Daniel Pearl Project

Kidnapped, tortured, and killed, the investigation on the death of Daniel Pearl was uncovered by a group of students and professors at the Georgetown University. A total of 27 Iraqi men were involved in the brutal kidnapping and death of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. On a mission to collect a mere interview, Pearl came in contact with some of the most hardened Iraqi criminals and evil masterminds.

“The Truth Left Behind” is the name of the project and the memorial to Pearl. A loving husband, son and best friend to Georgetown professor Asra Nomani, justice was never quite served to Pearl. Of the 27 men involved, only 4 have been convicted, 4 have gone missing and 16 remain on the streets, almost all whom have been associated with Al-Qaida, suicide bombs, and other kidnappings. After a 3 ½ year -long investigation, family and friends were finally given the opportunity to grieve and receive proper closure for their precious Daniel.

After uncovering the story, it was found that prison guards, FBI, and police were all involved in the kidnapping of Pearl. Heading to Iraq to interview Iraqi extremist Sheik Gelani, Pearl found himself walking headfirst into a death trap. Combined forces of the Pakistan military along with brutal Iraqi criminals, Pearl did not have a chance of survival. The Pearl Project uncovered just how corrupt the military and government is in Pakistan by allowing an innocent man to be set up, tortured and killed.

After being tortured for some time, Daniel did find himself face to face with Gelani, the man he set out to interview in the first place. Gelani’s response to their meeting? Killing Pearl, along with two other men. You have to ask oneself, how can a group of 27 men so easily kill an innocent human being, a man not so different from themselves. This is what drove the Pearl Project, to uncover answers, and attempt to understand the foreign lives of Iraqi criminals.

Once “The Truth Left Behind” was completed and published, Americans can understand a little better about the severity and corruption in Pakistan. Daniel Pearl was a hard worker, a beloved man, and a risk taker. However, the risk to interview a man to provide information for his country was a little too risky and ended the life of Daniel Pearl.