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A man with deep ties to his Long Grove synagogue took on a fight for justice recently when he helped secure the release of a Muslim writer imprisoned in his own country for 17 months on false charges of sedition.
With the help of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-10th, Richard Benkin won the release of Bangladeshi Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury at the end of April.
"When you get a cry for help, you can't turn your back," said Benkin.
Kirk presented a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to Benkin May 22 at Benkin's synagogue, Temple Chai in Long Grove. The certificate was awarded for Benkin's "commitment and dedication to preserving human rights in the case of Shoaib Choudhury."
Benkin and Choudhury have never met. Benkin first learned of Choudhury through the Internet.
"A little more than two years ago, I received an e-mail," said Benkin. "It was a plea for help from a Bangladesh journalist who was sending e-mails to a small number of people" whose writings he had read online.
Choudhury, who published a weekly newspaper in Bangladesh, "wanted help to bring his people unbiased and uncensored news about the Middle East," said Benkin. "He was looking for access to alternate news sources. He also was trying to convince (Muslims and Jews) to engage in interfaith dialogue."
Benkin replied to Choudhury's e-mail.
"I do a lot of online publishing, primarily about Israel, the Middle East ... primarily in pro-Zionist online publications," said Benkin.
Building trust
Choudhury helped Benkin publish pieces in Bangladesh newspapers. The two men, Benkin, a Jew living in Mount Prospect, and Choudhury, a Muslim in Bangladesh, worked together for several months before Choudhury was arrested Nov. 29, 2003.
He was seized as he was about to board an airplane for a trip to Tel Aviv where he planned to speak to the Hebrew Writers Association. Bangladesh does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and Bangladesh citizens are not allowed to travel there. The maximum penalty for that offense is 90 days in jail.
But Choudhury was imprisoned and charged with a much more serious crime, namely sedition, for "spying in the interests of Israel and against the interests of Bangladesh," said Benkin. His passport, tickets and $3,000 he was carrying were all confiscated.
Choudhury and Benkin believe it was radical Islamists who pressured the Bangladesh government to detain Choudhury without bail for an indefinite period of time.
"Bangladesh is a democracy, but radical Islamists have risen to positions of influence there," said Benkin.
During his imprisonment, Choudhury, who is married with two children, said he was blindfolded and interrogated, denied adequate food, medical care and sanitary conditions. Glaucoma threatened his eyesight. Meanwhile, police ransacked his family's house and his business in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
His mother "was pressured constantly by religious organizations to denounce her son," Benkin said. She suffered a heart attack and died while Choudhury was in prison. He was not released from prison to attend her funeral.
Choudhury was allowed to see and talk to his brother regularly. He told his brother to contact Benkin and tell him what had happened.
A 'lonely' vigil
Benkin tried to help. He published stories about Choudhury's situation, appealed to elected officials and contacted organizations such as Amnesty International. But Choudhury's imprisonment stretched on for more than a year.
"It felt very lonely," said Benkin. "I am not a professional advocate. I would get up at 4 a.m. every morning and work on this. Many times I would ask myself if I was doing anything," said Benkin. "Am I helping this man?"
Choudhury was still in prison, facing charges that could result in a death sentence, when Benkin asked the members of his synagogue, Temple Chai, to write letters asking for Choudhury's release. More important, however, were the beliefs instilled in him by his religion.
"I go (to Temple Chai) and study Torah every week. That study, the spiritual values, the Jewish values, they kept me going," said Benkin. "Periodically, Rabbi (Stephen) Hart and I would talk. ... He was always someone whose words encouraged me and really helped."
But without the intervention of Kirk, Benkin's congressman, Choudhury probably would still be in jail.
"Kirk's participation was absolutely critical," Benkin said. He first contacted Kirk's office in November, along with Illinois' two senators.
"I felt very, very sure that when he would take a minute (to evaluate Choudhury's situation), Mark Kirk is the type of person who would get involved. He certainly has been an advocate and supporter of interfaith dialogue," Benkin said. "And he has a reputation as a human rights defender."
Kirk, according to Benkin, was the only person in a position of authority to respond to his call for help.
"I contacted a lot of people," said Benkin. "But no one did anything."
A 'good case'
Kirk said he responded to Benkin's request because "he is a constituent of mine and it was a particularly good case." As a member of the House Human Rights Caucus, Kirk has intervened in international disputes before, such as when Amnesty International asked him to help an Ethiopian prisoner of conscience.
Kirk arranged for Benkin and he to meet with the Bangladesh ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C. Before the April 8 meeting, Kirk "spent a lot of time" going over the events with Benkin. Kirk believes he was more familiar with the details of the case than the ambassador was. Kirk also delved a little deeper and found that part of the opposition Choudhury faced came from a rival newspaper.
"I told the ambassador producing a competitive newspaper is not against the law. 'You have him on charges of sedition. The Bangladesh government should not be used in this way,' " said Kirk.
"I have never had a meeting before with somebody from Washington," Benkin said. "But I have had a lot of meetings with CEOs and CFOs from major corporations, and Kirk was as incisive and effective as anyone I have ever seen."
Kirk attributes much of his effectiveness to the fact that he serves on a key subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, one "that funds foreign assistance and all the State Department operations."
The ambassador, Shamsher M. Chowdhury, paid attention because "we provide U.S. aid to Bangladesh," Kirk said. "In front of his staff, I was very positive."
Getting the message
But then the ambassador and Kirk took a walk together down the hall.
"We had what they call in the State Department a free and frank exchange of views. He got the message," Kirk said. "I told him, 'You need to solve this problem before it becomes a much larger problem.' I was prepared to bring the matter to the entire Congress ... and ratchet up the pressure."
Kirk first stressed Choudhury needed to have his glaucoma treated, and five days after their meeting, the ambassador told him a competent doctor had examined the man, Kirk said.
Choudhury was released on bail April 30, and Benkin heard the news from Choudhury himself over the telephone.
"Hello, my brother, I am free," he said.
Within a day or so of his release, Benkin said Choudhury told him, "We have to push forward even more now on the mission we have."
Their goal, Benkin said, is a "free exchange of information and interfaith dialogue."
In an e-mail June 10 to the Countryside, Choudhury said they will work to establish "a good relationship between Muslims and Jews and Bangladesh and Israel." In an article for the Jerusalem Post, Choudhury wrote, "Many Muslims believe that they cannot be friends with Jews, but I am living proof that such friendship is possible."
As for Benkin, Choudhury stated in his e-mail, "Richard Benkin is the bravest of the braves and my very best, trusted and loving brother. We ... both are committed to the mission that we are in." |
