Urge Freedom for Bangladeshi Journalist
David A. Harris
Executive Director, American Jewish Committee
Week of October 10, 2006

The world's focus is now rightly on North Korea's ominous nuclear test and its implications for global security.  Meanwhile, elsewhere in Asia, a man is about to go on trial. He, too, deserves our attention.

His name is Shoaib Choudhury. He's a Bangladeshi journalist. He faces charges of treason, sedition and blasphemy.

Why? Because of hard-hitting exposés in his weekly paper about radical Islam and the brainwashing of kids as early as kindergarten. And because he's interested in promoting friendly ties between Bangladesh and Israel. Those views could cost him his life

His only hope is us-people of good will who stand up and speak out, who say "no" to such blatant human rights violations.

As we are taught, "To save one life is to save the world."

Take a moment and go to the AJC Web site-ajc.org. There you can send letters to the Bangladeshi government saying we won't condone such a travesty of justice, and to our own State Department asking for diplomatic intervention.

This is David Harris of the American Jewish Committee.