The Korean missionaries taken hostage by the Taliban have broken their silence and explained some of the ordeal they went through:
"We were beaten by them many times, being forced to convert to Islam," Je Chang-hee told a news conference with 20 other fellow ex-hostages at a hospital south of Seoul, where the Christian volunteers have been receiving medical treatment since they returned home 10 days ago.
"They kicked us and beat us with guns and tree branches. Sometimes, they aimed their bayonet-topped rifles at our necks," Je said, adding that he had been held in a mountain cave with three other hostages. Je said he and the others pretended to recite Islamic conversion prayers by muttering some Korean words. [...]
"My group was kept in a closed place like a shed (at a Taliban home) but we were not allowed to go out … it was like suffocating," said Cha Hae-jin, a female hostage.
She said the food was not suitable and that the captives vomited and suffered diarrhea, with some showing symptoms of dehydration. "Four of us once had to share two potatoes for one day," Cha said.
Je said his group of captives were forced to work.
"We lived like slaves. We had to level the ground for motorbikes, and get water (from a well) and make a fire," Je said, showing the worn-out, dirty short-sleeve shirt and trousers he wore throughout the captivity. [CNN]
No word yet if some of the hostages were in fact sexually assaulted but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were. I’m a am surprised that they admitted to converting to Islam considering they are Christian missionaries.
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10:09 pm on September 13th, 2007 1
Sounds like they got a (very) small taste of what I might be like to be in a North Korean gulag.
5:07 am on September 14th, 2007 2
If I were them, I would have kept my mouth shut about that. If I had given up my faith because of discomfort, hard work, and threats; I would also be fearfull of letting my fellow Christians know about it. They profess to have faith in a man that endured all that, ten fold, and died a lingering and painfull death for them.
I hope they are not looking for PITY. I will give them none.
I’m not saying I would have done much better, cause I just don’t know. BUT, if I was unsure of my strenght in my faith, I would not put myself in a situation where it might be tested to such extremes. As they did.
How can they witness NOW? Why am I thinking of The Last Supper? OH, OH, JUDAS! That’s why.
6:48 am on September 14th, 2007 3
They would eventuallly have to reveal the details of their captivity, though.
Jill Carroll was actally forced to condemn the occupation on camera, and never meant a word of it. I think most christians (and God himself) realize that this “conversion” occurred under duress.
If I remember correctly, Jill Carroll actually blasted her captors publicly after her release. She didn’t shrink into a victim unwilling to speak out, so she exacted revenge on the kidnappers - in a way.
I actually prefer if they didn’t hold their tongue.
7:45 am on September 14th, 2007 4
It is ironic. Xian missionaries go to the Stan to convert those wicked mooslums and end up being converted, by force! No one expects the muslim inquisition! Thanks for bringing a smile to my face this morning.
8:06 am on September 14th, 2007 5
i would publicly post a youtube video reconverting back to christianity and accidentily craping on my koran which happend to fall into my toilet! oooops!
11:27 am on September 14th, 2007 6
mcnut
I like the youtube idea.
7:38 am on September 17th, 2007 7
I don’t think they see the ‘muttering some words in Korean’ as a conversion to Muslims. And those who judge them haven’t yet been in a terrifying situation of being beaten, starved and facing death (not to mention possible multiple rape). Yes, it would have been better if they spat in their captors’ faces but no matter what the case, they showed a huge amount of courage going there in the first place to offer aid in the hospital there.
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face this morning.
LLP, what a sad, sadistic excuse for a human being you are. You’ll be smiling out of the other side of your face when what goes around comes around. Life has a way of paying you back for what you put into it.
11:00 am on September 18th, 2007 8
Aurora, I have heard from multiple sources, during and since by deployment to Iraq in 04, that the Iraqi males have a saying: “men are for fun, women are for breeding”.
We seem to be concerned that the females were — used. I don’t believe this to be the case. Asian and my own kind, I believe to be more prone to this, than the Iraqi males. It seems they don’t much care about females for “play time”. What a culture! Hollywood should love them!
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.
Bottom line for me, They shouldn’t have gone to a war zone with no backup or guards. They acted like it was a camping trip. I only hope they are wiser now. There are people who are willing to die for what they believe in. I think that is what their trip was intended ( in the true sense ) to show. A group of CHRISTIANS went to the Hospital. In the sprit of____________fill in the blank.
Before you attack me, let me say, I “might” have been the first to “mutter in Korean”. I hope not, cause I don’t know how I would live with myself afterward. My self-respect is most important to me.
Sorry if I seem unfeeling. I’m not.
6:44 pm on September 18th, 2007 9
Me thinks they went into survivor mode. The situation they were in they would have converted to anything until they got back home. They have bills and credibility on their minds….so you can best believe they are praying to Muhammad, Buddah , Mr. Jesus H.Christ and any other religious honchos that’s out there. It’s gonna be years before Korea forgets them.
1:10 am on September 19th, 2007 10
Bones, Me thinks that the are correct.
As for them being forgotten, well Koreans, like Americans, have a very short memory. Except for events that can be used to promote their “victimhood” status. These live on forever.
Examples are the 2002 traffic accident which was spoken of as near murder, will never be forgotten. While the VT shooter, which was murder, is seldom remembered.
If the church goers can be used to promote “victimhood”, they will live on. If not, then they will be forgotten very quickly.