10 Questions for Mariane Pearl

By Carolyn Sayre

Five years ago, extremists murdered her journalist husband Daniel in Pakistan. Now, Angelina Jolie portrays her in the new film A Mighty Heart, based on her tragic love tale. Mariane Pearl will now take your questions

How did your purpose in life change after your husband's tragic death? --Natasha Landkamar, PARIS I think the point is that it hasn't changed. That is my main achievement. Things like that happen to you, and the people that hurt you expect it to change your purpose. Part of my "revenge" was that my purpose wouldn't change--not how I live, the work that I do or my approach to the world.

Do you think your husband's sacrifice was worth it? --Dinh Quynh Anh, VIETNAM I don't think you can talk in terms of "worth it." His will and his choice was to become a journalist and a writer. And I think every person who dedicates his or her life to something that belongs to the greater good is very meaningful.

What is the most important thing that your son Adam should know about his father? --Sami Ith, GARDEN GROVE, CALIF. One really important thing for me is that he has a sense of who his father was as a person--his sense of humor and the kind of friend, husband and son that he was. That is the most beautiful heritage that Adam can have.

Do you regret demanding compensation from the 9/11 fund for your husband's death? --Juana Suarez, MEXICO CITY I was thinking of Adam. When I knew that the people who were involved in 9/11 were also involved in Danny's case, I wanted him to join a moment in history. I thought maybe it would help him to be part of a group. That is why I did it. It really wasn't about money. Any money that comes as a result of this is for my son.

Given that Daniel died in Pakistan, what do you think about President Pervez Musharraf? --Dave Smith, ATLANTA My view about him and politics is that I just don't trust anyone. He does not have as much power as we think, and I have never thought that any [help] would come from the Pakistani government.

Has it been difficult to maintain your objectivity as a journalist? --Dale Worsham, SAN ANTONIO No, I haven't lost my objectivity. I don't think I have become a more fearful person or even more suspicious. I just finished a series of profiles of women around the world--all with different issues--to show that in the world there are incredible individuals we should focus on. It is something that even al-Qaeda hasn't taken away from me.

Has your view of Islam changed? --Budi Primawan, JAKARTA No, it hasn't changed at all. I grew up with Muslim people, so I was very acquainted with Islam. So it is not like the people who killed Danny taught me what Islam was about. They are hijackers of their own faith.

Do you still practice Buddhism? If so, how has it helped you? --Maike Lehmann K[u {O}]NIGSFELD, GERMANY I have been chanting for 24 years. It has brought me a lot of strength and wisdom in the sense that even in the most dire times, I didn't get lost. I knew that if I wanted to survive, it wasn't about healing or trying to forget. It was about how I could use my life to answer what had happened to us. In many ways, it saved my life.

As a woman of color, how do you feel about being played by Angelina Jolie in the movie? --Dharma Kemp-Bresett, NASHUA, N.H. I have heard some criticism about her casting, but it is not about the color of your skin. It is about who you are. I asked her to play the role--even though she is way more beautiful than I am--because I felt a real kinship to her. She put her whole heart into it, and I think she understood why we should do this movie. We had something to say that we knew we should say together.

Did Angelina master your French accent? :-) --Rhonda Phillips, ATLANTA [Laughs.] She suffered. She told me she loves me, but it was a very difficult task. She told me I didn't only have a French accent but I had a Cuban accent too. We joke about it.

TIME's interview with Pearl continues on Time.com. Click to read our [XREF {http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1635834-2,00.html} {extra questions}]. Also, to read past interviews or submit questions for upcoming guests, go to [XREF {http://www.time.com/10questions/} {time.com/10questions}].

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.