Portrait of Mariane Pearl, photographed at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City on June 14, 2007.
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TIME's interview with the subject of the film A Mighty Heart continues on Time.com. Read these extra questions with Mariane Pearl.
Your book detailed the horror that both you and your husband endured at the hands of fanatics. How do you maintain a semblance of hope for the future of our world in the face of such hatred and inhumanity? I admire your courage. —Shauna Rockson, Palo Alto, California
It was an act of resistance. I was really determined to deny those people what they were trying to achieve. I couldn't save Danny, but I knew that if I lost hope, then they would achieve what they wanted.
It is well known that you have a great love for the Pakistani people. Has that love changed? —Adrienne Garr, Buffalo, NY
Not at all. I look at the world in a very simple way. For me the nationality and the religion is really a secondary matter. For me, it is all a matter of human behavior and how people behave. The people who I truly love in Pakistan are the most noble, powerful and deep people that I have ever met in my life. At times like that you encounter the worst human behavior possible, so you are also going to be very sensitive to the best human behavior possible. And I think that is true in every war actually.
How do you find the strength to forgive? Do you forgive the extremists that killed your husband? —Poulomi Harolikar, Bangalore, India
I wouldn't use forgiveness. I don't think I do deep down, to be honest, but I don't think it is a point for me either. As I said, forgiveness wouldn't be enough for me to survive this. I have no reason to forgive people that acted willingly in a very clear, cold way. For me, forgiveness is not enough.
What do you think should be the legacy of Daniel Pearl? —Jodi-Ann Lyons, Albany, New York
I think it should be us. I think it should be Adam and I and what we are going to do in the world and how we are going to live our lives and how we are going to maintain the spirits of our family in the future.
Do you approve of the war in Iraq? Is it right? Has it not created more terrorism? —Rajesh Gulati, Baltimore
No I don't approve of the war in Iraq. I think like everyone else, I feel the US entered Iraq without really knowing where they where going. It wasn't clear for anyone why we staged that war. Obviously the situation in Iraq is really dreadful for everyone. Clearly we haven't achieved anything. It is a totally useless disaster.
Now that the movie is over, what will you devote your time to? —Jie Yang, Lafayette, CA
It has been a long ride. It has been five years of real fighting. It has been a lot of exercising self-control and determination day after day. I haven't had enough time to make a transition. I have always been working. I haven't been living for this movie and it is not my movie. I have a lot of journalistic projects that I want to purse that I have already started and I will keep doing my work.
My daughter's brother-in-law was critically wounded by sniper fire in Iraq and he is fighting for his life. Do you feel that your husband received enough support from the US government? —Karen M. Shields, Wilmington, Delaware
Despite what maybe people have heard, I don't think we don't have all the answer yet. It is a very complex situation and at the hub of geopolitics nowadays. I don't think I have the answer to that question.