Bangladeshi pro-Israel journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury tells his own story of the eighteen months he spent in prison for the crime of advocating acceptance of Israel.
We expect people to be punished for crimes, and that immorality will have its consequences. We do not expect people to be arrested, tortured and imprisoned for favoring global peace, interfaith dialogue and ending religious hatred. But that is precisely what happened to me.
What was my "crime"? Being a living contradiction: a Zionist and a devout Muslim living in Bangladesh, the world's second-largest Muslim country.
As a journalist, I counteracted the biased "news" that promoted hatred of Israel and Jews; condemned terrorism, promoted the free exchange of ideas and urged Bangladesh to recognize Israel. My colleague, Dr. Richard Benkin, and I worked together and saw the start of real debate. We were ecstatic and hopeful.
But on November 29, 2003, police grabbed me as I was about to board a plane for Tel Aviv, at the invitation of Dr. Ada Aharoni, to address the Hebrew Writers Association on the media's role in creating cultures of peace.
At the airport, spiritually in Israel though physically still in Dhaka, my heart ached to kiss Israel's holy soil. I presented my passport. The inspector glared at me and raised his eyebrows. Silently, he rose and escorted me to a higher official's office.
Clearly, they had planned this. The official's cold words crushed me: "You cannot travel on this flight." He motioned, and several officers ripped open my luggage and ran through its contents - a few meager belongings and small gifts. They searched my bag and my person, seized my passport, tickets and $3,000. I stood silent, shocked, until an officer said, "Mr. Choudhury, you are under arrest for attempted travel to an enemy country."
Read the whole story. (It's still not getting enough attention.)
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