Bigley: Hope after mercy plea

2004-09-28 20:21

London - Leaders of Britain's Muslim community said on Tuesday they were hopeful they could secure the freedom of Ken Bigley, a Briton held captive in Iraq, after returning from a two-day mercy mission to Baghdad.

"We have had very encouraging advices and promises that we hope, inshallah (God willing), will lead to the release of Ken and his safe return to his family," said Daoud Abdullah of the Muslim Council of Britain.

He and another Muslim leader returned on Monday after meeting Iraqi religious and political leaders, including President Ghazi al-Yawar, in a bid to secure the release of Bigley, a 62-year-old engineer abducted in Baghdad earlier this month along with two US colleagues who have since been executed.

Abdullah said influential tribal and religious leaders they met had warned that continued attacks by US-led forces in Iraq were hampering efforts to help the British hostage.

The meetings, late on Sunday, were "particularly encouraging. They promised to undertake certain efforts," he said.

"But they expressed concerns... among these concerns are the continued attack on civilians in Fallujah and the killing of civilians in Sadr City.

"They have affirmed that such acts are undermining their ability to mediate and to bring about a successful result for us in terms of Ken's release," Abdullah said.

- AFP