This seems like a worthy cause, but how much is the American Jewish Committee [1] actually hurting Choudhury's chances of acquittal or clemency by campaigning on his behalf?
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, a Bangladeshi journalist and the editor of Blitz, the largest tabloid English-language weekly in Bangladesh, is currently facing a sedition trial for speaking out about the threats radical Islam poses in Bangladesh. Mr. Choudry’s trial is set to begin on [Oct. 12], and if he is found guilty, he could face the death penalty.
AJC and other human rights organizations are calling on world leaders to press Bangladesh to end its persecution Mr. Choudhury, who was arrested in November 2003 when he tried to attend a conference in Israel and imprisoned under extremely difficult conditions. Although he was released last year thanks to the tireless efforts of many government officials including US Congressman Mark Kirk, the Bangladesh government continues to harass Mr. Choudhury, intent on silencing him and his views.
In May 2006, AJC presented Mr. Choudhury with its Moral Courage Award recognizing his efforts to promote dialogue between Muslims and Jews and his courage to speak the truth against Islamic extremism. However, the Bangladesh government prevented him from visiting the United States to receive the honor.
Speak out for Mr. Choudhury by emailing Ambassador Shamsher M. Chowdhury and calling on the Bangladesh government to grant Mr. Choudhury his freedom. Urge US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to echo these calls and urge the Bangladesh government to free Mr. Choudhury.
See our last post on Bangladesh [2].
