By Pammi Pande
The world
will always remember Danny Pearl. Immortalised in the beguiling image of a
journalist of integrity, a loving husband and father-to-be. Sadly, it is the
last images of him in captivity, in a Karachi hideout, that bring recollection
to the masses.
The amateur photos carried by the papers featured a
man shackled and weary, with a gun to his head. Under these circumstances, Danny
was later forced to recite a declaration of his Jewish ethnicity before he was
executed, beheaded on camera.
As the South Asia bureau chief of the
'Wall Street Journal' (WSJ), Danny was adept at seeking the root cause of
globally reactive issues, focusing on the small details with foresight and
clarity. And, apart from his unflinching commitment to investigating truth and
seeking justice, he was also known for his wit and candour, his boyish
charm.
If his words inspired many in his lifetime, then his death and
the circumstances surrounding it will forever haunt.
In as much the
same way as the memory of the thousands killed in the 9/11 attacks. Together,
they are victims of that elusive terrorist target, "a symbol of America". He,
like them, remains a scar on our troubled world.