Alan Henning’s ISIS Beheading: Family Issues Heartfelt Statement, Cameron Vows Justice
The family of beheaded British hostage Alan Henning issued a public statement following a video that reportedly shows the captive’s murder by ISIS terrorists. News of the latest brutality from the insurgent group surfaced on a slow Friday and shocked the lives of his loved ones as well as the rest of Britain and the world.
In a heartbreaking letter, Henning’s wife, Barbara, says his family is “numb with grief” after a video surfaced showing the brutal beheading of the British man. In the remarks, the 47-year-old widow says she and their two children, Lucy and Adam, where extremely proud of the husband and father.
“Alan was a decent, caring human being. His interest was in the welfare of others. He will be remembered for this and we as a family are extremely proud of him and what he achieved and the people he helped.”
BBC News posted the entire statement on their Twitter account.
Statement from family of British hostage Alan Henning http://t.co/CMsTy5ODZI pic.twitter.com/Y1Nl4ckDJg
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) October 4, 2014
Colin Livesey, the British hostage’s brother, said in a video that more could have been done to save Alan Henning’s life as well as that of another Briton previously beheaded by ISIS.
“They could have done more months and months ago. The same with David Haines, the other hostage,” the grieving man said.
Henning’s brother said he couldn’t make sense of Alan Henning’s beheading. The 47-year-old Manchester resident was a taxi driver who had gone to Syria as a volunteer to help drive an aid convoy for the Muslim charity Aid4Syria. He was kidnapped 10 months ago.
“For a person who went there to give aid and help their kids, for them to do what they did makes no sense. I don’t understand it at all. They are scum. I just hope they get what’s coming to them.”
Echoing Livesey’s sentiment, British Prime Minister David Cameron called Henning’s beheading “unforgivable” in a statement, suggesting that the only way to stop the terrorists is with force. He vowed to bring those responsible for the murder to justice.
“The murder of Alan Henning is absolutely abhorrent, it is senseless, it is completely unforgivable. Anyone in any doubt about this organization can now see how truly repulsive it is, and barbaric it is.
“The fact that this was a kind, gentle, compassionate, and caring man who had simply gone to help others, the fact they could murder him in the way they did, shows what we are dealing with. We must do everything we can to defeat this organization.”
President Barack Obama expressed his condolences and vowed to stand together with the U.K. in the fight against ISIS.
“Standing together with our U.K. friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan’s murder –- as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff, and David Haines –- to justice.”
The video of British hostage Alan Henning’s beheading also shows the now familiar ISIS jihadist — also known as Jihad John — wearing a black robe and covering his face, threatening yet another hostage, former U.S. Army ranger Peter Kassig, 26.
[Image via NBC News]
