PARIS, Jan 31: Reporters sans Frontieres on Thursday issued a communique requesting that religious authorities of the Muslim world launch a joint appeal for the release of journalist Daniel Pearl, kidnapped in Karachi on Jan 23.
The RSF says that it has decided address the appeal for the journalist’s release to five eminent authorities of the Muslim world _ Morocco’s King Mohammed, Al Azhar chief Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, Pakistan’s Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, Sheikh Mohammed ben Saleh el Othimin of Saudi Arabia and Mufti Sheikh Qaradawi of Qatar.
In its message to the Muslim authorities, Reporters Sans Frontieres expresses “extreme concern abaout Daniel Pearl’s fate”.
SAYS THE MESSAGE: “You are undoubtedly aware that the American journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped in Pakistan on Wednesday, 23 January 2002. The Pakistani government has diligently ordered an investigation to find him.
But yesterday his kidnappers threatened to kill within 24 hours this journalist, suspected of being a Mossad agent, if their demands are not met.
“Among other things, they are calling for the release of the Taliban prisoners, suspected members of Al Qaeda, being held at the American military base at Guantanamo.
‘‘Daniel Pearl is an experienced journalist, who has worked for the Wall Street Journal for twelve years, and is in no way a spy.
“Aware of your faith in an Islam that respects human dignity,” continues the message, “we would be very grateful if you could make a public statement to the kidnappers asking them to release David Pearl.” The message is signed by Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary general.
FRENCH GOVT: It has been learnt through reliable sources that French authorities had decided to take up the matter of Mr Pearl’s release with quarters concerned as Mr Pearl, a US citizen, is in fact a resident of France and married to a French woman.
The French have decided to discreetly apply pressure for Mr Pearl’s release, notably with Pakistani authorities on the eve of the visit to Paris on Monday and Tuesday of Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar.
In another statement released on Wednesday by RSF, Mr Menard had noted that “France should make just as much effort to free Pearl as it did to obtain the release of Michel Peyrard,” a French journalist kidnaped last year by the Taliban.