Mark Steven Kirk: My Big Brother

Every time, when my Big Brother, Mark Steven Kirk awaits poll result after the Congressional election, I spend a very difficult night, keeping my fingers crossed to hear the good news that this champion defender of human rights is re-elected. Should there be no Mark Stevn Kirk in American politics, I was still a man, spending difficult nights and days inside isolated prison cell in Dhaka, where I spent 17 months as the Islamist affiliated BNP government pushed me in prison with ridiculous charges of sedition,treason and blasphemy simply for my efforts in promoting inter-faith harmony as well as for confronting millitant Islam.

My Jewish brother, Richard Benkin called to give me the good news that popular five-term United States Congressman Mark Steven Kirk, made his long anticipated announcement that he is a candidate for the United States Senate—the same Senate seat once held by US President Barack Obama.

Hearing this news, I immediately told Benkin, this is the beginning of a long journey. People of United States will one day elect Mark Kirk as their next President. I have no doubt, after John F Kennedy, Mark Kirk will be the most glorious and memorable President in the history of United States, once he is elected to White House. Why? Because, Kirk is the man of integrity and commitment. He values human rights, democracy and has the courage to fight religious extremism.

After my release from prison in 2005, Bangladeshi government for the first time allowed me to visit United States in 2007. On the same year, I had the opportunity to visit that country twice. During the first visit, when I first saw Mark Kirk at rayban´s Building, he hugged me just like a loving brother. I was so much touched. And, each time, when I was in United States, Mark Kirk or his aides never forgot to inquire about me.

Illinois Rep. Mark S. Kirk of the suburban Chicago 10th House District has been called "One of the Brightest Members of the House" by the Chicago Tribune. Morton Kondracke, Executive Editor of Roll Call and one of FoxNews "Beltway Boys" considers Kirk as "one of Congress´s most effective moderates."

However, that belies the mettle of this remarkable moderate Republican Representative. His broad reach goes far beyond the essential domestic ones. He tackles foreign policy issues of importance to his constituents regarding Israel, Iran, Darfur, and human rights in Bengladesh. He is co-founder of the House Iran Working Group and the US - China Working Group. Kirk is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittees on Financial Services and General Government, State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. He is Co-chairman of the Tuesday Group -a coalition of mainstream Republican Members in the House. This commendation upon his election in 2004 as Co-Chair of the Tuesday Group underlines respect for his background and valued expertise:

"In the House and as a Commander in the Naval Reserve, Mark is a demonstrated leader who promotes a positive message and agenda to unite our party," said Deborah Pryce (R-OH), Chairwoman of the House Republican Conference. "In this position, Mark´s institutional knowledge, grasp of the issues, and political skills will serve the Tuesday Group and the entire Republican Conference well."

Kirk´s background is remarkable as well. Born in the district, he was educated at New Trier High School. After a stint at the Autonomous University in Mexico he went on to finish his Bachelors at Cornell, and then took a Masters degree at the London School of Economics. It was during that period in the early 1980´s, that Kirk had a stint as an aide to a Member of Parliament. Kirk returned to the US to take a JD at Georgetown University.

He was commissioned a Naval Reserve Intelligence officer in 1989. Currently holding the rank of a Navy Commander, Kirk spends a weekend a month as a Deputy Intelligence Officer at the Pentagon´s National Military Command Center. He served tours in Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Panama. He was an air crewman flying missions over Northern Iraq. In 1999, for his Kosovo tour, he was named "Naval Intelligence Officer of the Year."

In 2008 end, in an interview with major American news outlet, Mark Kirk was asked "You have made common cause with him to save the life of courageous Bangladeshi journalist Shoaib Choudhury who was arrested and tortured for attempting to travel to Israel in 2003. He is on trial for sedition, treason and blasphemy that are capital charges in Bangladesh. Why do you and others in Congress believe this is an important human rights matter and what can we do to save Choudhury's life?"

In response, he said, "Shoaib Choudhury is a Bangladeshi journalist who publishes a weekly newspaper [Weekly Blitz] that has advocated better relations between moderate Muslim countries and the people of Israel. He has been thrown in jail for the crime of attempting to travel to Israel to attend a journalist conference. He has experienced 17 months in jail including being beaten and tortured. Dr. Benkin became the most effective advocate and inspired me to get involved. I found the Bengladeshis were surprised that a US Congressman would get involved with Shoaib. I felt it was a travesty and he should be released. Through a long set of negotiations, including my becoming head of the Bangladesh caucus in the House, we did get Shoaib out of jail so that he could live with his family. Now he has been put on trial for his life for sedition. The legal wrangling has become a farce. A case that should never have come to trial imperils the future of his family. We can only resist these charges until he becomes free. Bangladesh has a very important election coming up. My hope is that a more moderate government will be elected. We have come to see the end of military rule in Pakistan. And so having the return of a more moderate government in Bangladesh could result in a good outcome ending Shoaib´s legal nightmare of being on trial for his life. We cannot lose focus on this very brave Muslim journalist thrown in jail because he wanted to have better relations with Israel."

And, most importantly, Mark Kirk´s comments in the interview were not mere words. As I said, he is a man of integrity. Right after the election of Bangladesh Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, U.S. Congress sent a letter to the newly elected Prime Minister, reminding her to immediately drop the false charges against me. But, unfortunately, the government continues to behave like its predecessors, who were appeasing Islamists. I am still facing trial in a Dhaka court. The government even ignores the U.S. Congress resolution [HR 64], which was passed few years back demanding immediate dropping of the false charges, stopping all forms of harrassments and according protection to me. Instead, the millitary backed interim government withdrew police protection from my house in May 2008. It was later learnt that, one of the influential but extremely controversial advisors in the interim government initiated such actions. I was even abducted at gun point by the members of Rapid Action Battalion in March 2008. And finally, thugs of the ruling party physically attacked me in February 2009. Importantly, law enforcing agencies are continuing to turn deaf of all such incidents. There is no action against the culprits.

Just imagine the density of danger I am in. And, if Mark Kirk wont continue to care about my safety, I was already a dead man. Islamist guns are chasing me every moment. They even have affiliation with anti-American leftists. But, upto now, I am alive. Because, my Big Brother, Mark Steven Kirk and other members of U.S. Congress as well as leaders in other nations are closely watching my case.