Dale Perkins, Victoria

   Permeating the whole text is the revelation that these four Christian Peacemakers were a Team who lived out their pacifism concretely by confronting directly those who are perpetrators of violence and conflict in regions of the world we consider ‘Hot Spots’.

In their case, they were captured and taken into two so-called Safe Houses in Baghdad, where they were confined, locked up in handcuffs and chains every day and night. Theirs wasn’t an ‘armchair kind of pacifism’. Rather it was concrete and targeted.

We soon realize we are in for a rough ride reading James Loney’s heart-rending account of his 118-days of captivity in Iraq (from November 26, 2005 to March 23, 2006) along with three others: a fellow-Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, British national Norman Kember who survived the ordeal, as well as their other ‘brother’, US American Tom Fox, who didn’t.

   Permeating the whole text is the revelation that these four Christian Peacemakers were a Team who lived out their pacifism concretely by confronting directly those who are perpetrators of violence and conflict in regions of the world we consider ‘Hot Spots’.

In their case, they were captured and taken into two so-called Safe Houses in Baghdad, where they were confined, locked up in handcuffs and chains every day and night. Theirs wasn’t an ‘armchair kind of pacifism’. Rather it was concrete and targeted.

We soon realize we are in for a rough ride reading James Loney’s heart-rending account of his 118-days of captivity in Iraq (from November 26, 2005 to March 23, 2006) along with three others: a fellow-Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, British national Norman Kember who survived the ordeal, as well as their other ‘brother’, US American Tom Fox, who didn’t.

Loney’s 398-page account left me limp just reading his testimony and getting deeply ensconced in his story. Without a gratuitous desire to entertain or shock the reader, Loney draws us through the quagmire of horror that overwhelms both the oppressed and the oppressors who were caught in the entrails of war and the ugly military tactic we call hostage taking.

By staying together they were stronger and not as vulnerable to indiscriminate cruelty. When one was taken away –  Tom Fox – on Day 79 of their captivity – he was later killed and dumped in a remote area some twenty days before the other three were freed. Each day was a kind of torture in itself. The simplest acts like going to the toilet and eating their starvation rations were ordeals that exacted terrible costs to each man. They were only allowed to bathe four times during those 118 days.

Yet the book is more than a litany of excruciating hardships. It also gives a wonderful testimonial to the values of forgiveness and love, central Christian principles. As an example of their commitment, the three decided two months after their release and freedom not to testify against their captors. And that was a consensus they were certain Tom Fox would have concurred.

A constant sub theme throughout the book was James’ sexual orientation. He is a gay man whose partner of many years waited throughout those excruciating four months back in Toronto. James feared revealing his orientation to his captors because of repressive laws and social norms within Iraq society, and I have since learned that his faith community back in Canada, i.e., the Roman Catholic Church, failed miserably to embrace James back into his RC faith community because of his sexual orientation (certainly another irony in his life-story).

As former United Church Moderator Lois Wilson writes in the cover of his book  “A highly personal meditation on forgiveness … Loney passionately makes his case for the futility of war. It is well worth reading.” I agree.