This story gets more and more disturbing.  Fox News journalists Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were abducted by jihadist terrorists in Gaza and released only after converting to Islam at gunpoint.  Get Religion reports that the conversion was not the kidnappers’ idea but rather a bit of perverse Anglican evangelism: It was suggested by an Anglican minister.  Canon Andrew White of the Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East  says his organisation proposed the conversion idea with the aim of facilitating the release of the two hostages.

Canon Andrew White, chief executive of the London-based Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East, said their conversion helped ensure their freedom.

"To be quite honest with you, that was our suggestion," White told New Zealand's National Radio. The conversion "absolutely" allowed the kidnappers to save face, he said.

Get Religion credits as its source the blog Allthings2all, run by Christian New Zealander Catez Stevens.

There is no evidence that Centanni and Wiig are Christians, so the dilemma that converting to another religion would present to a Christian apparently does not arise for the two journalists.  But why would an Anglican minister suggest that anyone embrace a religion that contradicts Christian faith and can therefore only be regarded as false and contrary to the revealed will of God?

I also note that Catez Stevens’s blog post and the New Zealand and Japanese news stories linked therein are dated to the last two or three days of August—over a week ago now.  Why was this angle not reported by American journalists?   Ted Byfield pointed out that the media neglected to ask one important question concerning this story.  Well, the media overlooked a lot of questions, proving once again that, when it comes to reporting on religion, Western media just don’t get it.

h/t: Brad Drell

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