As the barbaric extremist group Islamic State continues to slaughter innocent hostages one after another with the latest victim being 26-year-old Peter Kassig, US President Barack Obama has condoled the death of young American and branded the act of beheading as “pure evil”.
Obama, who was aboard Air Force One while flying back to US after attending the G20 summit in Australia, condemned the ISIS for the evil act, asserting that it did not represent any faith, least of all Muslim faith that Abdur Rahman adopted as his own”.
“Today we offer our prayers and condolences to the parents and family of Abdul-Rahman Kassig.” —President Obama pic.twitter.com/FNhXxwj8Re
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 16, 2014
Stressing on Peter Kassig’s Muslim name, Obama stated, “Abdul-Rahman was taken from us in an act of pure evil by a terrorist group that the world rightly associates with inhumanity.”
“Today we grieve together, yet we also recall that the indomitable spirit of goodness and perseverance that burned so brightly in Abdul-Rahman Kassig,” Obama added, repeating Peter Kassig’s Muslim name that he took after he converted to Islam in late 2013.
British PM David Cameron too expressed shock over the grisly beheading, saying that he was horrified by the cold-blooded act by the ISIS. Cameron added that the beheading of the US aid worker showed yet again the depravity of the ISIS.
I’m horrified by the cold blooded murder of Abdul-Rahman Kassig. ISIL have again shown their depravity. My thoughts are with his family.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) November 16, 2014
Kassig’s parents said they were “heartbroken” to hear about their son’s death.
“We are incredibly proud of our son for living his life according to his humanitarian calling,” they said in a statement.
His parents said that Kassig died for love of Syrian people.
“We will work every day to keep his legacy alive as best we can,” the statement added.
Kassig is the fifth Western hostage and third American to be beheaded by the ISIS in less than three months.
Islamic State on Sunday released another gruesome video claiming the beheading of 26-year-old American aid worker.
In the video, the fighter wearing the same balaclava outfit donned by Jihadi John in previous videos, says, “This is Peter Edward Kassig, a US citizen of your country”.
The beheading video comes more than a month after the IS released the beheading video of British aid worker Alan Henning in October. At the end of the video, the executioner – supposedly “Jihadi John” – had threatened to kill Peter Kassig, brandishing knife near his neck.
