This week marks the seventh anniversary of the murder of our son, former Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. My wife Ruth and I wonder: Would Danny have believed that today’s world emerged after his tragedy?
The answer does not come easily. Danny was an optimist, a true believer in the goodness of mankind. Yet he was also a realist, and would not let idealism bend the harshness of facts.
Neither he, nor the millions who were shocked by his murder, could have possibly predicted that seven years later his abductor, Omar Saeed Sheikh, according to several South Asian reports, would be planning terror acts from the safety of a Pakistani jail. Or that his murderer, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, now in Guantanamo, would proudly boast of his murder in a military tribunal in March 2007 to the cheers of sympathetic jihadi supporters. Or that this ideology of barbarism would be celebrated in European and American universities, fueling rally after rally for Hamas, Hezbollah and other heroes of “the resistance.” Or that another kidnapped young man, Israeli Gilad Shalit, would spend his 950th day of captivity with no Red Cross visitation while world leaders seriously debate whether his kidnappers deserve international recognition.
*******
I believe it all started with well-meaning analysts, who in their zeal to find creative solutions to terror decided that terror is not a real enemy, but a tactic. Thus the basic engine that propels acts of terrorism — the ideological license to elevate one’s grievances above the norms of civilized society — was wished away in favor of seemingly more manageable “tactical” considerations.
This mentality of surrender then worked its way through politicians like the former mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. In July 2005 he told Sky News that suicide bombing is almost man’s second nature. “In an unfair balance, that’s what people use,” explained Mr. Livingstone.
But the clearest endorsement of terror as a legitimate instrument of political bargaining came from former President Jimmy Carter. In his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” Mr. Carter appeals to the sponsors of suicide bombing. “It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Road-map for Peace are accepted by Israel.” Acts of terror, according to Mr. Carter, are no longer taboo, but effective tools for terrorists to address perceived injustices.
*******
When we ask ourselves what it is about the American psyche that enables genocidal organizations like Hamas — the charter of which would offend every neuron in our brains — to become tolerated in public discourse, we should take a hard look at our universities and the way they are currently being manipulated by terrorist sympathizers.
Pacifists for peace!
UPDATE: Sister Toldjah has an excellent response up; donald, a friend of Danny Pearl, comments about him in the thread below
Israel accused the UN Relief and Works Agency of deliberately staging a situation where the IDF had to turn back aid shipments, for the benefit of photographers the UNRWA arranged to have at Kerem Shalom crossing. The UN agency deliberately sent material that had not yet been approved by the IDF for transfer into Gaza, forcing the Israelis to hold up half of the trucks at the transfer point.
Carter has to be the most contemptable fool we ever elected President. Over time the remnants of his frontal lobes have completely rotted away. Carter will not die, one day he will fall to the ground and fly maggots will pour out of every oriface.
The pacifists have their beliefs and any facts contrary to those beliefs will be warped until the facts support those beliefs.
Guess what, Obama’s rendition same as the old Clinton and Bush rendition.
So this website is shutting down? When is that happening anyway.
Islamo-fascism is a very real enemy. Not only to the US and Israel, but to the entire non-Muslim world. Unlike many other religions, Islam openly proclaims unbelievers as being lesser entities in the eyes of their god; not far above animals. And their theology, based on the interpretation of meny of their revered clerics, gives them complete liscence to kill in the name of gaining power over those same non-believers. And since the only legitimate government is one that rules by Quranic principles, they are free to fight against non-Islamic nations, buoyed be the religious zeal based on the desire to establish a righteous Islamic government in it’s place. It’s this very zealotry, augmented by the promise of everlasting rewards for holy martyrdom, that provides the many suicide bombers…
I’ve said it before, there can be no peaceful resolution until they experience what the west did as a result of the religious wars that followed the reformation; the separation of religion from governance. But this will be a much harder sell with Islam. Not only beacause the Quran seems to have anticipated this very desire, but because dissenting points of view are not often brooked in the Arab world…
Judea Pearl: Why can’t elites call evil for what it is?…
Just got done reading a powerful piece opinion piece (h/t: Dan Collins) in the Wall Street Journal written by Judea Pearl, the father of murdered WSJ reporter Daniel Pearl. Pearl is a professor at UCLA and has seen first hand how terrorist apologists …
Oh and, from a cultural outlook what they respect is strength, not empathy as Obama thinks. And, they already percieve him as weak; Ahmadi-Nejad has said as much…
The next few years are going to seem like a lifetime. And for many over in the middle east, it will constitute just that…
Meanwhile, in other news Iran launches homegrown satellite
Iran says ‘peacful’. France ‘concerned’.
boot, meet ass.
Not all bad news.
Remember Danny Pearl.
“the separation of religion from governance. But this will be a much harder sell with Islam.”
It was an easy sell with Christianity, because that is what Christ taught. Bob, this will not happen for if it does, Islam ceases to exist. The progenitor of the faith is the only source we need to know and he made Islam as an all encompassing way of life. NO separation.
Carter has to be the most contemptable fool we ever elected President. Over time the remnants of his frontal lobes have completely rotted away. Carter will not die, one day he will fall to the ground and fly maggots will pour out of every oriface.
A death similar to King Herod the Great’s might be appropos.
The United Nations hates Jews enthusiastically. Baracky supports the United Nations enthusiastically. Hey look a syllogism.
The UN is evil and corrupt. We should have ousted them years ago and used the UN building to house NYC’s homeless. It’s a better use for it than the uselessness and corruption that comes out of there now anyway.
On Carter: Good thing we don’t have a pack of Proggs in the Senate/House and a president who is totally unable to grasp simple concepts like “Right and Wrong” that simply capitulate to terrorist deman….
Dang.
I also look forward to groveling at the feet of our Proggie overlords… I need more gruel anyway.
But, but, Rene Zellweger can’t be wrong!!
“I have a crush on Jimmy Carter. I admit it,” Zellweger says. “He has an extraordinary mind. He’s an exceptional human being. And he writes poetry, for crying out loud. He’s all good things.”
Can she???
A day later…I said pretty much everything in my previous post. I could get rolling on what kind of animals we deal with, but Mr. Pearl said it the way it needs to be done and I can leave it there with a little bit of grace for once.