Tailban holding Canadian

[Topaz]

So another Canadian has their live on the line by another country or group and this one if by the Tailban who want 2 MIl for her or they will behead her. I guess is the government will say no and so she will die. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Taliban+...3110/story.html

[Moonbox]

Most likely yes. It's really sad but giving them money really only multiplies the problems. Hopefully they find her, but I doubt it...

[bush_cheney2004]

Set up a swap.....trade MP Jack Layton for her safe return.

[DogOnPorch]

She's a Jihadist that thought she'd fit right in.

Wrong.

[kimmy]

So another Canadian has their live on the line by another country or group and this one if by the Tailban who want 2 MIl for her or they will behead her. I guess is the government will say no and so she will die. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Taliban+...3110/story.html

Qahaar, who changed her name from Beverly Giesbrecht after converting to Islam in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is the owner and publisher of a controversial pro-Islamic web magazine called Jihad Unspun. In the new pamphlets, the militants charged that Qahaar was not a journalist, but a spy sent by Canada.

I dunno about you guys... but personally, I'm kinda digging the irony.

-k

[SSD]

What's she doing partying with the Taliban in the first place. Serves her right.

[waldo]

Qahaar, who changed her name from Beverly Giesbrecht after converting to Islam in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is the owner and publisher of a controversial pro-Islamic web magazine called Jihad Unspun. In the new pamphlets, the militants charged that Qahaar was not a journalist, but a spy sent by Canada.

I dunno about you guys... but personally, I'm kinda digging the irony.

-k

ultimately, should an eventual death result, please come back and provide an update on your "digginess" - thanks in advance.

[eyeball]

So the range of feelings expressed so far range from resignation, sadness, sarcasm, indifference, irony, and of course rightousness. No doubt hilarity is close to the surface in some which is only a fine line away from terror apparently. About par for course hereabouts I'd say.

I mostly feel sad I suppose but a little detached as well. I also feel a twinge of skepticism, it could be her, or someone else masquerading as the Taliban, Karzai's security forces, or some other sect/cult/gang - who really knows for certain what's going on over there at all?

Its a quagmire, whatever and whoever touches it apprently gets sucked in over their heads one way or another.

[kimmy]

ultimately, should an eventual death result, please come back and provide an update on your "digginess" - thanks in advance.

If she is eventually killed by her captors, I will feel a twinge of sadness, about the same as I feel when I hear of someone who has died while driving drunk, or someone who has died of a recreational drug overdose. And I will comfort myself with the knowledge that like the drunk driver and drug overdose victim, Ms Qahaar is the author of her own demise.

She's obviously highly literate, and her technical abilities have enabled her to create this platform from which to advocate for Muslim fundamentalism. Had she been raised in such a society, she would have neither the literacy nor technical proficiency to do so. I wonder if that has occurred to her?

Here's someone who, upon learning of the 9/11 attacks, converted to Islam and made it her life's work to denounce the evils of Western democracies and to extol the virtues of the Muslim fundies. Now, she's apparently facing a death sentence at the hands of the virtuous Muslim fundies, and her only hope for survival is apparently that one of these even Western democracies will conjure up a ransom.

Sorry, Waldo, but my digginess of the irony of her fate will not be diminished regardless of the outcome.

-k

Edited April 5, 2009 by kimmy

[Cameron]

So long and don't forget to turn off the lights.

[waldo]

Qahaar, who changed her name from Beverly Giesbrecht after converting to Islam in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is the owner and publisher of a controversial pro-Islamic web magazine called Jihad Unspun. In the new pamphlets, the militants charged that Qahaar was not a journalist, but a spy sent by Canada.

I dunno about you guys... but personally, I'm kinda digging the irony.

ultimately, should an eventual death result, please come back and provide an update on your "digginess" - thanks in advance.

If she is eventually killed by her captors, I will feel a twinge of sadness, about the same as I feel when I hear of someone who has died while driving drunk, or someone who has died of a recreational drug overdose. And I will comfort myself with the knowledge that like the drunk driver and drug overdose victim, Ms Qahaar is the author of her own demise.

