I know of few people who embody it more than this man.
August 3, 2007 – New York – Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, on a rare visit to the United States, personally thanked the American Jewish Committee for supporting his efforts to combat radical Islam and promote Muslim-Jewish relations.
“I cannot afford to let my country fall into the grips of the radicals,†Choudhury declared before a large luncheon at AJC headquarters in New York.
Choudhury, editor of the Weekly Blitz, a major English-language weekly in Bangladesh, has been on trial in Bangladesh for sedition because of his writings on radical Islam and his attempt to visit Israel. His newspaper offices have been bombed, and he has been physically assaulted. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
“We are in the presence of someone unafraid to stand up in a world which needs more people to follow his example and stand together shoulder to shoulder against the forces of hatred, and incitement, who would divide us in the name of religion, in the name of other ideologies,†said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris.
Yes, Choudhury is wrapping up a rare trip to the U.S. In a few days he'll be flying back to Bangladesh to continue his fight, in spite of the mortal danger he faces there. And yet he still maintains his sense of humor about it all.
"When members of the government saw me leave, I bet they said, 'Good, one less headache,'" Mr. Choudhury told members of the American Jewish Committee Thursday. "But when I go back on Sunday, they are going to have twice the headache."
"I am proud to be a Muslim Zionist," Mr. Choudhury said. "My family raised me to be tolerant of other religions."
You can find previous InContext posts about Shoaib Choudhury here, here, here and here.
Meanwhile, his visit isn't over yet. Watch this space.
Shabbat Shalom.
