Pray for Hensley, Bigley and family

Something needs to be said about Ann Truong’s poetic yetdiscouraging categorical stereotyping of boys.

Something also needs to be said about CBS breaking some ofjournalism’s golden rules with the National Guard memosstory. Those errors have potentially damaged the careers ofanchorman, Dan Rather, and a few select others beyond repair.

And now I’ve said something.

But my focus today is not to defend men against some of theinjustices that they face, or that their predecessors have broughtupon themselves, nor will I beat the dead horse that is nowCBS’s credibility.

My focus is Eugene Armstrong.

He’s not the first to receive the Queen of Heart’ssentence in Iraq. But his death is no less horribly brutal.

As of the writing of this column, there are two more civilianhostages in the hands of Armstrong’s executioners, AmericanJack Hensley and Briton Kenneth Bigley.

Wire reports say the terrorists demand that all Muslim women inU.S. custody be released within 24 hours of Armstrong’sdecapitation or another one of the hostages will suffer the samegruesome fate.

The U.S. military says the only two women in its custody in Iraqare Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha, a scientist who became known as”Dr. Germ” for helping Iraq make weapons out ofanthrax, and Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, a biotech researcher known as”Mrs. Anthrax.”

As of the writing of this column, time was running out.

For some odd reason, I’m reminded of then-sophomore RachelBall sitting in the mock jail made of chicken wire for AmnestyInternational last April.

Ball had given up the comfort of a warm bed and a real roof overher head for three days to protest the unjust imprisonment ofAbdukiram Abduveli, a political prisoner in China, who at the timehad been serving a 12-year sentence.

I too, am familiar with a similar practice in the Christianfaith that calls for such kinds of sacrifice for a period oftime.

It’s called fasting.

Fasting is a practice in many faiths, including Judaism andBuddhism.

Scholars of the Bible, and even scripturally-challenged peoplelike myself, are familiar with stories of fasting.

Perhaps the most memorable episode of fasting from the NewTestament is when Jesus is in the wilderness. The fourth chapter ofMatthew recounts how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and allthe while fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.

For those who may not understand, believers understand fastingas an act of obedience and sacrifice, in hopes of a divineintervention.

Take this as the ravings of a lunatic. Take this as theramblings of a zealot. I don’t care (since any sane personwho has talked to me knows I’m neither).

But if you know how to put your knees to the ground and bow yourhead, I ask the SMU community to join me in fasting and prayer forthese hostages in captivity.

Fasting doesn’t have to be a chore. And by all means, itdoesn’t have to be for 40 days. According to Dr. ValerieSaxion, author of The Gospel of Health, even Type II diabetics canfast one meal without reckless endangerment to one’shealth.

As for me, my fast started Tuesday morning. And I’mdetermined not to let anything in my mouth except water for twodays unless these men either die or are rescued, and I’mbelieving in the latter.

Pray for their rescue and pray for comfort and strength fortheir families.

I can only imagine what they are going through now.

Christine Dao is a senior journalism major. She may becontacted at [email protected].