A REAL journalist hero - An Appeal for HELP

[Teddy Bear]

The BBC like to vaunt kidnapped Alan Johnston as some kind of hero, when he was in fact a militant Muslim appeaser, as is the BBC itself, and because of his biased reportage felt he had little to worry about with regard to being abducted. Reports say he was in fact taken by a criminal gang, something akin to the Palestinian Mafia, and not by a praticular terrorist group.

Here is a story of a real journalist hero, a Muslim in Bangladash who wrote against the Islamists there, and was subsequently arrested and imprisoned and faces the death penalty.

What is scandalous is the lack of international media coverage of this man's ordeal, not a mention at all on the the whole of the BBC website, or international effort to free this man. The following appeal tells how the US Senate finance committee was supposed to have urged the Bangladash government to free him in exchange for trade preferences. They have now dropped this 'request'. I ask all US readers here to write your the members of the Senate committee, sample letter and addresses given below.

Also to forward this appeal to all you feel might take an interest and help.

Shoaib Choudhury is a Muslim journalist who resides in
Bangladesh - a persistent and outspoken opponent of the
Islamists, and advocate of human and religious rights.
Shoaib loves Israel and has urged the Bangladeshi government
to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

In 2003 Mr. Choudhury was arrested as he was about to board
a flight from Bangladesh on his way to Tel Aviv to address a
writers' conference. He was charged with treason, sedition
and blasphemy and spent the next 17 months in prison, and
was tortured.

His Jewish friend in the U.S., Dr. Richard Benkin, worked
tirelessly for Shoaib Choudhury's release. He found a
friend in Congressman Mark Kirk, and they had intense
meetings with the Bangladeshi ambassador. Bangladesh
released Shoaib because it wished to secure trade with the
U.S. As part of the deal, Bangladesh was to free Shoaib and
drop all charges against him, a demand which wasn't met.
Shoaib is still being threatened with a trial which carries
a possible death sentence.

Mr. Choudhury has been offered asylum in the United States,
Canada, Australia, Sweden and Denmark. He declined, stating
there was no honor in surrender, and that "Bangladesh is my
country. Let the Islamists leave." Muslims who agree with
him watch what's happening to him, and their voices are now
becoming audible as they draw courage from this man.

Mr. Choudhury received the Bangladesh Lokgeeti Shilpi
Goshthi COURAGEOUS JOURNALISM AWARD 2005, PEN USA, FREEDOM
TO WRITE AWARD 2005, the American Jewish Committee, MORAL
COURAGE AWARD-2006, the Bangladesh Minority Lawyer's
Association MORAL COURAGE AWARD 2006, and the Jasimuddin
Memorial AWARD FOR JOURNALISM, April, 2007.

You can read more about him at:
interfaithstrength.com/

House Resolution 64 was passed (409-1) in March 2007,
stating , in part: "Expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives that the Government of Bangladesh should
immediately drop all pending charges against Bangladeshi
journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. Whereas Salah
Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is a Bangladeshi journalist who,
because of his beliefs in interfaith dialogue between Jews
and Muslims and criticism of Islamic extremism, is on trial
for sedition, an offense punishable by death;..."

SB-652, recently introduced, calls for extension of trade
preferences with Bangladesh, but it has no provision to
ensure that all charges shall be dropped against Shoaib
Choudhury.

Please see: interfaithstrength.com/images/SB-652.html

It would make a huge difference if the Senate Finance
Committee members received inquiries from their
constituents. Your letter or e-mail may well save this
man's life. Below is a sample letter and contact
information.

Sample letter:

Dear ____________:

I am writing about Senate Bill 652, proposed by Senator
Gordon Smith, and which you are co-sponsoring. The bill now
rests with the Senate Finance Committee, and I wish to
express strongly my opposition to the bill as it is now
constituted. As you have shown consistently over many years
of public life, these trade benefits should not be given to
the detriment of American interests.

