January 19, 2007 –
“As the new Government assumes power and confronts the many daunting issues facing it, we urge your early consideration of the case of Mr. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, against whom unwarranted sedition charges were brought by the BNP-led Government,” AJC President E. Robert Goodkind and Executive Director David A. Harris wrote in a letter to Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Advisor to the Caretaker Government in Bangladesh. As a result of his writings concerning the rise of radicalism in Bangladesh and his belief in interfaith dialogue, Choudhury, editor of the Weekly Blitz, the largest tabloid English-language weekly in Bangladesh, was arrested and imprisoned when he attempted to travel to Israel in November, 2003, to attend a conference on coexistence. His newspaper offices have been bombed and he has been targeted with death threats.
“The persecution of Mr. Choudhury, whose case concerns many in civil society and government circles in Washington and European capitals, comes at a time when Bangladesh is in need of all avenues of international cooperation,” said Goodkind and Harris in their letter to Ahmed. “It is our hope that Bangladesh will not only take a stand against corruption, but also against the rise of radicalism – and the radical abuse of legal mechanisms – which has harmed the stability of Bangladesh and threatens its international relations, particularly with the United States.”
AJC presented its Moral Courage Award to Choudhury last May in recognition of his deep conviction in interfaith dialogue and his dedication to moderation in the Muslim world. However, |
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