Host Krista Tippett speaks with journalist Mariane Pearl, the widow of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and murdered by Islamic extremists four months after September 11, 2001. In this engaging conversation, you'll hear Mariane Pearl on the role of her Buddhist practice in surviving her loss and on her spiritual battle with what she calls the front line of the war on terror.
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What are your thoughts about Mariane Pearl's practice of spiritual defiance in the face of terrorism?
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My Lost Soul (May 3, 2004)
On the way to my law school final, I turned on NPR to get my mind off the exam. Within minutes I was consumed by the conversation with Mariane Pearl. I found myself walking in her shoes as she described the fight to survive such a horrible needless death. My grandfather Mahmoud Jafarian, head of radio and television in Tehran, Iran, was executed during the revolution for his opposition against Khomeini, a fundamentalist Muslim leader.
Throughout my life I have grown up hating the religion and the people that killed my grandfather. Hating them for taking our life, home and country… but today I actually did see the bigger picture through Mariane's eyes. Her spiritual defiance allowed me to see that if I succumb to hate then the "terrorists" have won. Her clarity and peace give me the ability to never let anyone allow me or my future children to hate. As Mariane makes clear to me, that is what "they" want and if I give it to "them" then I lose a part of my soul and "they" win.
Thank you for the program and thank you for getting my mind off finals. Much thanks and condolences to Mariane Pearl and her son Adam Pearl.
Dana Jafarian
Bryn Mawr, PA (WHYY 91.0 FM) |
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Enabling Me to Grieve (May 3, 2004)
Listening to Mariane brought out a tremendous amount of emotion and weeping. I wondered why, and I feel it is due to the great amount of grief I have been carrying due to irresponsible actions our country (the United States) has taken in response to "terrorists." So I thank her deeply for enabling me to feel this grief.
Dixon Hamby
Bellevue, WA (Listens via Web Audio) |
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Mariane Summed It Up (May 6, 2004)
Last night I heard and was deeply moved and inspired by your conversation with Mariane Pearl. She said all of the things I have been trying to say for so many years about the human aspect of terrorism, prejudice in this country against Islam, her concepts of defiance and forgiveness, and the poverty in the world. Mariane made sense of what I had been feeling and thinking about all of these things. Thank you, thank you, thank you for such a wonderful program!
Rebekah Hoffacker
Tucker, GA (WABE 90.1 FM) |
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Moved by Mariane's Strength (May 2, 2004)
I was incredibly moved by Mrs. Pearl's strength and her ability to share so articulately with listeners how she managed to get through the ordeal around her husband's death. The fact that she mentioned many religious faiths as representative of the world ideology in a positive way against the ideology of terrorists was very poignant… often the ideological clash is billed as Christianity versus Islam and that is so wrong. Thank you for the wonderful show and for having such an honorable, intelligent, and peaceful guest to bless all of us who listened.
Mary Busker
Baltimore, MD (WYPR 88.1 FM) |
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Add It to the Reading List! (May 2, 2004)
Once again Krista managed to ask the questions uppermost on my mind! I belong to a 35-year-old literature group of the same 12 women. We are well-educated, world-traveled, act locally but think globally. Mariane's book will be on our list along with a transcript of this interview. I think she has captured the essence of the human condition. I feel her positive energy in a unique way, and I know my Lit Group will enjoy learning from her personal experiences. I send best wishes to Speaking of Faith. My heartfelt gratitude to the spirit that brought us the next generation in the being of Adam Pearl.
Esther Liwazer
Bloomfield, MI (WUOM 91.7 FM) |
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So touching and Inspiring (May 3, 2004)
I just finished listening to this program. As long as I can remember, I have held a deep belief in the potential of humanity to achieve peace, despite all the horrific practices we continue to engage in. This program brought tears of joy and hope to my eyes. The simple and beautiful way that Mariane expressed her faith and determination renews my hope for humanity, and my commitment to treating everyone in an ethical and just way. My heart still swells with joy; many thanks to Mariane and the producers/interviewer for a truly renewing experience. These words will echo in my thoughts for days and weeks to come.
As an addendum, any comment about the lack of spirituality in the west (see Mr. Kimathi-Bandele's reflection below) that attempts to polarize east versus west in such a vehement and unforgiving way certainly falls into the kind of trap that terrorism and other forms of evil desires. This certainly comes from a person who has never truly traveled in the west, or if he has, has never truly opened his eyes or heart when making such travels.
Is vehemence not allowed? Can one not have conviction about right and wrong, about justice? I applaud Mariane and her vehemence, as well as her strength to remain positive and hopeful. I condemn those who would use this as another excuse to polarize us and increase hatred in the world. I could not imagine a bigger heart in the face of such injustice and horrific experiences—there are not many human beings alive who could experience the death of such a beloved and amazing spouse and still maintain such perspective, not to mention sanity.
Ryan Brown
Sylva, NC (WCQS 88.1 FM) |
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Spirituality in the West? (May 2, 2004)
Where was western spirituality when caucasians invaded communities of color and stole their resources? A program on spirituality in the west is a joke. You all can't be serious. How can this woman, Ms. Pearl, claim Buddhism while not being or wanting to humanly connect to her husband's killers, who she seethingly calls "terrorists"? Typically, like most western nationalists, she cannot abandon her nationalism, her cultural need to demonize people of color who "do not love America and her freedoms," as is insanely stated over and over again. Freedom does not exist in the de-spiritualized societies of the West, as freedom is a byproduct of Spiritual Centeredness.
Ms. Pearl is a fake for appropriating Buddhism. Like usual, caucasians appropriate Eastern frames of reference in an effort to conceal their harsh nationalism and present themselves as all-loving. Of course, this is done for export, to throw people of color off the scented trail that inevitably leads us to the demystified version of western society and its evil agenda for communities of color. For my people, never underestimate the political utility of hatred as the means by which we seek to demystify European thought and behavior.
Markus Kimathi-Bandele
St. Louis, MO (KWMU 90.7 FM) |
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Inspiring (May 3, 2004)
Every Sunday I try to make a point to be free to listen to Speaking of Faith. I have found so much to ponder, to inspire and to react to in these weekly visits which provide more meaning than almost any other program I listen to or view. I appreciate the dialog that is available and the way in which the interviewees share the intersection between religion and their lives. Mariane Peal was particularly inspiring in how she has dealt with her husband's death and continues to fight in the face of that terror. That she is so matter-of-fact about it makes her courage all the more incredible. Very few of us will ever have the chance to touch as many lives as she has and at such a price. I thank her for her generosity.
Fran McCreary
Pasadena, CA (KPCC 89.3 FM) |
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