Palestine: Kidnapping of Italian Activist in Gaza
Translations
Update (Friday 15 April, 2011): It has been reported by various international media outlets that Vittorio Arrigoni has been found dead in the Gaza Strip hours after being abducted on Thursday 14 April, 2011.
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Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni was kidnapped today in Gaza by a Salafi-Jihadi group, who say they will kill him if Sheikh Abu Al Waleed Al Maqdisi, recently arrested by the Hamas government, is not released.
Vittorio Arrigoni (profile picture from Facebook)
Arrigoni – known as Vik – has been in Gaza for over two years with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). (See this Global Voices post about him.) Gaza blogger Omar Ghraieb writes that Arrigoni's kidnappers are threatening to kill him:
Vittorio Arrigoni, 36, ISM volunteer in Gaza, was kidnapped earlier today in Gaza city. Later, a youtube video surfaced showing Vittorio blindfolded and beaten up.
Salafi Jehadis claimed the responsibility of kidnapping and abducting him asking Hamas government in Gaza to release Abu Al Waleed Al Maqdisi in 30 hours starting from 11 am today 14\4\2011 or else they would kill him.
All journos in Gaza, Vittorio's friends here and his friends everywhere ask Hamas to immediately intervene and release Vittorio who worked hard to help Gaza for a long time.
Please let's all pray for his safe release.
The video Arrigoni's kidnappers released has since been disabled. It showed Arrigoni blindfolded, having been beaten, with text rolling over the screen detailing the demands of his captors.
Some reactions to the kidnapping on Twitter:
@SanaKassem: To all Gazans. A great supporter of the Palestinian struggle, #Vittorio Arrigoni, has been kidnapped in #Gaza. He needs your support.
@Omar_Gaza: Hamas we ask you to immediately intervene and release Vittorio Arrigoni now, Italian ISM worker! #Gaza #FreeVittorioNow
@jmalsin: Stunned, sickened, after seeing the video of what salafists claim is a captive Vittorio Arrigoni, who I met several times in Gaza.
@forumeditor: Why kidnap Vittorio Arrigoni who's trying to help the their own cause? His abductors r disgusting: anyone's fair game so they get publicity.
Vittorio Arrigoni's Facebook page is here.
21 comments
Tis is a crime against humanity…Vittorio was doing the work of the righteous and now after 3 yrs His precious life came to an end at the hands of ruthless killers…In every nation, there are the one’s who are misguided and deranged in the mind…This is so UN-ISLAMIC an act of the so called radicals who don’t follow the true ISLAM; WHICH IS PEACE AND SUBMISSION TO ALLAH’S WILL…These insane ppl will meet their own end in a far more brutal manner; the gates of PARADISE WILL BE SHUT 4 EVER; AND THE AGONY IN THEIR GRAVE WOULD BE SO HARD TO BEAR… THERE’S NO PLACE IN “GOD’S WORLD 4 MURDERERS AND EXTREMIST IDEALS…THEY ARE NOT IGNORANT BUT THEY ARE TOO CAUGHT UP IN THE CLUTCHES OF SATAN’S STRONGHOLD…THE REALITY OF LIFE AND DEATH AND THE EVIL THAT SURROUNDS THEM; A RATIONAL NORMAL MIND IS A FORGOTTEN WAY OF THE PAST…MOST OF THE ARAB WORLD AND AFRICAN NATIONS ARE HELLBENT ON KILLING THE LIVES OF THE INNOCENT…MAY VITTORIO’S SOUL REST IN PEACE…BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PPL…JUSTICE WILL DONE IN THE AFTERLIFE; WHEN ALL “GOD’S” CREATIONS WILL FINALLY REACH THE END OF THE WORLD…
AMEEN