Daniel pearl 02-03-05

Murder of Daniel Pearl

Mirza A. Beg
Written on Feb. 23rd, 2002

Muslim Observer March 5th, 2002

Daniel Pearl is the latest victim of the ferocious ignorance blowing from those who are a blot on the name of religion, any religion, in this case Islam. Nine reporters were killed in Afghanistan in the last three months. Before that, reporters have been killed in Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Northern Ireland and lots of other places. But people like Daniel Pearl keep reporting, because if they do not, we will not know the face of evil.

Murderers of Daniel Pearl obviously do not understand or respect Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism or any other religion. The pity is that they do not understand or respect Islam either, which in their own demented thinking, they are trying to uphold and protect. With friends like these who needs enemies, and with enemies like these even a scoundrel can look good.

Daniel Pearl was a reporter trying to gather information, information that could have been injurious to their cause. He came to them as an American journalist named Daniel Pearl, a Jew by religion. He did not hide his identity, did not try to infiltrate them by deception. Even if he was spying for the United States or even Israel, all they had to do was not to talk to him.

If his abductors had any inkling of the teachings of their own religion, they would have known that under Islamic as well as secular law, the only way he could or should have been killed is, either in self-defense or had he been found guilty of a capital offence by a duly recognized court. Neither of the conditions was applicable.

Americans and the present Pakistani government are the enemies in their eyes, for defeating and pursuing the Al Qaida operatives and the Talibans. Purportedly they killed Daniel Pearl because he was a spy and a Jew. That may satisfy their own convoluted sense of values, but over the years they have also killed thousands of Muslims, in whose name they are supposedly doing this evil deed. Killing of Muslims was justified on the basis of ethnic, linguistic, or political differences. They are a narrow minded, murderous blot on humanity and enemy of their own religion.

It is impossible to understand their thinking, because thinking is what they do not do. They lurk in the midst of religious zealots, masquerading as protectors, while growing as cancer if not cauterized.

All this will not make any sense to Daniel Pearl’s family, his widow, or his unborn child. We grieve for him because he was our brother in humanity, and he died at the hands of evil, which is the enemy of decency and humanity. In death he exposed the evil even more clearly.

Mirza A. Beg can be contacted by email at mab64@yahoo.com