Sorry, Waldo, but my digginess of the irony of her fate will not be diminished regardless of the outcome.

your readiness to equate a horrific murderous beheading to substance abuse death clearly shows your detachment. Your curt, caustic, “the author’s of their own demise” summation… brings you comfort! Comfort!

to find the irony you describe is one thing – to callously announce it another… but to brazenly revel in it shows a special insensitivity.

the personal story of Canadian Beverly Giesbrecht describes a woman with a much troubled life. Something in her makeup caused her to eventually embrace Christianity in later life – with a “born-again” zeal – only to see it, in turn, replaced by something that took her towards Islamic fundamentalism. Certainly, she has influenced her predicament; however, it’s not an influence that… “brings me comfort”. The stark reality of the February beheading of Polish engineer Piotr Stanczak is a grim reminder of Beverly Giesbrecht’s possible fate… regardless of your personal “digginess” of the irony of that fate.

[betsy]

She was collecting documentary materials for Al Jazeera. She's working for Al Jazeera....Al Jazeera should handle that problem.

Anyway, she is pro-Islamic terrorism. She converted and even got herself a website.

Although I'd like to give it the benefit of the doubt....a nagging thought at the back of my head is dubious about this situation.

Her situation is riddled with ironies.

We are at war with the Taliban and terrorism. At another time, her politics and action would surely have landed her in the same predicament: execution for treason.

But I see the irony mentioned by another poster, if the situation is accurate and true (and not just a ploy to outsmart and make a fool of us and the government and get us to add more funds to the coffers of our own enemy which will be used to fight and kill our own soldiers- which is another irony, if that's the case). If her predicament is true, how ironic to die in the hands of those you zealously support....in the very same reason why we are at war with terrorism.

I'll pray for her. That's all we can and must do.

Edited April 5, 2009 by betsy

[Molly]

I share the sense of irony, too, along with the (I presume) unanimous sentiment that not one single dime of ransom should be paid by Canada or anyone else, for her, or any other kidnap victim in that milieu.

That said, her story reeks of mental illness.

[Progressive Tory]

Set up a swap.....trade MP Jack Layton for her safe return.

I'll trade you a Jack Layton for a Jason Kenney and will even throw in a Stockwell Day.

Actually, I wouldn't wish this on anyone. She must be terrified.

[Progressive Tory]

That said, her story reeks of mental illness.

Exactly. This society forgives so much when it involves religion. Often born again Christians are seeking help from their new drug of choice, like the preacher who stuffed pornographic material in mailboxes.

No one will get them help because they believe that they are already being helped by God. In many cases they are just mentally ill or having a psychotic break.

This story is very sad and I don't think it will end well.

[Wild Bill]

I'll trade you a Jack Layton for a Jason Kenney and will even throw in a Stockwell Day.

Actually, I wouldn't wish this on anyone. She must be terrified.

Ah, but isn't it Jack who has maintained that all we have to do to get along with the Taliban is to talk with them? That the fact that Harper has not begun high level talks with Al Queda is a failing that makes him responsible for the war dragging on?

If that is so, then Jack would be the perfect envoy. We should give him the opportunity to show us how he is right and Harper is wrong.

Perhaps Jack could win a Nobel Peace Prize! If he is as right about his approach as he seems to feel then it should be an easy coup for him.

[betsy]

Not giving any ransom does not mean society does not care. On the contrary, giving in and making beheading-for-ransom pay off will only encourage unscrupulous people, perhaps even organized crime to get into the lucrative business.

Don't ever kid yourself that it's not going to happen.

Kids and vulnerable people are being deliberately maimed in third-world countries to elicit more pity when pan-handling!

Bleeding-hearts and those that give knee-jerk reactions to anything that reminds them of religion or God should not let themselves be stunted in their vision...that they should strive to see past what's infront of their noses. Impulsive reactions without further much thought will only make matters worse.

[capricorn]

That said, her story reeks of mental illness.

Who knows. May she turned into a religious zealot, answering to a higher calling. That she traded her western name for a middle eastern name speaks volumes.

[Progressive Tory]

Not giving any ransom does not mean society does not care. On the contrary, giving in and making beheading-for-ransom pay off will only encourage unscrupulous people, perhaps even organized crime to get into the lucrative business.

Exactly. As much as we may want to save her, we can't pay for her release. It will only put others in danger once the precident is set. Very sad story.