One of the nations slated to benefit from SB652 is
Bangladesh, which maintains a blatant disregard for an
overwhelming and bi-partisan sense of the US Congress.
Bangladesh is home to Muslim journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib
Choudhury who was imprisoned and tortured after exposing the
rise of radical Islam, advocating relations with Israel, and
urging religious equality. Only after relentless efforts by
Chicago area human rights advocate, Dr. Richard Benkin and
US Congressman Mark Kirk did the Bangladeshis release
Choudhury. They also promised to drop the charges against
him.

But two years later, he still faces a trial for "sedition,
treason, and blasphemy," which are capital offenses penalty
for which is death. With active support from the US State
Department and by a vote of 409-1, the US Congress recently
called on the Bangladeshis to keep their promises and end
their harassment of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury.

The major reason why the Bangladeshis have gone as far as
they have in releasing this courageous opponent of radical
Islam, and not allowing him to be killed, is that they know
they cannot get their coveted tariff relief as long as they
continue persecuting him and other dissidents. SB652
threatens to undermine years of human rights efforts.

Please, Ms. Feinstein, insure that the bill does not leave
the Senate Finance Committee without specific language that
requires Bangladesh to take verifiable human rights action
and to keep its promise to drop all charges and end all
harassment against Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. It is
inconceivable that the US would award these coveted benefits
to a country that remains actively in defiance of US policy.

You can get additional information on this case from Dr.
Benkin (847-922-6426), who also is willing to testify to the
Committee on this matter.

Respectfully,

-----------------------


The members of the Senate Finance Committee:

Arizona Senator Jon Kyl
Fax: [phone]
kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln
lincoln.senate.gov/html/webform.html
Fax: [phone]

California Senator Diane Feinstein
feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
Fax: [phone]

Colorado Senator Ken Salazar
salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Washington, D.C. Office
Fax: [phone]
Denver Metro Office
Fax: [phone]

Idaho Senator Mike Crapo
crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Fax: [phone]

Iowa Senator Charles Grassley
grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Fax: [phone]

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts
roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contac
tInformation.EmailPat
Fax: [phone]

Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning
bunning.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email
Fax: [phone]

Maine Senator Olympia Snowe
snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?
FuseAction=ContactSenatorSnowe.Email
Fax: [phone]

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry
kerry.senate.gov/low/contact_email.html
Fax: [phone]

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow
stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm
Fax: [phone]

Mississippi Senator Trent Lott
lott.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email
Fax: [phone]

Missouri Senator Christopher Bond
bond.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm
Fax: [phone]

Montana Senator Max Baucus
baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue
Fax: [phone]

New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman
[e-mail]
Fax: [phone]

New York Senator Charles Schumer
schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm
Fax: [phone]

North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad
conrad.senate.gov/webform.html
Fax: [phone]

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden
wyden.senate.gov/contact/
Fax: [phone]

Oregon Senator Gordon Smith
gsmith.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact
.Home
Fax: [phone]

Utah Senator Orin Hatch
hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact
Fax: [phone]

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell
cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Fax: [phone]

West Virginia Senator John D. Rockefeller IV
rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm
Fax: [phone]

Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas
thomas.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Fax: [phone]

Please send this e-mail to everyone you think might be
interested. Thank you very much.

[Teddy Bear]

Still no mention of this journalist who really represents FREE PRESS on the BBC website, or for that matter, on any of the mainstream media sites. What a disgrace. One real journalist, Melanie Phillips does tell his story last year.

Here below is the most recent letter from his brother concerning his fate.

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

My brother Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury went to court today,
June 28th, filled with optimism. The Government of
Bangladesh had recently sent the judge and public prosecutor
who, until now, had been trying his case, to another part of
the country with the result that his trial would have to
begin again with a new judge and prosecutor. We were hopeful
that this might result in this judge dropping the charges
again Shoaib today. Sadly, it appears that the government
has only removed a judge who was hopelessly tainted by his
public assertions that he would convict Shoaib regardless of
the evidence that might be presented.

Today, the judge stated that he is prepared to proceed
quickly, and the prosecutor was prepared with witnesses
ready to testify against Shoaib.

