Salahuddin a moderate voice in Islam is in danger

Yesterday I received an email from my friend in Bangladesh named

Salahuddin Shoaib choudhary. He has come to known to western world in
last few years but still unfamiliar with Indian subcontinent
particularly in India. I first came to know about him in January this
year when correspondence with one American Jew and human right
activist and now my good friend Dr Richard Benkin started in January
2008. Not several people aware of the strong bond of relation between
Salahuddin and Dr Richard Benkin but both loves to be called brother
to each other. Since January 2008 I started taking some interest in
this issue and tried to go in the detail of Salahddin Shoaib
Choudhary . It is not much of importance who is Salahuddin but thing
of paramount importance is his fight against Islamism and radical
Islam. He is a man with courage who is paying price for opposing
radical Islam and exposing the threat of Islamist terrorism to Muslim
world as well as the whole world.

On 11th of June I received his email that appellate division has

dismissed his special leave petition it means he has to face the trial
of treason charge which according to him and others who know
Salahuddin well are false as an instrument to crush the dissent voice
among Islamic world. Salahuddin is also an editor of a weekly
newspaper published from Dhaka He is the first
Muslim in history of Bangladesh who openly advocated for the
diplomatic relationship between Dhaka and Telaviv and opposed islamist
terrorism exposing nexus between radical islamist political parties
and terrorist groups Al-Queda and HUJI. His advocacy for Israel put
him before danger and he was branded as an agent of Israel as Dr
Richard Benkin his link between Israel and Bangladesh. He has been
tortured by government agencies of Bangladesh on various occasions and
two years back he was able to come out of jail only because of efforts
of Dr Richard Benkin and some congress men in America. But sword is
still hanging on his head which was visible when notorious armed force
of Bangladesh RAB abducted him on gun point on March 18 2008 and
insulted him in abusive language. It was again efforts of Dr Richard
Benkin and some congress men in American congress which insured his
safe release but his police protection has also been withdrawn in
March. Government of Bangladesh has charged him with treason and
sedition and if those charges proved he would be given death penalty.
On 11th June when I received email form Salahuddin I got my eyes wet
imaging the horrific anti climax of his struggle. Salahuddin Shoaib
choudhary is not fighting for himself only his fight belong to all of
us who are worried for the safe and free world as well as safe future
for our next generation.

What a paradox with South Asia on the one hand a terrorist who was
responsible for attack on Indian parliament and who been executed to
death penalty from lower court to Supreme court of India is pleading
for clemency and due to Muslim appeasement Indian Government headed by
Congress and Left are trying hard to delay the execution of Mohammad
Afzal and on the other hand government of Bangladesh is trying hard to
execute a moderate voice in Islam to appease Islamists in their own
country. This contrast with similarity reflects the moral bankruptcy
of South Asian countries and their submission to Islamist terrorism
and Muslim appeasement.

We have bitter experience of our neighbor countries with lack of

democracy and respect for dissent voice. We have Pakistan and now
Bangladesh which have fallen in the hands of Islamist forces and
radical Islamist political parties in the grab of pseudo democracy not
only protecting these forces but also nourishing them. In this
critical phase if one moderate voice within Islamism has emerged we
should protect and preserve it. Salahuddin is a victim of Islamism as
we have earlier Salman Rushdie, Taslima Nasrin, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa
Sultan and Ali Sina in this category. Salahuddin is a man who is ray
of hope in this fight against Islamist terrorism and world can not
afford to loose these kinds of warriors who are challenging the
hegemony of Islamism within Islam.

From last four issues of his weekly magazine he is

writing a series of articles on Islamist terrorism with wide and deep
information’s of base of Al-Queda and other terrorist networks in
several parts of the world. For last few years Islamist terrorism has
taken a new shift and south Asia has emerged as new hub of terrorism
with Pakistan and Bangladesh as new gravity centre. Since 9\11 every
major terrorist incident which happened across the world whether it is
Europe or other parts of the world has role of Pakistan based
terrorist groups as well as Bangladesh. Terrorism has grown to such
proportion as it has gone out of hand and new strategy needed to
tackle it properly. This new strategy is based on alliance against
terrorism. This alliance could become reality once all terror affected
civilizations and moderate voice among Islamic world come close
together. In this new era of information it has become very easy to
search our allies and be in touch with them. Dr Richard Benkin and
Salahuddin are discovery of this new technology for me. Need of the
hour is to rally behind Salahuddin in his critical phase to boost his
morale. Salahuddin is not fighting only for his survival his success
or defeat is going to decide our fate also as whether we would be able
to preserve a moderate voice among Islam and pave the way for
democratization of Islamic society in south Asia or not. We can defend
him by our will power and academic efforts also. We should flood the
embassy of Bangladesh in our country with petitions registering
protest against immoral and autocratic stand of that country with
predetermined trial of an innocent fighter against Islamism only to
appease Islamist lobby.