Christian Today reported the joyful news that the kidnapped Indian Catholic priest, Tom Uzhunnalil, had been
freed from captivity and flown to Oman on 12 September 2017, after being abducted for more than 19 months. Islamic militants seized Father Tom in March 2016 after attacking a Catholic home for the elderly and disabled in the southern city of Aden. In this attack sixteen people were killed, including four nuns. The abductors issued videos of the Indian priest in December 2016 and May 2017, in which he stressed that his health was in danger and he needed medical support soon. He also called upon the Indian government and others involved to do everything needed to make his release possible. This has now finally happened, through the intervention of the Indian and Oman governments. Further
details were published by World Watch Monitor on 12 September 2017.
"It is great news that priest Tom Uzhunnalil has finally been released and Christians worldwide rejoice with their Indian and Yemeni brothers and sisters," says Henriette Kats, persecution analyst at World Watch Research. "In Yemen, abductions are no rare phenomenon, since it is a source of finance for radical groups. However, it would not be right to assume that the motives involved are financial alone. Most often the targets are Westerners, who in the Middle East, are generally considered to be Christians. Of course they have the reputation of being wealthy or connected to wealthy organizations, but their perceived religion is very likely to be an additional reason for being targeted. It is worth noting that there are hardly any cases known of rich Muslims being targeted for abduction. In Father Tom"s case, the victim was not a Westerner but an Indian, and was thus not necessarily a well-off target. This is an indication that his Christian faith could well have played a major role. The kidnapping was probably, at least in part, aiming to deter Christians in the war-torn country from living out their faith and providing aid."