You may recall that, in Bangladesh, there will be no jury in
this trial on charges of treason, sedition and blasphemy.
Neither will Shoaib's attorneys be permitted to bring any
witnesses in his defense. The only option open to the
defense is to cross examine the prosecution witnesses. In
addition, the judge has the option of ending the trial and
issuing a verdict after only half of the witnesses have been
heard. It is safe to assume that the witnesses who can make
the most convincing case against Shoaib will be heard first.
If convicted the penalty will be either death by hanging or
thirty years in prison, which is, in fact, a death sentence.

This only reason for the present delay is that there is one
more appeal to void the charges now pending in the Supreme
Court. While the Supreme Court is on vacation, it may or may
not be possible for the judge to press for a decision from a
jurist in chambers rather than from the full appellate
court.

Shoaib Choudhury is on trial because he urges his government
to recognize the State of Israel. This is not a crime. He is
on trial because of rumors originating in Saudi Arabia that
he is a Mossad agent, something so patently ridiculous that
no reasonable court would even consider it. Why would a
secret intelligence agent publicly proclaim his support for
Israel in an Islamic country? The Qur'an states that
Allah/God gave the Land of Israel to the Jewish people. His
country proclaims that Shoaib's support for Israel is
treason because it is in opposition to their policy and that
it is blasphemous, a charge they find convenient. He is on
trial because he has Jewish and Christian friends and
because he publishes their articles in his newspaper. This
is not blasphemy, and it is not a crime. although some
extremist Muslims would like to think that it is. He is on
trial because he writes plainly about the danger of
extremist madrassas teaching children as young as five to
hate Jews and Israel. The majority of Bangladeshis cannot
afford any other form of education for their children and
are willing to send them anywhere as long as they learn to
read and write. Every charge against Shoaib is false. Shoaib
works tirelessly for interfaith understanding. Bangladesh
considers this treason and blasphemy.

He has committed no crime at all, except for his attempt to
travel to Israel - a minor passport violation for which
others have been assessed a fine equivalent to about US
$7.00. Yes, seven. Shoaib was imprisoned, tortured and held
in solitary confinement for seventeen months. His glaucoma
was not treated, and he lost his sight in one eye. During
that time, he was never tried. He was released only because
of the efforts of his dearest friend and brother in the
United States, Richard Benkin and a U.S. Congressman, but
without the charges being dropped.

Please note that Shoaib takes no public position on matters
of Israeli policy.

We will begin again. We will not give in to defeatism or
despair.

There is a new U.S. Ambassador in Dhaka who has scarcely had
time to unpack. We cannot give him the luxury of easing into
his responsibilities.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS. TELL THEM THIS IS AN URGENT HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERN,
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. REMIND THEM THAT THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES PASSED RESOLUTION #64 IN SUPPORT OF SALAH
UDDIN SHOAIB CHOUDHURY IS MARCH OF THIS YEAR BY A VOTE OF
409-1. URGE THEM TO CALL THE STATE DEPARTMENT NOW. WE WANT
OUR AMBASSADOR TO BANGLADESH TO TAKE THIS TO THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT THERE. THE TIME IS PAST FOR LOWER LEVER
DIPLOMATS TO MAKE INEFFECTIVE GESTURES SUPPORTING SHOAIB.
THESE HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED, BUT THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH. WE
HAVE LESS THAN THREE WEEKS TO SAVE SHOAIB'S LIFE.

Yes, this is a worst case scenario. There may be further
legal delays, but it is equally possible that there may not
be. What is absolutely clear is that this new judge and
prosecutor are fully prepared to hear the case against
Shoaib quickly. In Bangladesh, this is never a good sign. We
must proceed as if the worst will happen, because it is very
possible, and then pray that it does not.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT CONTACT SENATORS AND
REPRESENTATIVES. THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE CLERGY, PLEASE SPEAK
TO YOUR CONGREGATONS AND ASK YOUR MEMBERS TO CALL CONGRESS.

Additional information about Shoaib may be found at
www.interfaithstrength.com .

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO HELP SHOIAB.WHEN
YOU CALL CONGRESS, PLEASE TELL ME WHO YOU REACH AND WHAT YOU
HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. PLEASE DO NOT GIVE IN TO FRUSTRATION. IT
IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO REACH OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS.

Wishing you abundant blessings,