Debbie Schlussel: Update on Bangladesh Muslim Editor Under Attack for Supporting Israel: Beaten by RoP
Almost a month ago, we wrote about Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, the moderate Muslim editor of The Weekly Blitz in Bangladesh.
For daring to plan a trip to Israel, he was imprisoned for 17 months by Bangladesh authorities. Now, he faces additional charges of sedition, a new trial on Thursday, and more jail-time. Our friend, Michael Freund of The Jerusalem Post, sends us his latest installment on Choudhury. He was assaulted and beaten at his offices by a mob, including members of the Bangladeshi government:
A Muslim journalist facing charges of sedition for advocating ties with Israel was recently attacked and beaten by a crowd in Bangladesh that allegedly included leading officials of the country's ruling party, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor of the Weekly Blitz newspaper, an English-language publication based in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, was working in his office on October 5 when nearly 40 people stormed the premises.The mob beat Choudhury, leaving him with a fractured ankle, and looted cash that was kept in the company safe. Choudhury was briefly hospitalized.
According to a statement appearing on the Web site of the Weekly Blitz, the attackers were led by Helal Khan, international affairs secretary of Jasas, and included Babul Ahmed, Jasas's secretary-general. Jasas is the cultural wing of the ruling Bangladeshi National Party (BNP).
During the assault, Ahmed is said to have shouted at Choudhury, labeling him an "agent of the Jews." . . .
No arrests were made, and police refused to allow Choudhury to file charges against his attackers.
As we asked back in September, we ask again:
Sound like a "Religion of Peace" to you? This guy, Choudhury, is a Muslim hero. But predictably, the fake "moderate" Muslims in the U.S. are completely silent about Choudhury's plight because they aren't, in fact, moderate at all and support this extremism.
Visit Free Choudhury. Choudhury can be e-mailed here, here, or here.
Posted by Debbie on October 18, 2006 08:05 AM to Debbie Schlussel