On Khashoggi ....

The disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the gruesome means of his suspected torture and disposal have shocked the world and occupied the headlines and lead slots of TV media and opinion pieces for many days.

As lurid tales of his demise filter out into the media, so do more details of Khashoggi’s extreme views – both against the Saudi rulers and in support of the Muslim Brotherhood of which he was a member and advocate of political Islam.

In every sense this was a journalist looking for trouble, and he found it at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.

This event brings to mind the gruesome killing of another journalist 16 years ago, by the name of Daniel Pearl. He was kidnapped by Al Qaeda and beheaded by its 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Daniel worked for the Wall Street Journal. In contrast to Khashoggi, he wasn’t out looking for trouble. His crime was simply being a Jew.

His executioners made sure the world would know of this “crime”, making him read out aloud these last words on video before his beheading:

“My name is Daniel Pearl. I'm a Jewish American from Encino, California, USA. I come from, uh, on my father's side the family is Zionist. My father's Jewish, my mother's Jewish, I'm Jewish. My family follows Judaism. We've made numerous family visits to Israel.”

May his dear soul rest in peace.