Following the brutal beheading of American journalist James Foley recently by a British ISIS militant in Syria, the world finds itself outraged by the barbarism of ISIS in the middle east.
In the video of Foley’s death another American journalist, named Steven Sotloff, appeared, also dressed in orange, being held by the masked ISIS terrorist by the collar and threatened with death if America persists in striking ISIS in Iraq.
Sotloff’s mother, Shirley Sotloff, from Miami, recorded a heartfelt video clip begging her son’s captors not to murder her son as he was a man who reported the suffering of oppressed Muslims: “He is an honorable man and has always tried to help the weak,” she said in the clip.
CNN reported that a number of officials, including U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen , R-Fla., say they have been working behind the scenes to find Steven and try to secure his release. As Ros-Lehtinen told reporters: “This is a tragic situation and we have seen that (the Islamic State) has no respect for human life,” he said.
In Washington, White House spokesperson, Josh Earnest told reporters that he did not know if the president Obama had seen Shirley Sotloff’s video but confirmed that the administration was trying to get more info on Steven’s whereabouts.
“She obviously, as is evident from the video, feels desperate about the safety and well-being of her son, and understandably so, and that is why our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Sotloff’s family at this very difficult and trying time,” said Earnest.
The New York Times reported that Steven Sotloff’s former roommate from the University of Central Florida, Emerson Lotzia, also spoke to reporters about the situation with Steven , saying about a chat he had with Steven’s father:
“He was in the best of spirits, then he was in the worst of spirits. He told me, “At last I know my son is alive. But look at the situation.’ It’s killing him, and he’s trying his best to stay on an even keel.”
Lotzia added:
“A million people could have told him what he was doing was foolish, it seemed like it to us (as) outsiders looking in, but to him it was what he loved to do and you weren’t going to stop him. Steve said it was scary over there. It was dangerous. It wasn’t safe to be over there. He knew it. He kept going back”.
It is very much hoped by all that ISIS don’t come good on their promise to kill Steven Sotloff as the captive’s mother tries to do what she can to secure her son’s release from ISIS.