Allah wanna do, is have some freedom

Good thing Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were willing to say whatever was necessary in the hope they'd be freed by the terrorists who kidnapped them at gunpoint in the Gaza Strip.

Whatever works, baby.

And it did work; they were released after being held for nearly two weeks. On the other hand, there may be a kicker to this story.

Fox News correspondent Centanni and cameraman Wiig were pulled out of their car at gunpoint on August 14 by a group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades. No one seems to know who or what they are, although Palestinian authorities insist, it has no ties to al-Qaida.

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The men were shoved into another car, blindfolded, bound and driven to a building where they were put facedown on a concrete floor.

The terrorists issued a demand that all Muslim prisoners held by the United States be released in exchange for the two men. The U.S. rejected that, reiterating it will not negotiate with terrorists.

What was conspicuously odd about the kidnapping was the muted press coverage of their travail. The kidnapping was reported but during the two weeks, there was little, if anything said. Was it because they were journalists? Was it because they worked for Fox? Was it because someone requested the media hold back the usual hammering of such a story? We don't know and probably won't.

As to the details of how and why the men were released, we don't know that either. We also don't know much about what was done to, and with, the two men during the days of their imprisonment. No details available but after his release, Centanni said it was frightening and painful. He said, ''There were times when I thought ‘I'm dead,' and I'm not.''

In a short phone interview after his release, he said ''I'm fine. I'm just so happy to be free.''

I can believe that. And he's lucky too. Both men are.

Following the usual pattern of terrorist-kidnappers, videos were released of the men. In the first, the two men sat cross-legged on the floor, wearing tracksuits and appearing in generally good physical condition.

In a second video, the men wore Arab robes. Wiig gave an anti-West speech and both men said they'd converted to Islam.

Centanni said, ''I changed my name to Khaled. I have embraced Islam and say the word Allah.''

A separate statement via the terrorists: ''They chose Islam and that is a gift that God gives those whom he chooses.''

They were freed the same day that video was released.

Talk about luck.

It appears that a, or the, condition for their freedom was religious conversion. So great was their fear of death, they capitulated to the demand.

Was it a case of ''convert or die?'' Neither man has said specifically, but Centanni told Fox, ''We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint.'' So much for their being chosen by God for Islam.

Centanni continued: ''Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns and we didn't know what the hell was going on.''

We don't know if there was a flip side to that. Was it a simple conversion or a renunciation of all they believed before. Was it a ''conversion'' to satisfy terrorists or something they'll be held to for the rest of their lives? These people don't have a sense of humor about such things. Muslims face death for renouncing Islam, regardless the reason.

Islam supposedly does not condone forced conversion yet there's a history of such Islamic tactics: Ask for conversion, if refused, kill the infidel.

It's pervasive across the world where Christians are persecuted, attacked and slaughtered if they don't convert and their children are taken to be indoctrinated in Islam. This has been going on since the early days of Islam and continues today. Think Sudan … Indonesia, the Philippines, Nigeria – the list goes on.

Aside from a few comments after their release, there's been no news of the men nor any statements from them. On the other hand, what they did say on release is thought provoking.

Centanni thanked ''everybody'' and went on to urge other journalists to go to Gaza ''because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind hearted.''

Wiig said he was most concerned that what happened to them would discourage other journalists and ''that would be a great tragedy for the people of Palestine.''

Neither said a disparaging word about their captors. Not one. And the Media were equally blind. The New York Times, Washington Post and other outlets reported their release saying the men were ''unharmed.''

What does that mean?

Think of it. If Americans had to watch a violent abduction, liberal newspapers would be the first to do stories about the psychological counseling needed for witnesses. Are they saying the victims wouldn't need any help? Would they call them ‘unharmed?'

The media virtually ignored the conversion aspect of the release, which raises some interesting questions. Is it because they have so little respect for religion that a conversion is regarded as a farce? Have they no respect for the original religious preferences of the two men – whatever they might be? That wasn't asked nor reported. Clearly, neither man was strong enough in their beliefs to become a martyr for their faith, as has been the choice of millions through history and even today.

This isn't a disparagement of their choice. The desire to live is very strong and the courage of martyrdom is not present in all of us. That's why the Catholic Church names most martyrs saints. It takes extraordinary courage.

However, do the media not understand that demanding conversion of hostages is a usual terrorist tactic? According to Islam, a captured infidel faces the sword. If the prisoner converts, he automatically saves his own life. He then can be exchanged for Muslim prisoners, be set free after payment of ransom, be made a slave or be set free unconditionally.

Inasmuch as the U.S. released no prisoners, it leaves one to wonder which of the other points applies to the two men. We don't know.

One also wonders about their future. What will they say when they finally talk publicly? What will they write in their books? There will be books!

Will they tell the truth? In fact, what is the truth?

Will they only speak kindly of Palestinians and Islam? Was that part of their ''conversion?'' If so, how can we trust their future ''reporting?''

Or, will they criticize the terrorists and say their conversion was just to save their lives but in so doing, risk a fatwa against them?

Remember, Salman Rushdie faced a death sentence for his writings, as does Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci. They are just two of many who are marked for death because Islam does not agree with their opinions and writings.

It's troubling. How will we ever be able to believe anything they say in the future since in reality, they still could face the sword – which would have been their fate had they not converted.

It also makes me wonder if perhaps the reason Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg, and Tom Fox, and Jack Hensley and all the other kidnapped westerners were killed by the sword was because they refused to convert.

Think about it.

We'll never know.