Anti-Defamation League gives Daniel Pearl Award to Spanish journalist at Boston meeting

Spanish reporter gets Daniel Pearl Award in Mass.

BOSTON — The nation’s leading Jewish civil rights group has awarded a Spanish newspaper reporter its annual Daniel Pearl Award, named for a journalist killed in Pakistan after Sept. 11.

The Anti-Defamation League presented the award to Pilar Rahola (pee-LAHR’ rah-HOH’-lah) on Thursday in Boston at its annual meeting.

The Barcelona-born Rahola works for the Catalan La Vanguardia (vahn-GWAHR’-dee-ah). She often writes on anti-Semitism in Europe.

She says it’s an honor to receive the award because it reaffirms her commitment to reporting. She calls on other journalists to keep critical eyes when reporting on human rights violations in the Middle East.

The award is named for Daniel Pearl. The Wall Street Journal’s South Asia bureau chief was abducted from Karachi, Pakistan, while researching a story on Islamic militancy.

Pearl’s execution was videotaped by kidnappers.

(This version CORRECTS pronouncer for newspaper name.)