Reverend Benjamin Weir
Presbyterian minister Reverend Benjamin Weir was kidnapped
in Beirut, Lebanon, on May 8, 1984, while out walking with
his wife, Carol. Members of Islamic Jihad, a terrorist group
in Lebanon, held Weir for sixteen months-twelve of them
in solitary confinement-along with six other Americans who
were released later, including journalist Terry Anderson.
Before the kidnapping, Weir had spent nearly three decades
in Lebanon as a missionary and a teacher at the Near East
School of Theology. In his various positions in the Presbyterian
church since his release, Weir has been a voice of reconciliation
and tolerance.
Resources for Teachers
and Students
Reflections on Working
Towards Peace