Christians Respond to ISIS Burning Pilot Alive: Churches Call for Peace and Religious Harmony, While Jordanian King Vows 'Relentless' War
Churches in Jordan have offered their prayers and condolences to the Muslim family of the fighter pilot burned alive by ISIS earlier this week, and have urged for peace, religious harmony and unity. King Abdullah II has promised, however, that there will be a "relentless" war against ISIS in retaliation for the murder.
Father Rifat Bader of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Amman said on Wednesday that "as the churches denounce this heinous crime against humanity, they ask all citizens to reinforce their national unity under the Hashemite leadership, led by King Abdullah II."
Bader added, according to Catholic News Service, that Christians are holding prayer vigils for religious harmony "so that religions will constitute a factor conducive for peace, harmony and unity among people, rather than a factor leading to division, killing, oppression and dispute."
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ISIS released a shocking video on Tuesday that showed militants burning alive 26-year-old fighter pilot Moaz al-Kasasbesh inside a cage. While ISIS has beheaded a number of opposition fighters on video, including two Japanese hostages last week, this was the first time the terror group released footage of burning a captive alive.
The jihadists, who are in a mission to establish an "Islamic caliphate" over the region, have captured a number of cities across Iraq and Syria, but have been pushed back by the U.S. and a broad coalition of allies, including Jordan and other arab countries.
Kasasbeh was captured in December, after his F-16 fighter jet crashed in northern Syria while conducting military operations against ISIS.
Jordan responded to the murder by executing two prisoners with ties to ISIS — Iraqi female suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi, and terror plotter Ziad al-Karboli.
King Abdullah warned that more is to come, and said that his country would do everything possible to defeat the jihadists.
"We are waging this war to protect our faith, our values and human principles and our war for their sake will be relentless and will hit them in their own ground," the Jordanian leader said during a security meeting, according to Reutuers.
Government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani added: "We are talking about a collaborative effort between coalition members to intensify efforts to stop extremism and terrorism to undermine, degrade and eventually finish Daesh (ISIS). All the state's military and security agencies are developing their options. Jordan's response will be heard by the world at large but this response on the security and military level will be announced at the appropriate time."
Kasaesbeh's father has called for the government to do more to avenge his son's death.
"I want the state to get revenge for my son's blood through more executions of those people who follow this criminal group that shares nothing with Islam," Safi al-Kasaesbeh said.
Fides News Agency noted that a delegation from the Roman Catholic Church is travelling to Jordan to present their condolences to the family of Kaseasbeh. On Wednesday, church bells in all Catholic churches in Jordan rang at the same time as a sign of mourning for the pilot.
