President Bush Salutes Daniel Pearl World Music Days For Promoting Tolerance, Understanding and Respect

    LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Daniel Pearl Foundation today
 announced that it has received a Presidential Message from President George
 Bush extending his appreciation to "all those involved in Daniel Pearl
 World Music days for promoting the values of tolerance, understanding, and
 respect." His words of appreciation were expressed in a Presidential
 Message sent to Judea and Ruth Pearl, Danny Pearl's parents. In his Message
 the President added that "[S]ince its establishment in 2002, this event has
 been an opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of Daniel Pearl, a man
 dedicated to the search for truth. These concerts are a forum for
 individuals around the world to come together and celebrate the diverse
 traditions and unifying power of music."
     Judea Pearl, President of the Daniel Pearl Foundation, stated, "We are
 honored that President Bush has officially recognized the importance of
 Daniel Pearl World Music Days as a vehicle for uniting people in our shared
 humanity. Danny believed in the power of music to tear down walls and build
 bridges among all people, and that is what World Music Days is all about."
 As of today, over 400 concerts in 35 countries - from Pakistan to
 Montenegro, from Turkey to the People's Republic of China, Israel, and
 South Africa - have registered their participation in World Music Days.
     Established in 2002 to commemorate the October 10 birthday of Daniel
 Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter and musician murdered by terrorists
 in Pakistan, World Music Day tributes this year are scheduled at a variety
 of prominent venues including the Red Violin Festival in Wales; the
 Melbourne International Arts Festival; the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
 Festival in San Francisco; the Savannah Jazz Festival; Berlin's Ballhaus
 Naunyn Cultural Center; the Atlanta and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras;
 Bilkent University in Ankara; and the Singapore Sun Festival. Celebrated
 international favorites also are dedicating upcoming performances including
 World Music Days Honorary Committee members Sir Elton John, Herbie Hancock,
 Mark O'Connor, Steve Reich, Theodore Bikel, Itzhak Perlman, Peru's Tania
 Libertad, Pakistan's Salman Ahmad, and India's Ravi Shankar, with many more
 global artists expected to register throughout October. To participate,
 musicians make a brief statement from the stage in recognition of the power
 of music to promote cross-cultural understanding.
     "Danny was a talented musician who used his love of music to connect
 with people wherever he traveled," said his mother Ruth Pearl. "It is a
 tribute to his life work of connecting people through words and music that
 World Music Days brings together a broad spectrum of celebrated classical
 artists such as pianist Andre Watts and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
 with world beat masters, blues, rock, bluegrass and jazz musicians plus
 numerous children's groups."
     To listen to the World Music Days "Harmony for Humanity eStage", a
 streaming internet radio station, visit www.danielpearlmusicdays.org and
 click on "About eStage". Broadcast throughout the entire month of October,
 eStage offers music by members of the World Music Days Honorary Committee,
 winners of the annual Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin, Danny himself playing
 with various bands, past World Music Days performances, original
 compositions and more. The eStage online gallery also offers poems,
 articles and photographs inspired by the legacy of Daniel Pearl.
     To register a live performance as part of Daniel Pearl World Music Days
 2007, or to learn more about the Harmony for Humanity eStage visit
 www.danielpearlmusicdays.org.
     The Daniel Pearl Foundation works domestically and internationally to
 promote cross-cultural understanding, to counter cultural and religious
 hatred, to encourage responsible and creative journalism, and to unite and
 enrich people through music. For more information please visit
 www.danielpearl.org.
 
 

SOURCE Daniel Pearl Foundation