Cat Stevens' Appeal To Iran: Free The Hikers

"Oh very young, what will you leave us this time, you're only dancing on this earth a short while..." ~Cat Stevens

Think of everything that has happened in your life the past 21 months. One week seems amazingly full for many of us. But for Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, the unfolding weeks only bring more waiting.

For those who were paying attention, and unfortunately everything rolls along as if trying to make us forget, Josh and Shane were scheduled for trial in February. The net result was a very brief hearing that promised a follow up trial. That trial finally got scheduled for this past week, but the date has passed and we still do not know how long or when or why or what is happening. It is a very frustrating time for the friends and family of these two young men.

In July 2009 Shane, Josh and his now fiance Sarah Shourd (Josh asked for her hand in marriage while imprisoned) were taken captive by Iranian authorities who claim the three were hiking within the Iranian border. The hikers, who were vacationing at an Iraqi tourist region near Kurdistan, were picked up and taken away while hiking. Their parents have been permitted almost no communication, and because the U.S. and Iran do not have diplomatic relations the hurdles are even greater.

Sarah Shourd, after 400 days in solitary confinement, was released due to health reasons. The young men have spent their time imprisoned twenty-three and a half hours a day, with a brief release for exercise.

In April Yusuf Islam, the musician we all knew as Cat Stevens, made an appeal for Iran to release Bauer and Fattal if there is no clear evidence that they were nothing more than hikers. Purportedly Muhammed Ali has also made two written appeals to Iran to free the hikers.

Hear Yusuf Islam's appeal to Iran.

Free The Hikers Update: Sarah's Song

It came out of the blue. Or rather, out of the silence. This past week Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, imprisoned in Iran since July 2009, were permitted to make phone calls to their families, a wonderful and unexpected surprise in the midst of an otherwise tedious ordeal.

When I wrote about the hikers this summer, on the one year anniversary of the imprisonment, there were three behind bars. For whatever reason, Sarah Shourd has been released since that time. She has not remained silent, actively keeping people aware that all is not well till her fiance Shane and their friend Josh are returned home. The three had been arrested while hiking in a mountainous region of Iraq that borders Iran.

One amazing thing about the human spirit. When stretched by pain and sorrow, the strings of the heart often produce amazing music, art, poetry. I think here of the psalms of David three millennia ago. I think of the great music that emerged from Beethoven's anguish.

And so here I share a poem, a song borne of sorrow, written and sung by Sarah Shourd. If you have time, watch and listen to the YouTube video. Or take a moment to bookmark it and return later. Breathe it into your soul and exhale it like a prayer until Shane and Josh are free.

Piece of Time

We walked across hard land
Into a human trap
They took us for one long ride
You're now in Iran, Iran

You with your burnt green eyes
Haven't you said to me?
All they can take from us
Is a piece of time.

You're an American,
What were you doing there?
The truth doesn't matter much
in this political game.

Chorus

Now inside these four stone walls
All I can think of is you
Put on my black blindfold
Go for a walk outside

Chorus

The women all know my name
They whisper as they walk by
"Saw your Mom on BBC
Don't worry you'll soon be free."

Chorus

When I get out of this
I'll never lock anything inside
take all my friends for a walk
Down by the oceanside.

Chorus

You can watch Sarah's video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ95gn7Q0q0

Poster at top of page was created this summer for the one year anniversary events. Let's pray that we do not need a poster for the second anniversary as well. To stay current with news, visit FreeTheHikers.org

Iran Frees Sarah Shourd

Yesterday's paper carried a photo of a happy Sarah Shourd with her mom in Iran. Without a doubt this was a moment of exhilaration for Sarah and her mom, but also provided a glimmer of hope to the other moms, dads, siblings of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer who remain imprisoned in Tehran, currently charged with espionage.

Quick reminder: On July 31 2009 the three young people were vacationing in a remote area of Iraq, hiking in a mountainous region near the Iran border. Iranian authorities swept them away, claiming they were on Iranian territory, trespassing. In May, the mothers obtained visiting rights for two days, but other than that the three have been held in custody in Tehran's Evin Prison and a lengthy silence ensued. For the bulk of this past 13+ months, the youths were being held but no charges had been filed. Essentially, no one knew what was going on.

A complication in obtaining their release has been that the U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Iran.

When I read the news, it included mention of her being release on $500,000 bail. In other words, she was not entirely free. My first thought was to wonder who her benefactor was. As we all know, there is a lot of wealth in the world.

Today's London Telegraph has published an answer to that question already. The benefactor was apparently the billionaire Sultan of Oman.

What I have found especially intriguing in this story was a comment made by Shane Bauer's mom on July 31. She shared that although the U.S. government channels were purportedly busy working on their release, she discovered that there are other channels -- through the religious community networks -- by which their potential release could be achieved. This discovery greatly encouraged her.

Let's not forget the other two young men. May they be encouraged as well by Sarah's unexpected release.