Daniel Pearl: Never Forgotten

The only thing that's important is where someone's going.

Never work with people who are desperate.

When you're desperate that's when you've got no choice.
-as heard watching the
2009 Film,
"Public Enemies"

Did you know I am an authorized Citizens Reporter for Oh My NEWS International? Well, I am but I have not contributed much because I have been busy doing my own blog, working my money management business and finding free time for my creative venue of photography.

PHOTO: Daniel Pearl

I wanted to recall the memory of a man that cannot be forgotten…ever! His name is Daniel Pearl. Daniel attended Stanford University from 1981 to 1985, where he stood out as a Communications Major. He co-founded a student newspaper called the Stanford Commentator. Pearl graduated Stanford with a B.A. in Communications, after which he spent a summer as a Pulliam Fellow intern at the Indianapolis Star and a winter bussing tables as a ski bum in Idaho. I, myself, bussed tables so I have great admiration for any one who has survived the chore on being an unnoticed, unskilled worker trying to make a few bucks.

After writing this MOVIES GALORE article I wrote after the Tribeca Film Festival in 2006 I was graciously contacted my Ruth Pearl, Daniel’s mother.
http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?article_class=6&no=290771&rel_no=1

I had mentioned Daniel Pearl in my article after I had seen the documentary “The Journalist and the Jihad”. I wrote the following:

"The Journalist and the Jihad -- the Murder of Daniel Pearl" was the second film I viewed. This documentary made me want to contribute to the Daniel Pearl Foundation. It is a complete tribute film and a "definitive" sign of the times amid terrorism, uncertainty, cultural hatred and religious discrimination. The film compared the lives of Daniel Pearl, the journalist, who I came to like very much as a person, and Omar Sheikh, a Middle Eastern fellow, who grew up as a British National and ended up becoming a political intelligence agent for Pakistan. It was an eerie and sad outcome that is very well worth seeing.

PHOTO: Actor, Dan Futterman

It has been over three years now since the release of that documentary. The documentary is narrated by Christian Amanpour, and was nominated for two Emmy Awards. Since then a 2007 feature film, starring Angelina Jolie (as the wife of Daniel Pearl, Mariane) and Dan Futterman, was released by the name of “A Mighty Heart”. The story is based on the book and true life events written by Mariane Pearl and a screenwriter, John Orloff.

PHOTO: Actress, Angelina Jolie
with two of her children
In the film 'A Mighty Heart', Daniel and Mariane are a successful American couple of reporters who are accommodated by Asra Q. Nomani in Karachi, Pakistan. Daniel served as the South Asia Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal (and was based in Mumbai, India). Daniel contacts Sheikh Gilani (a Jihad) to conduct an interview about alleged links between Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, and Al Qaeda and Pakistan’s ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), and gets abducted.

The rescue process brings about interviews with many culprits, traced phone calls and e-mails, the stresses of a pregnant wife and the political aspects involved while the police investigate.
Here is a short interview conducted by Charlie Rose with Mariane Pearl and Angelina Jolie and how the point of “A Mighty Heart” was to deliver the message of all that had happened:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=daniel+pearl+song&qs=n&docid=1135800418415&mid=AE6AD2191DA80B0ADEFBAE6AD2191DA80B0ADEFB&FORM=VIVR2#

Daniel Pearl was subsequently beheaded by his captors on February 1, 2002. Immediately after his killing there was text written on video by The NATIONAL MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION OF PAKISTAN SOVEREIGNTY (NMRPS)
They demanded the following:
1. The immediate release of U.S. held prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba .
2. The return of Pakistani prisoners to Pakistan.
3. The immediate end of U.S. presence in Pakistan.
4. The delivery of F-16 planes that Pakistan had paid for and never received.
The text continued with:
We assure Americans that they shall never be safe on the Muslim Land of Pakistan.
And if our demands are not met this scene shall be repeated again and again (referring to the horrific video of Daniel’s death).

In July 2002, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British national of Pakistani origin, was sentenced to death by hanging for Pearl's abduction and murder.

In March 2007, at a closed military hearing in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said that he had personally beheaded Pearl.

The “A Mighty Heart” film had its World Premiere on May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France.

PHOTO: Daniel & Mariane Pearl
To watch both the documentary film and “A Mighty Heart” makes one realize the joyful character of Daniel Pearl as a person. To this day, I consider him a “friend” I honestly wish I could have known.

The Daniel Pearl Foundation was formed in memory of Daniel Pearl, the journalist, to further the ideals that inspired Daniel's life and work. The foundation's mission is to promote cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music, and innovative communications.
http://www.danielpearl.org/

Twenty-five years ago today:

August 13, 1984
Monday

Let’s see if I can backtrack my day. I met Linda Nannizzi at the BART station and we had a nice talk. She is a sweetheart. I think of her a lot. I talked to her abut dinner on Friday night and perhaps a movie. She did not exactly say yes ‘right off’. I think it’s because we were on the BART train and people were eavesdropping. I could care less what the strangers may have been thinking. Also, I did not make it a direct question.
I just said, “Hey, we should go to dinner and a movie this coming Friday night.”

Training was cool. Peggy, the instructor, complemented me on my purple shirt of the day. Bobbie Renbarger and I ate lunch at the Vicky’s Café. Bobbie also invited me to Lake Tahoe for the weekend.
“Yes,” I answered immediately. Then I began to ‘back off’ on the idea as I mentioned my prospective date with Linda Nannizzi.

Bobbie and I both ordered a hot meat loaf platter that looked like ALPO All-Beef chunks. And the Thousand Island dressing looked like vomit. I made Bobbie laugh hysterically.

After work I went straight home and got on my bike. I rode from 6PM to 7:15PM. When I returned home I called Linda only because I saw no sign of her bicycling.
“I was biking with my Dad and we went a different direction,” Linda replied after I had asked.
“So, what do you think about dinner on Friday?”
“Okay, yes.”
Hurrah! Who knows where this could lead? She is marriage material.

Then again, there’s my good buddy (Chris) but there are limits to that relationship. I am my own man who will make the final decision as to what will make me happy, right? I think Linda may be able to make me happy. Chris does a good job of making me happy in his own right. Once again…time will tell.

I made myself an apple juice milkshake and had some baked chicken. Now I am home listening to my window blinds make a recurring shudder noise as I write in my journal.

Bruce called me last night. I explained to him that I had tried to call him.
“It was just as well because I didn’t have a very good time at that party. I had to work, collecting tickets at the event,” Bruce had said.
Bruce now has a telephone and he gave me his number but the only people I have any desire to call right now are Chris Cordellos and Linda Nannizzi. Good night.

It is not even 9PM and I want to dream of being happy. Be it alone or with Chris or Linda or….?

I have thought of calling Michael Miller but I think it is a bit too soon after he stayed over on Saturday night. Linda went out to dinner with her Dad and her sixteen year old sister. And now, Chris has no telephone. So there really is no choice. Night night.

As I slept, the phone rang. Surprisingly, it was a long-distance call from Oregon. It was Michael Thoennus.
“I am still looking around for a job up here and things don’t look too bright,” Thoennus said.
“That’s not good.”
“I may move back to the Bay Area in January or February. I will most likely go back to school but it is so expensive.”
We continued with his talking about his potential plans. It was nice of him to call. He needed to vent.