The images was posted on Father Tom’s Facebook timeline.
By Dileep Thekkethil
It has been four months since Father Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian priest from the Bengaluru province of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Yemen, was abducted by suspected ISIS members after they stormed into the old age home, killing 16 people including four nuns out of which one was Indian.
There had been speculations that Islamic State, the self-proclaimed caliphate based in Syria and Iraq, crucified Father Tom, but there was no confirmation regarding this even though Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the priest was safe and the ministry is doing everything needed for his safe return.
Now, video and images of Father Tom being brutally beaten by his abductors have surfaced in social media and the same has been posted on his Facebook wall. In the photo, Father Tom looks very fragile and can be seen with an overgrown beard. On the other hand, the video of that of the alleged ISIS abductors thrashing and beating Father Tom has caused worries to his family back in Kollam, who fear for his life.
There are also reports that it is the anti-government rebel forces rather than ISIS, who have kept the priest in captive.
The video of blindfolded Father Tom being beaten up by more than one of his abductors was posted on Facebook by Pravachaka Sabdam, a news portal that updates provide information for people about Christianity.
According to a few sections of the media, the kidnappers of Father Tom might have hacked into his account and posted his pictures, tagging some of his friends in it to spread worries. Also, relatives of Father Tom received an image of him, blindfolded, a two weeks before, which is believed to be taken along with the images that have now appeared on his Facebook profile.
Also, a few of Father Tom have also got messages from his Facebook profile claiming that the health of Catholic Priest has deteriorated and needs immediate medical attention.
The caption of the photo reads “Fr. Tom’s Entreaty will be uploaded soon…!”.
According to the Ministry of External affairs, they have received confirmation that Father Tom is kept captive in Yemen, but the ministry is clueless of the exact location to track him. One of the biggest hurdles in front of the ministry is the isolation of Yemen from the rest of the world.
The Indian Embassy in Yemen was closed down soon after ISIS took control over major parts of the country. Also, the ministry had conducted a large scale evacuation operation to bring back Indians stuck in the battle ridden Yemen.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India(CBCI) had earlier sent a delegation to meet Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj who said the government was doing everything for the safe return of Father Tom. She also told them that the government was in negotiation with Father Tom’s abductors, who, according to sources, have asked for a hefty ransom amount.
Members of Parliament from Kerala are set to meet the Foreign Minister on Wednesday to discuss all possible options in facilitating the safe return of Father Tom Uzhunnalil. Also, Kerala MP Jose K Mani has raised the issue in the parliament on Wednesday and has moved a privilege motion.
Even though the video that has surfaced now has the terrorists assaulting the old priest, his relatives back home have now got a new lease of hope as they now believe that Father Tom is alive in Yemen. He has been held captive for 91 days.
Social Media Update
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