[kimmy]

your readiness to equate a horrific murderous beheading to substance abuse death clearly shows your detachment. Your curt, caustic, “the author’s of their own demise” summation… brings you comfort! Comfort!

to find the irony you describe is one thing – to callously announce it another… but to brazenly revel in it shows a special insensitivity.

Is it more sad if someone dies by grisly murder than if someone dies by car crash or drug overdose? Dead is dead, it seems to me.

Like the drug overdose casualty or the drunk driving casualty, the cause of her death is, ultimately, her own choices. She sought her killers out, she made the decision to associate with them, believing them to be her allies. She may as well have jammed a needle into her wrist.

Like all the Lower Mainland gangsters that have been slain this year, she's in danger because she chose to involve herself in situations that sensible people avoid. I will feel the same about her death as I do about theirs: said that a Canadian person wasted their life foolishly by becoming involved in something so stupid, but beyond that of little consequence to anyone except her own friends and family.

the personal story of Canadian Beverly Giesbrecht describes a woman with a much troubled life. Something in her makeup caused her to eventually embrace Christianity in later life – with a “born-again” zeal – only to see it, in turn, replaced by something that took her towards Islamic fundamentalism. Certainly, she has influenced her predicament; however, it’s not an influence that… “brings me comfort”. The stark reality of the February beheading of Polish engineer Piotr Stanczak is a grim reminder of Beverly Giesbrecht’s possible fate… regardless of your personal “digginess” of the irony of that fate.

As she wished to be known as Khadija Abdul Qahaar, I see no point in referring to her as Beverly Giesbrecht. What is that? An attempt to get me to view her as a reg'lar white-folk type instead of a Muslim fundamentalist? Or is it an attempt to dismiss the choices she's made in life? If either of those is the case, sorry, I'm not swayed. Her ethnic background is irrelevant to my view of her. And I see no reason to doubt her claim that her decision to embrace fundamentalist Islam was a result of introspection and soul-searching.

Exactly. This society forgives so much when it involves religion. Often born again Christians are seeking help from their new drug of choice, like the preacher who stuffed pornographic material in mailboxes.

No one will get them help because they believe that they are already being helped by God. In many cases they are just mentally ill or having a psychotic break.

This story is very sad and I don't think it will end well.

According to this article, Ms Qahaar was a hardcore alcoholic prior to becoming a born-again Christian:

http://www.straight.com/article-210122/giestbrecht

According to her own mini-biography, linked to in the article, her doctor told her that she'd be dead within a year if she couldn't stop drinking. She found religion and went from a doomed alcoholic to a driven, energetic entrepreneur who (by her account at least) was quite successful. I'm certainly not a fan of religion, but if it gives someone the direction they need to turn their life around, who are we to say it was wrong?

If her account is true, her life was a lot worse before she found religion than it was afterward, present circumstances aside.

-k

Edited April 5, 2009 by kimmy

[bush_cheney2004]

......She found religion and went from a doomed alcoholic to a driven, energetic entrepreneur who (by her account at least) was quite successful. I'm certainly not a fan of religion, but if it gives someone the direction they need to turn their life around, who are we to say it was wrong?

OK....so now she is a doomed Islamic Fundamentalist. It's all good.....

[eyeball]

Like the drug overdose casualty or the drunk driving casualty, the cause of her death is, ultimately, her own choices. She sought her killers out, she made the decision to associate with them, believing them to be her allies. She may as well have jammed a needle into her wrist.

You could say the exact same thing about a country that associates with dictators in the belief they are their allies.

Curiously enough beholding that spectacle seems to provoke a wide range of feelings too.

[bush_cheney2004]

You could say the exact same thing about a country that associates with dictators in the belief they are their allies.

They do....many Canadians insist that the US is their most important "ally".

Curiously enough beholding that spectacle seems to provoke a wide range of feelings too.

Feelings, nothing more than feelings,

Trying to forget my feelings of love.

Teardrops rolling down on my face,

Trying to forget my feelings of love.

[eyeball]

[betsy]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've always thought that the Taliban had always made demands such as prisoner exchange or dictates for infidels to leave, etc.., That it's always been for a cause...or their rights...

I'm surprised that the Taliban would demand for monetary ransom.

So in other words after all their posturing, it's nothing but just a common criminal after all.