DENVER -- An Iraqi-American from Denver was shown blindfolded and pleading for his life on an Arab television station Thursday.

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Watch Hostage Video Aired On Arab TV Denver Family Makes Tearful Plea

The man, speaking in English, gave his name as Aban Elias and said he was from Denver. Wearing a black-and-white kaffiyeh, or headdress, over his eyes, he said he worked with the Pentagon as a civilian engineer.

Elias' brother, Kazwan Mahmood Elias, said that his 41-year-old brother has been in Iraq for about a year running a gravel operation to help rebuild roads. He said their mother last heard from Elias on Sunday.

Weeping, Thamara Mahmood Alsaloum stepped up to the microphones at a crowded press briefing in Denver and pleaded with the captors for the life of her son.

"Please free my son," she said in Arabic, according to her son.

Kazwan Elias said his brother has three sons, ages 1, 4, and 6, who all live in Jordan with their mother.

Kazwan Elias said he was shocked and devastated that his brother was captured because he is a Baghdad-born U.S. citizen with no connection to any political movement.

"He's an Arab-American Muslim. He's just working out there in Baghdad. He doesn't have any political connections ... he doesn't have any type of movement. He's just basically trying to get work, to get the roads built up. That's about it," he said. "He wanted to help his country."

Kazwan Elias said the gravel operation is about 20 miles from Fallujah, where U.S. troops have met fierce resistance. He did not believe his brother, whom he said is a naturalized American citizen, had been working for the military.

"This is terrible news. I just don't understand what's going on," he said after seeing his brother on TV.

In the videotape that aired, Aban Elias appealed to Islamic agencies to win his release.

"I was kidnapped and I call upon Muslim organizations to interfere to release me," Aban Elias said.

He did not identify his kidnappers in the 20-second segment that aired.

Al-Arabiya television said it received the tape Thursday in Dubai with a statement from a previously unknown group calling itself "The Islamic Rage Brigade." It did not say how the tape was received.

The group said Aban Elias was kidnapped May 3. It made no demands for his release.

An editor at the Emirates-based station said the entire tape was 30-40 seconds long. The editor said on condition of anonymity that the tape included a picture of his U.S. passport showing Iraq as his place of birth, but that segment was not aired.

Kazwan Elias echoed his brother's plea Thursday.

"I'm calling upon all Islamic organizations to free him. He is a Muslim, his mom is a Muslim and he has three little kids," he said. "It's insane to have him captured like this. I don't know what kind of relation he got with anything."

Kazwan Elias said his brother came to the United States in 1982 and went to Metro State. Aban Elias also worked for the Colorado Department of Transportation in the summer of 1987.

Metro State officials said Aban Elias took engineering classes from spring 1987 through the fall of 1988. Metro State spokeswoman Cathy Lucas said Elias is the second Metro State student to be kidnapped in Iraq. Metro graduate Urban Hamid was held hostage for two hours April 8 after three armed men from the Mujah Hadeen jumped into his car outside of Fallujah and pointed their AK-47s at him, according to the school paper.

Kazwan Elias said the family had been waiting to hear from Aban for three days when he saw the news Thursday morning that showed his brother captured.

"He looked tired," he said. "He looked -- yellow face and probably in shock and just probably wants to get released."

"I have spoken with Mr. Elias's family in Denver and conveyed my support and offered to do anything that I can to help them during this terrible ordeal," said Rep. Diana DeGette, in a released statement. "In addition, I have spoken with senior officials from both the State Department and Department of Defense. They are doing everything they can to secure Mr. Elias's release. I will remain in close contact with both departments."

Gov. Bill Owens issued the following statement Thursday afternoon: "All Americans cannot help but be dismayed by this unfortunate event. In Colorado, we pray for the swift and safe return of Aban Elias. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this difficult time."