Tom Fox
Profile
McLEAN, Va. - As soon as he arrived in Baghdad in October 2004, Tom Fox contemplated the possibility that he would be kidnapped.
"I am to stand firm against the kidnapper as I am to stand firm against the soldier," Fox wrote in one of the first entries in his Web log detailing his work in Iraq as a Christian peace activist.
Fox, 54, is among four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams who were kidnapped this week by a group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness Brigade.
Fox's blog entries reveal a man who struggled to remain hopeful about Iraq's future and had deep misgivings about the mindsets of U.S. military personnel and contractors he met.
"Sooner or later the insurgency will run out of suicide bombers and weapons. Sooner or later the ringleaders will be captured or killed. But what will remain will be one of most restrictive, oppressive police states in the world," Fox wrote in May.
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IRAQ: Most recent reflection by Tom Fox, "Why are we here?"
[Note: The following reflection was written by Tom Fox the day before he was abducted.]
The Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) Iraq team went through a discernment process, seeking to identify aspects of our work here in Iraq that are compelling enough to continue the project and comparing them with the costs (financial, psychological, physical) that are also aspects of the project. It was a healthy exercise, but it led me to a somewhat larger question: Why are we here?
If I understand the message of God, his response to that question is that we are to take part in the creation of the Peaceable Realm of God. Again, if I understand the message of God, how we take part in the creation of this realm is to love God with all our heart, our mind and our strength and to love our neighbors and enemies as we love God and ourselves. In its essential form, different aspects of love bring about the creation of the realm.
I have read that the word in the Greek Bible that is translated as "love" is the word "agape." Again, I have read that this word is best expressed as a profound respect for all human beings simply for the fact that they are all God's children. I would state that idea in a somewhat different way, as "never thinking or doing anything that would dehumanize one of my fellow human beings."
As I survey the landscape here in Iraq, dehumanization seems to be the operative means of relating to each other. U.S. forces in their quest to hunt down and kill "terrorists" are, as a result of this dehumanizing word, not only killing "terrorists," but also killing innocent Iraqis: men, women and children in the various towns and villages.
It seems as if the first step down the road to violence is taken when I dehumanize a person. That violence might stay within my thoughts or find its way into the outer world and become expressed verbally, psychologically, structurally or physically. As soon as I rob a fellow human being of his or her humanity by sticking a dehumanizing label on them, I begin the process that can have, as an end result, torture, injury and death.
"Why are we here?" We are here to root out all aspects of dehumanization that exist within us. We are here to stand with those being dehumanized by oppressors and stand firm against that dehumanization. We are here to stop people, including ourselves, from dehumanizing any of God's children, no matter how much they dehumanize their own souls.
http://www.cpt.org/archives/2005/dec05/0007.html
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American Hostage Tom Fox Killed In Iraq
Friday, March 10, 2006
The FBI verified that a body found in Iraq Friday morning was that of Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., spokesman Noel Clay said. He said he had no information on the other three hostages.
Clay said additional forensics will be done in the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is investigating, he said.
Fox's family has been notified, Clay said, and "our heartfelt condolences go out to them."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,187529,00.html
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Rest in peace Tom....
Prayers & Messages
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
When tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye
For all my life, I'd always thought,
I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It almost seemed impossible
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said, "This is eternity,
And all I've promised you.
Today your life on Earth is past,
But here life starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day's the same way
There's no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Though there were times you did some things
You knew you shouldn't do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free.
So won't you come and take my hand
And share my life with me?"
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart.
--David M. Romano
May God give you peace in your heart and strength to carry on.
Sincerely,
Mary
Carry your candle...go light the world."
popular Christian song
When we last visited about the possibility of one of us being taken hostage or killed, I remember your wry smile and comments. Peace be upon you now.
Charlie Jackson
May the Family find comfort and peace during this ordeal.
May he rest in peace.
Amen
Bless your heart Tom.
You have finally found everlasting peace.
My sincere heartfelt condolences are with the family of Tom.
say a pray to our god in heaven, to give us all strenght to fight all these people, who do these things, and are destroying the world pease, fight them with the words of god, and not with weapon. There are many religions in the world to day, and there will bee many more the bible say, there will bee many fake preatcher, who will lead many people in the death, but we have to keep preatching the word of god.
Your fellow Virginian, Holly C., age 15
God bless. I am praying for your safe release.
That the light within you be enough to clear your way to freedom.
Mary
Gracious St. Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family. Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady, your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you. Amen.
Continuing prayers for Tom Fox and his family
I'm praying for you at this trying time.
Stay strong and know that you're in my thoughts and prayers.