No doubt all remember the 1st day of February 2002, when American journalist of the prestigious Wall Street Journal was murdered in Pakistan while carrying his duty as a Chief of Wall Street Journal in South Asia. He went to Pakistan as an investigating journalist to find links between 'shoe bomber' Richard Reid and Al Qaeda. His last words before he was beheaded were:
'I come from, uh, on my father's side my family is Zionist. My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish. My family follows Judaism. We have made numerous family visits to Israel. Back in the town of Bnei Brak there is a street named after my great grandfather, Chaim Pearl, who was one of the founders of the town.'
After his death, his family and friends created a foundation which they have entitled Daniel Pearl World Music Days. They felt that neither words nor weapons were the last tools of fighting against barbarism and brutality. However, the world of music can achieve it. While listening to each other music, we learn to be tolerant to the different, we become more tolerant to open one's heart and mind to cross-cultural opening of hearts and minds or in their own words inspire tolerance.
When the Spiro Ark was first approached to take part in celebration via music, we got the support of the cultural department at the Israeli Embassy at the time headed by Sagi Hartov. Together we have organized the major event for Daniel Pearl's World Music in London. Yasmin Levy, a top Israeli singer with her band and Israeli popular radio presenter Shimon Parnas together with Greek performers from London and a Mediterranean buffet created an atmosphere of joy and interest in each others' cultures and in the joint Mediterranean spirit. 250 people crowded the magnificent hall opposite Buckingham Palace; they were swept off their feet to dance together and sing for hours.
The call for future involvement with the foundation has just reached us and we are delighted to add a few more musical events which you and yours should join in memory of Daniel Pearl and in honour of the Pearl family intention of creating (each in our own way) space and inspiration for mutual respect, appreciation and tolerance.
