A leading member of the British anti-war movement will today meet more Sunni groups after persuading several others to issue a statement condemning the kidnapping of Briton Norman Kember and three other men.
Anas Altikriti arrived in Iraq yesterday on a mission to secure the safe release of Mr Kember.
Mr Altikriti is in Baghdad to try to persuade the hostage takers to free Mr Kember, who protested against the war in the country.
In a videotape broadcast by Al-Jazeera on Friday, the kidnappers said he and three other hostages would be killed unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centres are released.
Mr Altikriti, who is representing the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Stop the War and CND, has the blessing of Mr Kember's wife Pat, who said: "I much appreciate this visit."
Mr Kember (74), from Pinner, north-west London, travelled to the country as a
"gesture of solidarity" with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) from a Canada-based international peace group working in Iraq.
He was seized in Baghdad a week ago alongside two Canadians and an American. An MAB spokesman said last night that Mr Altikriti had persuaded around five Sunni Muslim organisations to issue an immediate statement condemning the kidnappings and calling for the hostages' release.
One of those was Iraq's largest Sunni party, the Iraqi Islamic Party. It said such kidnappings tarnished the image of Islam and had a negative effect on those who call for ending the United States' military presence.
In a statement the party said: "Continuing to hold them will give those who support the war against our country a chance to say that Iraqis don't make a difference between those who support them and those who are against them".
It added: "The kidnapping will have a grave negative effect among those who call for ending occupation.
"There are some who are trying to tarnish the clear white image of our religion." Mr Altikriti has also given interviews to the local media and will meet further Sunni groups today.