{"id":18271,"date":"2015-01-23T02:01:57","date_gmt":"2015-01-23T02:01:57","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-01-24T04:01:03","modified_gmt":"2015-01-24T04:01:03","slug":"Japanese-mom-pleads-for-son-s-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=18271","title":{"rendered":"Japanese mom pleads for son’s return"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Japanese mom choked back tears Friday as she pleaded for her son\u2019s life \u2014 as a ransom countdown clock ticked toward his and a fellow hostage\u2019s execution at the hands of ISIS thugs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy son Kenji is not an enemy of the people of the Islamic faith,\u201d Junko Ishido told a packed news conference, the Daily Mail reported. \u201cI can only pray as a mother for his release. If I could offer my life, I would plead that my son be released \u2014 it would be a small sacrifice on my part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ugh! You know these thugs are loving this!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Islamic State militants posted an ominous warning online Friday \u2014 along with a ticking clock and images of beheaded hostages \u2014 that the \u201ccountdown has begun\u201d for the execution of the Japanese captives.<\/p>\n

The militants gave Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a 72-hour deadline \u2014 which expired Friday \u2014 to pay a $200 million ransom to secure the hostages\u2019 release.<\/p>\n

Ishido\u2019s son, Kenji Goto, 47, and Haruma Yukawa appeared in a video in which masked killer \u201cJihadi John\u201d threatened the two \u2014 and said the ransom demand matched the amount that Abe pledged this week to help countries fighting Islamist militants, the Daily Mail reported.<\/p>\n

Japan said its donation is for humanitarian purposes only and Abe has said saving the hostages\u2019 lives is paramount, but that Japan will not give in to terrorism.<\/p>\n

Yukawa, an adventurer who is about 42 years old, was captured in August outside Aleppo in Syria.<\/strong> Goto, a war correspondent, went to Syria in October in an effort to help Yukawa.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe left a very young baby and left his family and I asked his wife why he made this decision and she said he had to do everything in his power to save his friend and acquaintance and that it was very important to him,\u201d Ishido said, the Daily Mail reported.<\/p>\n

Ishido said she was astonished to learn from her daughter-in-law that Goto had left for Syria just days after his child was born.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, worshipers included the captives in their prayers at Tokyo\u2019s largest mosque.<\/p>\n