By Danny Bloom
CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — I have always felt so sad for Danny Pearl and his family for the tragic way in which he was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan. Everyone knows the story by now, and a recent essay by Asra Q. Nomani in the Washingtonian magazine headlined “Danny Pearl’s Final Story” is well worth reading, if you have not done so already.
So I sat down to write a letter to the editor to several newspapers around the world, in the hope that some editors or readers might respond with constructive feedback.
I wrote in my first letter, which I never mailed and I explain why below:
“Every year for the past ten years or so, the Daniel Pearl Music Day has become a part of local music scenes around the world, and for a good cause. But none of the publicity or newspaper articles about this annual music festival ever mentions that Danny Pearl was killed, not just because he was a journalist working in Pakistan, but because he was identified by the fanatics who beheaded him on videotape as a Jew and made to say on the video that he was Jewish.
“That is why the Pakistani terrorists kidnapped him from a reporting assignment and beheaded him. Not because he was good guitar player or an insightful overseas journalist for the Wall Street Journal, but because he was a Jew. They killed him because they hated Jews and they made him say he was Jewish on the video and then they cut his head off.
“And yet, over the years, local newspapers around the world have never once mentioned this fact in writing stories about Daniel Pearl Music Day. Is it important to tell the truth about this man whose death has given birth to a wonderful annual tradition of music festivals worldwide every October? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore.
“I commend the newspapers that do report the annual event for giving good coverage each and every year to the Daniel Pearl Music Day and its mission — and especially the local organizers for helping make it an inspirational annual music event for all citizens of of the world, regardless of background, religion or ethnic heritage.
“As a Jewish-American and a global citizen, I was of course shocked by what happened to Danny Pearl the day he was beheaded, and I wish that annual media coverage of Daniel Pearl Music Day worldwide would explain more of the details of his murder and the reason for it.
“If the man or woman killed had been an African-American killed merely because he was black, wouldn’t that detail be in the news stories? I think it would be. But Danny Pearl’s Jewishness is never mentioned, even though that is why he was beheaded.
“At the same time, I want to say that I am glad that Danny Pearl has become a symbol of hope and an inspiration to all peace-loving people who fight the hatred that took his life. Long may his memory live, and long may his special day be used to raise awareness and raise consciousness of important global issues. We are one race, one people, on one planet, this Earth. We need to come together.”
After I wrote this first letter, I sent a copy by email to Judah Pearl in California, Danny Pearl’s father. He was very kind to look over my letter and he took the time to suggest that my original letter was too long and too strong. I listened to Dr Pearl, and with his advice and consultation over several more emails back and forth, I came up with a second, short “letter to the editor” which he said was a much better way to explain my feelings. So I sent this letter out to newspapers around the world, instead of the first one, above.
I agreed with Judah Pearl that it might be best not to mention in my letter to the editor intended for a worldwide audience that Danny Pearl was Jewish or that he was killed — beheaded! — for being Jewish, after being made to confess on videotape that he was “a Jew.” Both Dr Pearl and I felt that it was best not to mention that Danny was Jewish in this shorter letter, since the real purpose of the annual Daniel Pearl Day is a celebration of music and not an anniversary of his beheading. I leave it to the reader to decide which letter is best, the long one above, or the shorter one below.
In my second later, based on email chats with Dr Pearl, I wrote:
”Every year for the past ten years or so, the Daniel Pearl Music Day has become a part of the local music scenes worldwide, and for a good cause.
“I commend the world’s newspapers for giving good coverage each and every year to the Daniel Pearl Music Day in the many countries where it is celebrated and for helping make the day an inspirational annual music event for all citizens of the world, regardless of background, religion or ethnic heritage.
“As an American, and like most people in the civilized world, I was of course shocked by what happened to Danny Pearl that tragic day.
“At the same time, I want to say that I am glad that Danny Pearl has become a symbol of hope and an inspiration to all peace-loving people who fight the hatred that took his life.
Long may his memory live, and llong may his special day be used to raise awareness and raise conciuosness of important global issues. We are one race, one people, on one planet, this Earth. We need to come together.”
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Danny Bloom is a freelance writer in Taiwan. He may be contacted at dan.bloom@sdjewishworld.com
Daniel Pearl’s last words were “My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish.” These words were spoken on a video filmed by his captors, a Pakistani militant group, stating their demands.