Parents of Abdul-Rahman Kassig Ask for Son's Release on National Television

The parents of Indianapolis-native Abdul-Rahman Kassig, formerly Peter Kassig, who’s being held captive by the so-called 'Islamic State', continue to call for his release. Kassig’s parents Ed and Paula made their plea this morning on national television.

They appeared on CBS This Morning. In the interview with CBS’s Margaret Brennan, Ed Kassig recounted how he learned his son had been abducted through a phone call the day it happened.

“And it was Peter’s number, and I thought, ‘Oh man, I get to hear from Peter,'" Ed Kassig said. "And when I picked up the phone, I didn’t recognize the voice, and the individual introduced himself. And we learned he had been detained. That was October 1st 2013."

The Kassigs say Abdul-Rahman’s captors demanded they remain silent about their son’s captivity, forcing them to lie to friends and family for over a year. That was until militants revealed Kassig as their next target for beheading in the execution video of British aid worker Alan Henning.

Brennan asked if the so-called Islamic State militants had asked the Kassig’s for anything in exchange for their son’s release. Ed and Paula said they have not asked for anything.

"No, they demand," Ed Kassig said. "They simply demand."

"And their demands have always been ones that we cannot accommodate," Paula Kassig added.

The Kassigs said they hope their message reaches their son either directly or indirectly.