THE family of Steven Sotloff, the American journalist beheaded by Islamic State militants, said on Wednesday (September 3) their son was no hero, but tried to give voice to those who had none.
The Sotloff’s statement was read by family spokesperson Barak Barfi.
“He was no war junkie. He did not want to be a modern day Lawrence of Arabia. He merely wanted to give voice to those who had none. From the Libyan doctor in Misrata who struggled to provide psychological services to children ravaged by war, to the Syrian plumber who risked his life by crossing regime lines to purchase medicine, their story was Steve’s story. He ultimately sacrificed his life to bring their story to the world. Steve was no hero. Like all of us, he was a mere man who tried to find good concealed in a world of darkness. And if it did not exist, he tried to create it,” said the Sotloff statement read by Barfi.
On Tuesday (Sept. 2), the Islamic State released a video which showed the beheading Sotlof.
This happened just a week after the release of the first video showing the beheading by the IS of journalist Jim Foley. Sotloff’s mother has made an emotional plea to Islamic State, requesting they release her son.
“Today we grieve. This week we mourn. But we will emerge from this ordeal. Our village is strong. We will not allow our enemies to hold us hostage with the sole weapon they possess – fear. Our prayers go out to the family of Jim Foley. Like Steve, he suffered. But his jailers never broke him,” Barfi said on behalf of the Sotloff family.
The Sotloff family has yet to speak personally to media following their son Steven’s death and requested to mourn privately.
U.S. and British officials both examined the video, showing the same British-accented executioner who appeared in an Aug. 19 video of the killing of U.S. journalist James Foley, concluding it was authentic.
The United States resumed air strikes in Iraq in August for the first time since the pullout of U.S. troops in 2011 and Obama said the strikes are already proving effective.
The White House said late on Tuesday (September 2) that Obama was sending three top officials — Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco — to the Middle East “in the near-term to build a stronger regional partnership” against Islamic State militants. (with a report from Reuters)
