The Jordan Times, where Jill worked for a year, ran a moving editorial about her today. Here are some excerpts:
The kidnappers who abducted her could not have chosen a more wrong target. True, Jill is a US citizen. But she is also more critical of US policies towards the Middle East than many Arabs. Though as a reporter she always complies with the strictest requirements of objectivity and impartiality, Jill has been from day one opposed to the war, to the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
More than just being sympathetic with average Iraqis under war and occupation, Jill is a true believer in Arab causes. From Arabic food to the Arabic language, Jill has always wanted to know and experience as much as possible about Arab identity, and she is keen on absorbing it, learning, understanding and respecting it. She doesn’t just “like” Arab culture, she loves it.
Meanwhile, according to the Associate Press, Iraqi and US officials working to free an American journalist say they haven’t made contact with her kidnappers. The US Embassy says it’s working with local authorities "and doing everything possible to bring about her safe release." And an Iraqi Interior Ministry official says police are taking the matter "very seriously."
It has been nine days since Jill’s abduction. May God give her strength enough to make it through this horrible ordeal. Our hearts are with you Jill. I took the above picture of her in Amman about three years ago.
If she likes Arab culture so much, she should be right at home as a hostage…that’s all women are in Muslim nations..chattel property. Take your blinders off people, seventh century barbarians trying to impose their sharia on us all. Fortunately for Jill, she didn’t have her head sliced off. Now she is at Harvard, free to luxuriate in the world of theories that have no practical applications in the real world. I wish she was commiserating with the Iraqi people when Saddam was murdering them. But she wasn’t. She was protesting Ken Starr’s unfair treatment of then president, Bill Clinton.
Reductio ad absurdum
… having already hanged Jill Carroll as an Islamist sympathiser and traitor for not reading the Schlusselian script both during and immediately after her captivity in Iraq, Schlussel earlier this week moved on to putting in her two cents about who …
This whole situation is so sad to me. What happened to us in N.Y. was horrible and the american people do deserve justice. But, the Iraqi people also deserve to live in the same type of democracy that we have been blessed with by our founding fathers. My prayers go out to all! I just wish that the good hearted people (like Jill) would be able to shed a light and truth to the situation without being put through such horrible ordeals. My prayers are with all, and especially Jill. I check the computer everyday hoping to read that she has been released unharmed!!!
May God watch out for Jill and for her captors, who, I know, think they are doing a right thing and a good thing,though I don’t think they are. I pray that they are enlightened in this situation to act charitably and honorably and that they too are blessed by their contact with Jill. I pray she emerges from this business intact and with new insights she can write about.
First, I’m a Iraqi citizen, I live in Baghdad, and I had lived in all this bad war, what a sadly situation here, kiddnaped, killing ppl, so sadly I am for our kiddnaped friends and there familyes.
I saw jill’s crying and tears yesterday on TV. I felt so sad for her, becouse she had done nothing, but to show the truth for the world,
I wish all that would finish, all this problems, and return to her family safe, i pray for you jill. bless you and all other friends kidnaped in my sad country. (frank_b_watson@yahoo.com)
Please listen to Jills cries, they are not alone for herself but for the world to take notice of the situation in iraq and its people. Please pray that Jills message can be relayed where people will listen. And Jill will be set free by the captors and that the captors will be brought to justice for kidnapping.
The whole situation drives me to frustration. The weak use her body to barter. I would give my life in a second for her. I dated her years ago and my heart never healed. She was as beautiful as she was smart. In this world innocence is so short. If she is to go, I hope she doesnt suffer and she can get on with being amazing in her next life. -Rains
God Bless You JILL Caroll….if you went i pray you went in peace….glennandrobby@aol.com
I heard about Jill Caroll from my friend Scott baldauf, while I was chatting with him on yahoo messenger. I am a translator and fixer for chicago tribune in afghanistan. I know that those who do this kiddnapping can’t abduct armed people. they chose soft target like journalists. I want to send them a messege that if they are real muslims they should respect all inocent human beings specially women who has kind hearts than men. Caroll is a freelace journalist and working for a company that never side people. they always write about facts. I have worked with them on and off for almost three years. I know monitor kind of story very well. In another hand Caroll risked her life to take the messege of inocent people in Iraq suffering to the worlds people, in order to change the vision of those who wants all privillages for themselves. Journalists are those clean people that they always try to help people. Jill caroll is one of them. I hope that you send this messge of me to people who can help release her. God may keep her in saftey and good condition of health and release her soon.
with respects and showing my sympathy to her family and friends,
Dr. Farouq Samim from Afghanistan