Muslim community calls on Islamic State extremists to release son of Hampshire pensioner Paul Cantlie

Their calls came as prayers were said in mosques throughout the weekend for hostage John Cantlie and his seriously ill father Paul, who lives in Droxford.

As reported, 43-year-old John, a photojournalist, has been held by Islamic State(IS) extremists since 2012 – but details were only made public on Friday.

In an emotional appeal from his hospital bed, 81-year-old Paul Cantlie, who is battling laryngeal cancer, used a voice aid to ask for his son to be released without harm.

His pleas came just hours before the news broke that Manchester taxi driver Alan Henning had been beheaded by the extremists.

Father-of-two Mr Henning, 47, had been part of a convoy taking aid to Syria in December when he was captured by IS fighters.

Last night Southampton’s Muslim leaders joined the international condemnation of the brutal killing, labelling his murderers “criminals” and “fanatics”.

Meanwhile in Droxford, Mr Cantlie’s neighbours reacted with shock to the news that his son was being held by IS.

Nicky Dibden said: “Our thoughts are with them, it’s terrible.”

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s very unpleasant – my thoughts are with him and his son.

“It’s very grim.”

A respected photo-journalist who had worked for newspapers including the Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Times, John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria in 2012 .

Since then he has appeared in a propaganda video released by the terrorists, where he appeared to be reading a prepared script and criticising the US strategy of trying to defeat IS using air strikes.

Speaking to his son’s captors and asking for clemency, Paul Cantlie said: “He sought only to help the Syrian people and I ask you from all that is sacred to help us to allow him to return safely to those he loves and who love him.”

His calls have been echoed by the leaders of Hampshire’s Muslim community.

Arshad Sharif, chairman of the Muslim Council of Southampton, said: “It is tragic that this happened to someone who gave up his job and comfortable life in the West to help people on a humanitarian mission “It goes against every tenet of Islam – what we have seen there is really shocking.

“This is not real Islam, it is a fanatical sect that is intolerant of anyone else’s views.

“We are praying for Mr Cantlie and the other captives that they are released.

“Mr Cantlie is an individual who has gone out on humanitarian grounds, there is no excuse to capture and imprison him and use him as a political pawn.”

Speaking of Mr Henning’s murder, Judge Khurshid Drabu CBE, chairman of Southampton’s Medina Mosque, said: “We are numb with pain because it’s not something that we had hoped for.

“It is something we must endure because of the stupidity of some criminals acting in the name of Islam.

“The whole congregation the Medina Mosque is extremely sad about what happened, and the joy normally associated with Eid evaporated because of this tragedy.

“Mr Cantlie and the other prisoners have done nothing wrong. We demand they are sent back and our Government does everything possible to ensure that the British captives who have for no reason been treated in this terrible way are brought back.”

Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to deploy “all the assets we have” to bring the men who killed Mr Henning and fellow Briton David Haines to justice.

Speaking after meeting with intelligence and defence chiefs, the Prime Minister said the killing of ''a man of great peace, kindness and gentleness'' showed that there was ''no level of depravity to which they will not sink''.