Free Brunson

[BedellBrave]

Consider this please: Link

[BedellBrave]

I am afraid that this man (with whom I've had dealings) will be a pawn in Erdogan's attempt to get Gulen from us.

[The Chosen One]

Trump wants to work with him so we'll see

[BedellBrave]

Trump wants to work with him so we'll see

There are some interesting connections in all this - I'm just praying that this unjustly imprisoned brother is released.

[cajunrevenge]

Maybe he should pray harder. We need to free the Brunson's in our own country before we start worrying about other countries legal system.

[Oklahomahawk]

I hope everything turns out well Beds. It appears as if "the religion of peace" is at it again.

[57Brave]

why the "religion of peace" quip ?

They all claim to be the religion of peace and all of their adherents fall short. In one way or the other
Kinda the point isn't it

yes let's hope it turns out all right. For Bed's friend and Cajun's compadres

[Oklahomahawk]

why the "religion of peace" quip ?

They all claim to be the religion of peace and all of their adherents fall short. In one way or the other
Kinda the point isn't it. Well don't I call out either side who commits violence? Right now aren't the Muslims who are bad, especially aholes who use Islam as a tool to keep their Muslim minions under control worse in both extent and frequency? And isn't the ahole seizing total power in Turkey that very same type of ahole? I realize that Christianity had its day of violence and bloodshed (see the 1st Crusade for one good example) when they held the "most likely to succeed in the doing of violence" but nowadays Christianity isn't even in the same area code as Islam as far as violence, murder, mayhem, etc., let alone the same zip code. I have to problem if you defend Islam if they deserve it for a particular reason, I absolutely loved Goldie's pics a while back where Muslims held hands to surround and protect a Christian worship service and then Christians held hands to protect a Muslim worship service. Truly inspiration and uplifting and the type of thing I'd love to see more of. But it's also OK to blast Muslims when they deserve it, it doesn't really make you non-enlightened, only observant.

yes let's hope it turns out all right. For Bed's friend and Cajun's compadres--totally agree on this part.

.

[BedellBrave]

Maybe he should pray harder. We need to free the Brunson's in our own country before we start worrying about other countries legal system.

I'm concerned about a dear friend of dear friends and the son of a friend. How about that? That okay cajun?

[goldfly]

hope he gets out Bedell.


makes ya happy to be in a country that isn't at war with any religions (Well, i guess we will find out January 20th if that holds true but i digress) here if one is so inclined to want to participate in a religion

[BedellBrave]

Thanks guys - really, thank you.

Turkey has been and still is such a frustrating place. It's beautiful - places breathtakingly so. It's people can be some of the most hospitable of people. The charms of Istanbul are amazing. Yet, and I can understand from it's fallen empire past to the intrigues of German, Soviet/Russian, French, English, and United States concerning it over the past several decades, to it's own atrocities committed against Armenians and Kurds, it is just a paranoid place.

The dear friends I've known who have lived and worked there have always been looking over their shoulders. They've known they've had spies and informants coming among them. For years it was mainly in the east though, where the government's sensitivity meter is pretty much pegged out. They don't want foreigners (particularly Western ones) seeing their "relations" among the Kurds. Yet, that's where some of my friends have labored - particularly to refugees.

But then that paranoia has become more and more evident in the western part of Turkey, including Izmir. And this parallels Erdogan's purge of the high ranks of the military (the protectors of a secular and patriotic Turkey) and the judiciary. No future rival was ignored and over the past several years such potential threats have gone missing, have been killed, or have landed in prison. And listening ears and watching eyes upon foreigners have been multiplying.

If you've read other accounts of Brunson's story, you'll know that there had been no word on their most recent request for a residency extension. On hindsight that should have told them something was afoul - and in the works - and it wasn't a mere bureaucratic oversight.

Anyway, the Brunsons are the last of my western contacts still remaining in a country that I have much affection for....

[BedellBrave]

Appeal denied

Good write up in the WSJ: Link

[BedellBrave]

Latest on Brunson - looks indeed like he's going to be a pawn. Link


"...When asked about Brunson, Yildirim expressed frustration that the United States has not extradited to Turkey exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by the government here of orchestrating the coup attempt. Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, has denied any involvement in the uprising...."

[BedellBrave]

Tillerson and President Twitter can get involved anytime now...

[Julio3000]

I must've missed this when you originally posted it. I hope he makes it home, and soon.

I have a couple of close friends from Turkey. They're both young-ish green card holders here, who visit family there and come back looking wistful and a little haunted. One is Christian, one is (nominally) Muslim, but they're both cosmopolitan types who are anti-Erdogan. It's a place that is, as you say, pretty frought right now.

It doesn't look like Tillerson's going to have staff and enough budget to make an overseas phone call, so good luck asking him for help.

[BedellBrave]

I must've missed this when you originally posted it. I hope he makes it home, and soon.

I have a couple of close friends from Turkey. They're both young-ish green card holders here, who visit family there and come back looking wistful and a little haunted. One is Christian, one is (nominally) Muslim, but they're both cosmopolitan types who are anti-Erdogan. It's a place that is, as you say, pretty frought right now.

It doesn't look like Tillerson's going to have staff and enough budget to make an overseas phone call, so good luck asking him for help.

President Trump has had a phone conversation with Erdogan but there's no indication that he said anything about Brunson. There's no indication that he even knows. Press doesn't give much of a darn about the matter either. When you have to try to do one of those stupid online petitions for the news to even get the news to him, it stinks.

[Runnin]

I must've missed this when you originally posted it. I hope he makes it home, and soon.

Has Brunson lived in Turkey for 23 years? If so, perhaps he considers he's home already.

Just wondering, but are there any Muslim missionaries in America? Would we consider them 'peaceful'?

[BedellBrave]

Has Brunson lived in Turkey for 23 years? If so, perhaps he considers he's home already.

Just wondering, but are there any Muslim missionaries in America? Would we consider them 'peaceful'?

I doubt Andrew would consider being in a jail cell being home - though for a Christian there is a ring of truth to that. Yes, Andrew would consider Izmir as home - as I do where I presently live, though I still call GA home too. Home, as I take Julio's meaning, is to be free with his family, which if freed would likely be booted out of Turkey.

Sure there are and I don't think we ought to lock them up unjustly either.

Yes, I would, if they didn't incite or participate in violent actions.


You know guys, this really isn't hard.

[BedellBrave]

Andrew had hoped to be able to walk his daughter down the aisle and see her graduate from Chapel Hill.

[Julio3000]

Y'all, it's OK to have ambivalent feelings about missionaries without blaming the victim here. You don't have to share somebody's convictions to recognize them as a political prisoner or prisoner of conscience.