_Note: A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time in Los Angeles with the parents of Daniel Pearl, a brilliant and courageous reporter for the Wall Street Journal who, ten years ago this month, was kidnapped and slaughtered by terrorists in Pakistan. At the time of his death, Danny’s wife, Mariane, was pregnant with their son. In the videotape that the terrorists forced Danny to make before they killed him, he spoke bravely and plainly of his identity, “My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish.”
Since that unspeakable day, the Pearl family members, each in their own way, have kept the memory of Danny alive in many ways—in books, lectures, scholarships, a foundation. The other day, Judea Pearl, Danny’s father, sent me a poem that he had written not long ago… —David Remnick
The Lions’ Den To Daniel Pearl on the Anniversary of His Death by Judea Pearl
Come walk the road to lions’ den South of midnight, planet earth, Karachi, Pakistan. Some called it “nursery,” some named it “shed,” A “compound,” “shack,” the newspapers said.
I found it in my father’s holy book, “The lions’ den,” the caption read.
Come touch the walls on which two eyes with thousand dreams wrote songs and fiercest battles, ancient wars, for seven days, went on.
Never in the field of human conflict Has there been a clash so total so intense in charge and aim Between two cosmic forces so compressed in space
So opposed in vision so rooted in conviction Across so close a distance Before so many eyes.
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Never stood a son of Abel so fiercely to the face of Cain A giver—to the teeth of claim, A curious—to the blinds of self. A listener—to the deafening shrieks of zeal.
Alone!
Never beamed a ray of light so deeply to the core of darkness Music, to estrangement, Principles, to whims Reason, to the impulse Mankind, to Attila, the Hun
Never was this saga chanted in so powerful a rhyme: “My name is Daniel Pearl,” Softly spoken from the den, Softly, from Karachi, Pakistan
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And when Daniel was lifted from the den, So the Bible tells us, No wound was found on him, Because he stood his ground Because he stood our ground So the Bible tells us. (Daniel 6:28)
