Steven Sotloff's Mother Pleas to ISIS for His Release

The mom of Steven Sotloff, the 31-year-old American journalist and Pinecrest native whom ISIS has threatened to kill, has issued a moving video begging for her son's release. In the minute-long video, Shirley Sotloff says: "He is a loyal and generous son and grandson. We have not seen Steven for...

By Chuck Strouse

August 27, 2014

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The mom of Steven Sotloff, the 31-year-old American journalist and Pinecrest native whom ISIS has threatened to kill, has issued a moving video begging for her son's release. In the minute-long video, Shirley Sotloff says: "He is a loyal and generous son and grandson. We have not seen Steven for over a year and we miss him very much."

Sotloff, a teacher, also says: "As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over.... I want what every mother wants, to see her childrens' children."

The video is addressed to "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Quraishi al-Hussaini, the caliph of the Islamic State." Bakr named himself caliph several months ago.

Sotloff was covering news in the area before his capture August 4, 2013,. He has written for a variety of publications and has been called "the stand-up philosopher of Miami," according to Newsweek.

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Chuck Strouse is the former editor in chief of Miami New Times. He has shared two Pulitzer Prizes and won dozens of other awards. He is an honors graduate of Brown University and has worked at newspapers including the Miami Herald and Los Angeles Times.

Contact: Chuck Strouse

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Twitter: @chuckstrouse