Bigley: ‘My brother is alive’

LONDON – The brother of Kenneth Bigley, a Briton held hostage in Iraq, said he had been told the captive was still alive, a contention echoed by the leader of a London-based Islamic centre.

Paul Bigley, speaking Sunday by video link to a gathering at the Brighton, England, conference of prime minister Tony Blair’s Labour Party, said “I have received information this evening that Ken is alive.” He declined to say where the information came from, but said it gave him cause to hope.Meanwhile, Yasser el-Sirri, head of the Islamic Observation Centre, told The Associated Press his organisation had issued an appeal last Thursday to the kidnappers, Tawhid and Jihad group, to free Kenneth Bigley after the British government rejected their demands.”We have received a positive answer that the group will consider our appeal when they decide his fate and they confirmed that he is alive,” said el-Sirri, whose organisation is often a reliable source of information on Muslim militants.Pressed on how he received the information on Bigley, el-Sirri would say only “through a mediator in Iraq.”The appeal asked the kidnappers to spare Bigley’s life.”Show mercy to the weak…. Let his release be a message to the British people to prove that Islam is a religion of forgiveness,” the Islamic Observation Centre’s appeal said.Paul Bigley urged Blair to make a personal plea for Kenneth Bigley’s release, saying silence from the prime minister would be “the kiss of death” for the hostage.- Nampa-APHe declined to say where the information came from, but said it gave him cause to hope.Meanwhile, Yasser el-Sirri, head of the Islamic Observation Centre, told The Associated Press his organisation had issued an appeal last Thursday to the kidnappers, Tawhid and Jihad group, to free Kenneth Bigley after the British government rejected their demands.”We have received a positive answer that the group will consider our appeal when they decide his fate and they confirmed that he is alive,” said el-Sirri, whose organisation is often a reliable source of information on Muslim militants.Pressed on how he received the information on Bigley, el-Sirri would say only “through a mediator in Iraq.”The appeal asked the kidnappers to spare Bigley’s life.”Show mercy to the weak…. Let his release be a message to the British people to prove that Islam is a religion of forgiveness,” the Islamic Observation Centre’s appeal said.Paul Bigley urged Blair to make a personal plea for Kenneth Bigley’s release, saying silence from the prime minister would be “the kiss of death” for the hostage.- Nampa-AP