Remembering Jim and Steven

This is a very difficult entrance for me, something that I know that I must do, however I hardly find the words to express what I feel. The barbaric crimes of James Foley and Steve Sotloff have woken in me mixed feelings of anger, sadness and wrath at the same time. I keep on asking myself how this could have happened; could we have done something to prevent it? Unfortunately, I think the answer is not.

I heard about James Foley three years ago when he was abducted in Lybia along Manu Brabo, Anton el Harmmel and Clare Gillis. After this terrible experience Manu, Jim and Clare realised that it is really important to let the world know what occurs in a war even though these sort of events could be really distressing for the general public.  Anton el Harmmel was assassinated and thus the world lost a very brave and generous hard-working person, who gave his life pursuing what he though it was fair. His friends thought that the best way to honour him was to keep on working in order to expose the suffering of those who endure an armed conflict. They did it, and once again in 2012 Jim was captured by members of the self proclaimed Islamic State while he was working in Syria, so was Steven Sotloff. I don’t need to tell you how both stories ended.

His family want us to share his picture rather than
 watching the video of his barbaric murder

I would like to respect Jim’s family will and then I’m not going to talk about their deaths, consequently I’m just going to talk about two fearless and generous persons that risked their lives helping to expose the terrible plight of Syrian citizens. 

Jim was a very generous, a loving son full dedicated to his work who held onto his faith during his darkest hours, regarding his family and thinking of them while he was held captive. Steven lived in Yemen for several years, he loved sports, especially basketball. And as one of his friends remarked he loved Islam, so I guess we could say he wasn’t any Islam’s enemie, on the contrary I have the impression that he was one of its best friends. As Jim he worked in Lybia and Syria trying to help those who had to live under the terrible threat of bombs and shelling. They might have ended their lives, however, they will never submit their spirits. Both James and Steven believed in truth and justice and for them gave their lives.

Steven Sotloff  loved Islam, he is deeply mourn
by friends and family. Source: BBC

The Islamic State has extended its borderst throughout a blood stained path, as a result many people had no option but to flee, convert or die. We must thank people like Jim and Steven as they commit themselves day after day to unmask these beats, and thus one day we will put and end to their kingdom of fear. Thanks to war correspondents, free lance journalists and photographers like them we get to know the very hard reality of those suffering during a civil war.

James Foley's family has created a fund in order to keep his indomit spirit forward, you can contribute with a donation in this  website: www.freejamesfoley.org. They also have created a scholarship that aims to provide support to communication students unable to complete their studies otherwise: https://muconnect.marquette.edu/giving/foley-scholarship. Those websites are the only places approved by his family to accept finantial donations.

As this is the firs time  I write in English in this blog you may not know that I usually share a piece of music to accompany my words. In this case I thought I must share with you something that reminds us the spirit of these two persons that have illuminated as all with their strength, kindness and generosity.  As a result I have chosen a very beautiful piece: Pie Jesu from a Mass Requiem by Andrew Lloyd Webber sang by the great Anna Netrebko, one of the finest and touching voices. May both rest in peace, we will never forget them.