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Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Congressional Resolution on Behalf of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury -- ACTION ALERT!!!

On November 14, Representives Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Nita Lowey (D-NY)
introduced a Congressional Resolution urging the Bangladesh government to
drop all charges against Muslim journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury and
cease all other forms of harassment against him. I have attached the
Resolution, House Resolution 1080. It will be voted on before Congress
adjourns at the end of this year.

Please contact your Congressional Representatives and urge them to support
House Resolution 1080. Please encourage everyone you know to do the same.
This is an issue that both Democrats and Republicans are supporting, and we
must get it passed by a huge margin. This is our chance and the Congress's
chance to make a strong statement for justice and against radicalism, and
help save the life of this very brave man. You should contact your current
Member of Congress who was in office before the recent elections.

Please act now and get everyone you know to act.

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not
hesitate to contact me at 1-847-922-6426 or via this email address. You can
also find more information at www.InterfaithStrength.com.

Thank you.

Richard Benkin

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
www.InterfaithStrength.com

H.L.C.
.....................................................................
(Original Signature of Member)
109TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION H. RES.
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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. KIRK (for himself and Mrs. LOWEY) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on

RESOLUTION

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 an interfaith dialogue between Jews and Muslims
and criticism of Islamic extremism, is on trial for sedition, an offense
punishable by death;

Whereas on November 29, 2003, Mr. Choudhury was arrested at Zia
International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on his way to board a flight
bound for Tel Aviv; Mr. Choudhury's passport was seized, along with
considerable sums of money and several personal items; on that same day
police raided Mr. Choudhury's home and newspaper offices, seizing files,
computers, and other valuables;

Whereas Mr. Choudhury was detained in Dhaka Central Jail for a passport
violation, then subsequently charged with sedition; Mr. Choudhury suffered
harsh interrogation techniques and received no treatment for a debilitating
case of glaucoma; Mr. Choudhury's incarceration lasted 17 months without
legal recourse;

Whereas on April 30, 2005, after intervention by the United States
Department of State and congressional offices, Mr. Choudhury was released on
bail;

Whereas in the subsequent months, senior members of the Bangledeshi
Government made continuous public promises that there was no substance to
Mr. Choudhury's pending charges and that all charges would be dropped;

Whereas on September 29, 2005, Mr. Choudhury was awarded the ''Freedom to
Write Award'' by PEN USA;

Whereas on May 5, 2006, Mr. Choudhury was awarded the American Jewish
Committee's Moral Courage Award in absentia in Washington, D.C.; two days
prior to Mr. Choudhury receiving the award, after returning Mr. Choudhury's
passport and appearing to allow him to attend, senior Bangladeshi Government
officials issued threats to prevent him from leaving the country;

Whereas on July 6, 2006, Mr. Choudhury's newspaper offices were bombed by an
Islamic extremist organization after Mr. Choudhury and his staff published
articles in support of the Ahmadiyya Muslim minority; Mr. Choudhury received
a tip about the bombing days before and reported it to police, who refused
to take action;

Whereas on September 18, 2006, a judge with alleged ties to an Islamic
extremist party ruled that Mr. Choudhury will stand trial for sedition; the
judge made this ruling despite the Public Prosecutor's testimony in court
days before that the government did not have evidence and would not object
to the charges being dropped;

Whereas on October 5, 2006, Mr. Choudhury was attacked at his newspaper
offices by a large group of individuals, including prominent members of the
ruling Bangladesh National Party; police protection for Mr. Choudhury was
withdrawn just days before the attack; Mr. Choudhury was called an ''agent
of the Jews'' and beaten badly; when Mr. Choudhury reported the attack to
the police, no action was taken;

Whereas members of the United States Commission on International Religious
Freedom visited with Mr. Choudhury on their trip to Bangladesh in February
and March 2006;

Whereas on October 6, 2006, the United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom wrote a letter to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for
South and Central Asian Affairs Richard A. Boucher calling on the United
States Government to strengthen the ''voices of moderation'' in countries
like Bangladesh where the rule of law, democratic institutions, and respect
for human rights are under assault by violent extremists; the Commission
identified Mr. Choudhury as one of those voices that should not be silenced;

Whereas, according to the Department of State's 2005 Country Report on
Human Rights Practices in Bangladesh, ''Attacks on journalists and
newspapers, and government efforts to intimidate them, political party
activists, and others, occurred frequently.''; and

Whereas moderate voices in the Muslim world must be supported and protected
to advance the security of theUnited States and its allies:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that-

(1) the Government of Bangladesh should immediately drop all pending charges
against Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury;

(2) the Government of Bangladesh should immediately return all of Mr.
Choudhury's confiscated possessions;

and

(3) the Government of Bangladesh should cease harassment and intimidation of
Mr. Choudhury, 12 take steps to protect Mr. Choudhury, and hold accountable
those responsible for attacks against Mr. Choudhury.

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