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FOR Grieves and Honors Tom Fox

March 14, 2006

The Fellowship of Reconciliation grieves with the family, friends, and colleagues of Tom Fox, Quaker peace activist, who was recently killed by his captors in Iraq. But we will not turn our grief into hate.

Tom’s death was not an easy one, as he had apparently been tortured by those who kidnapped him, along with three colleagues from the Iraq Christian Peacemaker Team, on November 26, 2005. The kidnappers, a group previously unknown, twice before threatened the execution of their captives if their demands were not met. This time they carried out the threat.

Tom is one of thousands of casualties of the tragic and violent fiasco in Iraq. His life was neither more important, nor less important, than any other single life needlessly lost. Indeed, it was Tom’s commitment to humanize the dehumanized, to stand with the invisible and voiceless.

We knew Tom. He was dear to us. That brings him to the foreground now. But, as Tom himself taught us, so very many whom we did not know have also died in this conflict. The human mind cannot quite grasp the reality of so many individuals: the scope of our hearts is therefore often small. But Tom cared about the depersonalized and discarded, and for their cause, he has sacrificed his life.

Also see Statement from the Muslim Peace Fellowship

In Memoriam: Tom Fox

Tom was deeply affected by the madness and futility of the war in which he had willingly immersed himself. On August 30, 2005, dispirited by a sectarian bombing, he posted to his blog, "Is there something in life that will fill this vacuum and prevent this sad wearing away of the heart?" But by the end of the entry he had reaffirmed the profound conviction that had brought him into danger in the first place. "The only something in my life I can hold onto," he declared, "is to do what little I can to bring about the creation of the Peaceable Realm of God."

Stirring words. To the cynical, they might now sound hollow. Tom, though, would disagree. After the 2004 kidnapping and murder of humanitarian Margaret Hassan (a tragedy eerily similar to this one, yet already nearly forgotten) Tom wrote a Christmas message that spoke of a “very clear image” that had emerged in worship:

… a land of shadows and darkness. But within that land candles were burning; not many but enough to shed some light on the landscape. Some candles disappeared and it was my sense that their light was taken away for protection. Other candles burned until nothing was left and a small number of candles seemed to have their light snuffed out by the shadows and the darkness. What was most striking to me was that as the candles which burned until the end and the candles whose light was snuffed out ceased to burn, more candles came into being, seemingly to build on their light.

Tom's light will surely build. By honoring that light, we honor him and give true expression to our love and grief. Our best memorial to Tom, and our best support for Norman Kember (FOR England), James Loney and Harmeet Sooden, who are still held hostage, is to deepen our commitment to the way of peace.

Contact: Rabia Harris 845-358-4601 newseditor@forusa.org