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Remembering a slain reporter

PHOTO: AP

The Taipei Foreign Correspondents Club (TFCC) was to host the fourth annual Taiwan Daniel Pearl Day of Music at Treasure Hill tomorrow afternoon to commemorate the life and work of the slain Wall Street Journal reporter. Due to a typhoon alert, however, organizers have delayed the event until Sat. Oct. 15.

Pearl was kidnapped and executed by an Islamic fundamentalist group called The National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty while investigating al-Qaeda operations in Pakistan in early 2002.

Following his murder members of Pearl's family established The Daniel Pearl Foundation with the aim of continuing the journalist's mission and "to address the root causes of this tragedy, in the spirit, style, and principles that shaped his work and character." Daniel Pearl Music Days have been held worldwide since October 2002.

The event, organized by the TFCC and sponsored by the Tavern Premier, Pots and Camp Taiwan, also aims to bring together expat musicians from all over Taiwan to celebrate "harmony for humanity" and to work against racial

injustice and prejudice.

"It gives us the opportunity to remember the reporter and we hope to use the concert as a peaceful way to protest against violence and terror," said TFCC president and Taiwan bureau chief for Bloomberg News, James Peng.

Like previous years' events this weekend's day of music is expected to attract large crowds of expats from all walks of life. Last year's event, which took place at Taipei's Artist Village attracted over 200 people and, according to organizer Sean Scanlan, this year's Daniel Pearl Day should prove to be the best yet.

"It's better organized this year and we've got a stage and a good sound system. It's not a mega-concert, but people who have been to previous events have been pretty supportive and cool, and we've had a lot of volunteers offering to help out and bands asking to perform," Scanlan said.
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