Released on = April 13, 2006, 10:10 pm

Press Release Author = Magna News & Feature Service Inc

Industry = Media

Press Release Summary = Bangladesh government virtually dishonored the letter from
the members of US Congress. Now, it is time for the US Congress to move a bill
immediately to stop import of all sorts of goods from the country unless the
government changes it's attitude towards press and seizes its softer relations with
the Islamist radicals.

Press Release Body = Three years back, prestigious US daily New York Times in its
Sunday edition editorial published an important commentary on the issue of
repression of journalists in Bangladesh. On December 14, 2003, NYT published the
editorial titled 'Risk of journalism in Bangladesh', where they commented
"Bangladesh may now be among the world\'s most dangerous countries for journalists".
Even today, cases of repression of journalists in Bangladesh did not end or even
decrease. Rather, the ruling government is doing everything to interrupt the freedom
of expression, or even worst. Just recently, Bangladesh government refused to let an
eminent journalist and editor of Weekly Blitz, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury visit
United States to receive American Jewish Committee's prestigious Moral Courage Award
this May. Despite series of requests and appeals from international organizations
like Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International PEN, International Forum
for Literature and Culture of Peace (IFLAC), Israel-Islam Fellowship, Cultural
Institute of the Italian Islamic Community, Israeli Citizen Action Network etc as
well members of US Congress Mark Steven Kirk, Joseph Crowley and Peter King,
Bangladesh government did not feel any necessity to drop the false sedition charge
that they brought against Shoaib Choudhury nor did they return his passport and
possessions or even end continued harassment. It is learnt from a number of sources
in Bangladesh that the government is reluctant in taking any positive step on
Choudhury's case, fearing adverse reaction from the Islamist radicals, some of whom
are even partners of the coalition government in the country.
Chicago based journalist, columnist, peace activist and Zionist Dr. Richard Benkin,
commenting on Shoaib Choudhury's issue said, "my brother is land arrested by the
Bangladesh government for his alleged 'crime' of confronting rise of Islamist
radicals as well for advocating relations between Israel and the Muslim countries
and establishing bridge of understanding between Jews Christians and Muslim to end
the culture of hatred."
Commenting of the continued land arrest of this Bangladeshi journalist, a senior
advocate in Bangladesh Supreme Court said, "Bangladesh government virtually
dishonored the letter from the members of US Congress. Now, it is time for the US
Congress to move a bill immediately to stop import of all sorts of goods from the
country unless the government changes it's attitude towards press and seizes its
softer relations with the Islamist radicals. He said, US has already suspended
assistance to government led by Palestine's notorious group Hamas. Now, they should
also take the case of Bangladesh in the same perspective."
Eminent Australian journalist David Frankfurter said, "the government in Bangladesh
gains in several ways by harassing Choudhury. It stops his activities, sends a clear
message to others who might dare speak the heresy of peace with the Jews, asserts
the government\'s power, and curries favor with the discontented populace. Simply,
appearing even more anti-Zionist than your opponent is a sure way of winning support
in any Muslim country."
He further said, "most importantly, it does it because it can. Despite protests by
Reporters without Borders, Committee to Protect Journalists, and a few others,
Bangladeshi officials have heard little outrage over this human rights violation."
Canadian writer Celine Leduc, commenting on Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury said, "the
real aim is to shut him up to take away freedom of speech in a country that was
working towards diversity of opinion and freedom of speech. His real crime as I
understood was that he wanted to expose and rid his country of the radical forces.
Hence the radicals chose to accuse him of the crime of Zionism which would make him
a Zionist hence an enemy not of the state of the radicals. However, the radical
forces used Choudhury and the Zionist card as a rallying force he then became a
scapegoat and the victim of an orchestrated smear campaign. It also sent a very
strong message to any person who dared contradict the unofficial theocratic
dictatorship that rules by fear and uses the legal system to prevent free speech.
They have not yet control of the internet and hence information can flow freely."
Editor of Middle East Web, Ami Isseroff said, "I first became acquainted with Salah
Uddin Shoaib Choudhury when MidEastWeb published his article Incubating
Ultra-Radicalism, warning about the spread of Islamist and Jihadist radical
education in Bangladesh. In this article, Salah raised a red signal flag about the
progress of radicalism in his country. He sounded the alarm wherever he could, but
he was unfortunately ignored. The world now has dramatic and tragic proof that he
spoke the truth and did not exaggerate."
Since his release on bail on 30th April last year, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury has
written numerous articles and op-eds in a large number of international newspapers.
He is continuing to publish Weekly Blitz, which is the only newspaper in any Muslim
country with the absolute and commendable courage of criticizing Islamist radicals.
Now this most courageous anti radical journalist is land arrested by his government.
International community as well governments in the West need to raise their voices
against inhumane treatment of Shoaib Choudhury. Can we not save the life of this
man, who is in virtual hell, where his and his family's lives are in acute danger?


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