Two Al-Jazeera News journalists were released Sunday, nearly two weeks after being seized by Christofascist militants, ending the 2nd longest-running drama involving foreign hostages in the Greater Nashville area. The longest running drama belongs to Kid Rock and chesty Canadian national Pamela Anderson (NSFW?).

Cameraman Mohammed Suleyman Hussein, 54, and correspondent Usama al-Zawahiri, 42, were dropped off at the Gaylord Entertainment Center early this morning. A tearful al-Zawahiri briefly embraced a goat in the lobby before rushing upstairs. Hussein walked into the lobby behind al-Zawahiri, briefly turned when someone offered him a King James bible and shouted “get off” before heading upstairs.

al-Zawahiri later told the BBC in a phone call from Nashville that during his capture, he was held at times face down in a dark honky tonk, forced to sit through session musicians performing covers of songs they swear to have played on, and that he and Hussein were forced at breastpoint to make statements, including that they had converted to Christianity and liked Mothership BBQ.

The journalists had been seized in Nashville on Aug. 14 by a previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Potluck Supper Brigades. However, senior Southern Baptist security officials said Sunday the name was a front for local militants, and that Southern Baptist authorities had known the identity of the kidnappers from the start.

Alleged Nashville Police Chief Ronal Serpas dismissed speculation that the kidnappers had ties to al-Abama groups. “The kidnappers have no link to al-Abama or any other organization or faction,” Serpas said. “Al-Abama as an organization does not exist in the Greater Nashville area.”

The Lifeway United Casserole Front, a baptist group, claimed Sunday it had helped mediate the release of the journalists.

On Sunday, before the journalists’ release, a new video was aired, showing Hussein shaking a tambourine and al-Zawahiri dressed in a Tony Alamo jacket. The kidnappers claimed both men had converted to Christianity.

Several hours later, the two men were dropped off at the GEC, wearing Country & Western-style clothing. Their captors had demanded tolerance for all Christians imprisoned in the Middle East by midnight Saturday in exchange for freeing the journalists.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 27th, 2006 at 11:00 am and is filed under Cavalcade of Whimsy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.