home to your family and friends. Doug Pritchard is a co-director of Christian Peacemaker Teams. + Share this issue with your friends Remembering Tom Fox by Celeste Kennel-Shank Some said they wanted revenge. Others said they were trying to forgive those who took his life. Others came to pay tribute to their friend and colleague. In a discussion led by Tom Fox's colleagues and professors from Eastern Mennonite University's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding on Saturday night in Washington, D.C., participants pondered peace issues, response to Fox's death, and the possibility of reconciliation with those labeled enemies. + Read the full article + Share this issue with your friends Reflections from Christian Peacemaker Teams We mourn the loss of Tom Fox CPT statement 'Why are we here?' Most recent reflection by Tom Fox before his abduction 'Dikes that are overflowing, not with water, but with blood' by CPTer Michele Naar Obed + Share this issue with your friends