Last modified: Monday, April 4, 2011
Media advisory: Parents of Daniel Pearl issue statement on antisemitism conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Judea and Ruth Pearl, the parents of Daniel Pearl, released a statement today endorsing an academic conference sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at Indiana University.
Daniel Pearl, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, was abducted and murdered by terrorists while reporting from Pakistan in early 2002, just four months after 9/11.
Alvin Rosenfeld
The conference, "Resurgent Antisemitism: Global Perspectives," continues through Tuesday on the IU Bloomington campus. A public lecture titled "The End of the Holocaust and the Beginning of the New Antisemitism," by Alvin Rosenfeld, institute director and Irving M. Glazer Professor of Jewish Studies, will take place at 8 p.m. tonight in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.
The statement by Judea and Ruth Pearl follows:
"On behalf of Daniel Pearl's family and the Daniel Pearl Foundation, we congratulate the organizers and participants of the Inaugural Conference of Indiana University's Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism on "Resurgent Antisemitism: Global Perspectives."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, your presence at this conference, today, is noble, timely and crucial -- we wish we could join you, but circumstances dictate that we bless you from a distance.
"Nine years ago, on Feb. 21, 2002, the world was shocked to witness the brutal murder of our son, Daniel Pearl -- a writer, a musician, and a champion of humanity -- a murder that has come to symbolize the horrors and inescapable reality of Resurgent Antisemitism.
"In the past nine years our family has tried to play down the antisemitic component of Danny's tragedy.
We felt that the intensity of the cosmic shock that emanated from Danny's murder, and its significance as a warning call for the entire human race would somehow get attenuated, or diverted, if associated with parochial issues such as antisemitism.
"More recently, however, we came to recognize that, if we want to be true to our mission of rolling back the hatred that took Danny's life and the tsunami of dehumanization currently sweeping our planet, we must first map its undercurrents, analyze its anatomy, and understand its circuitry in scientific details.
"We are extremely grateful therefore that you, distinguished scholars from across the globe, have come together to channel your talents and expertise towards this crucial endeavor.
"May the spirit of Daniel strengthen yours."
