Our hearts go out to the families of James Foley and Steven Sotloff, the journalists who were murdered by Islamic State militants. It saddens and troubles us that, instead of embracing universal cries for cooperation and non-violent solutions to the region’s vexing problems, Islamic State once again followed the terror playbook and committed horrific, senseless acts of violence that are way too reminiscent of the murder back in 2002 of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan.
As in the aftermath of Danny’s murder, the real challenge here is to stay strong and hold on dearly to ideals that all peaceful, pragmatic people share – namely, that evil cannot triumph over good. Not easy to do in incredibly difficult, emotional moments like these, but it is the only way we can ensure that the darkness will not block out the light.
Like Daniel Pearl before them, let the memories of James Foley and Steven Sotloff be a blessing to their families and to all of us.