Aafia Siddiqui: Another Daughter of Pakistan Sold to Americans
Aafia Siddiqui, labeled as Neuro-scientist of Al-Qaeda, has finally reappeared. She went missing in 2003 during her trip from Karachi to Rawalpindi, along with her three children. Faisal Saleh Hayat, Interior Minister at that time, assured her sister Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, that Aafia will safely return home soon, but that had not happen in 5 years.
Recently British journalist Yvonne Ridley held a press conference in Islamabad and raised her doubts that Prisoner 650 at United States run Bagram Airbase detention facility in Afghanistan, could be Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
Ridley said she first learnt about the woman while reading a book by Guantanamo ex-detainee Moazzam Begg. Ridley added that one of the four Arabs who escaped from the Bagram cell in July 2005 also told a television channel that he had heard a woman’s cries and screams in the prison but never saw her. “I call her the Grey Lady of Bagram because she is almost a ghost, a spectre whose cries and screams continue to haunt those who heard her,” she said.
Yvonne Ridley was captured by Taliban in September 2001 for entering Afghanistan without legal documents. She was freed after 11-day detention and later embraced Islam in June 2003.
The Foreign Office, as usual, denied knowledge of the alleged detention of a Pakistani woman at Bagram Airbase and said that the allegation would be looked into.
The news of Aafia Siddiqui’s possible detention in Afghanistan caused an uproar and Jamat-e-Islami, along with civil society, held nation-wide protests. Mainstream political parties and ‘ruling coalition’ partners remained uninterested on this.
The protests vibrated across the world, causing Americans to declare her detention. In a lame statement from US Department of Justice (DOJ), it was stated that Aafia Siddiqui is arrested for attempting to kill United States Officers in Afghanistan. She has been transported to New York and will be presented tomorrow before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
On July 17, 2008, officers of the Ghazni Province Afghanistan National Police (”ANP”) observed Siddiqui outside the Ghazni governor’s compound. ANP officers questioned Siddiqui, regarded her as suspicious, and searched her handbag. In it, they found numerous documents describing the creation of explosives, as well as excerpts from the Anarchist’s Arsenal. Siddiqui’s papers included descriptions of various landmarks in the United States, including in New York City. Siddiqui was also in possession of substances that were sealed in bottles and glass jars.
On July 18, 2008, a party of United States personnel, including two FBI special agents, a United States Army Warrant Officer, a United States Army Captain, and United States military interpreters, arrived at the Afghan facility where Siddiqui was being held. The personnel entered a second floor meeting room — unaware that Siddiqui was being held there, unsecured, behind a curtain.
The Warrant Officer took a seat and placed his United States Army M-4 rifle on the floor next to the curtain. Shortly after the meeting began, the Captain heard a woman yell from the curtain and, when he turned, saw Siddiqui holding the Warrant Officer’s rifle and pointing it directly at the Captain. Siddiqui said, “May the blood of [unintelligible] be directly on your [unintelligible, possibly head or hands].” The interpreter seated closest to Siddiqui lunged at her and pushed the rifle away as Siddiqui pulled the trigger. Siddiqui fired at least two shots but no one was hit. The Warrant Officer returned fire with a 9 mm service pistol and fired approximately two rounds at Siddiqui’s torso, hitting her at least once.
Despite being shot, Siddiqui struggled with the officers when they tried to subdue her; she struck and kicked them while shouting in English that she wanted to kill Americans. After being subdued, Siddiqui temporarily lost consciousness. The agents and officers then rendered medical aid to Siddiqui.
Siddiqui, a 36-year-old Pakistani woman who previously resided in the United States, is charged in a criminal Complaint filed in the Southern District of New York with one count of attempting to kill United States officers and employees and one count of assaulting United States officers and employees. If convicted, Siddiqui faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each charge.
Going through the “official” statement, one wonders why Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a PHD in Genetics, was walking around with “chemicals” and bomb-making how-tos. Also, why she had documents about various US landmarks in her bag? Maybe she was trying to plan another 9/11, while taking a walk near Ghazni’s Governor House?
Interestingly, no link of Al-Qaeda was mentioned in DOJ statement.
How would Pervez Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari will react if their daughters and sisters will be similarly handed over to Americans?
Other posts by Kashif Aziz
- Aafia Siddiqui Indicted for Attempting to Kill United States Nationals in Afghanistan - September 3rd, 2008
- Senator Zardari? - September 2nd, 2008
- Afghanistan Government to release Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's son - September 2nd, 2008
- Alarming Development in Nayyar Zaidi Case - August 31st, 2008
- United States DoJ confirms identity of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's son, but he denies it - August 30th, 2008
- Pakistan edging towards another Military Rule? - Part 2 - August 30th, 2008
- Pakistan edging towards another Military Rule? - Part 1 - August 29th, 2008
- Say No to Electricity Bills - August 28th, 2008
- Tanzeem Naqvi resigned from KESC - August 28th, 2008
- Pakistan faces severe Power Crisis - August 27th, 2008
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August 5th, 2008 17:04 GMT
August 5th, 2008 18:53 GMT
I remember being very offended when an american offical said that Pakistanis would even sell their mother for some money.
Well, he was right, I was wrong. We are the most beghairat nation ever.
Americans have lost all sense of honesty. This story is so ridicolous. I mean the woman diappear for years and then when a serious hue and cry is made, within weeks she is suddenly found and what more, she is walking around with plans of america in her wallet in afganistan. then she, this terrible woman is caught, and in interrogation she grabs a gun and tries to shoot. a feet which untill now no al qaida person seems to have acheieved.
Yeah, we were all born yesterday.
August 6th, 2008 01:36 GMT
Am a great admirer of America becasue the finest institutions it has. Its generally law abiding culture and in all probability a just system of citizenry and governance. But when I see how the neoconservatives are behaving, how they are forming US policies towards Muslims, I wonder what will happen to US in the eyes of Muslims.
And this latest stance against Dr. Afia Siddiqui is simply ridiculous. Even a third rate solicitor in Pakistan would think twice to make his accusations plausible but these DOJ guys in the United States of America have propounded such a stupid story that one wonders how do the attorneys in America think and work.
Dr. Afia Siddiqui was found dispaapeared in 2003 and now after five years she is found with documents and explosives and the weapons to attack US soldiers there in Afghanistan.
She is in Bagram ever since her disappearance and in US custody there. So wonderful an army that allows a prisoner to plot and attempt to kill US soldiers while she is in detention.
August 7th, 2008 23:52 GMT
MY NAME IS UMAR RINCH AND I M FROM KARACHI , PAKISTAN. AAFIA SIDDIQUI IS MORE THEN MY SISTER BECAUSE SHE IS A NATIONAL OF MY COUNTRY AND THAT IS PAKISTAN. KEEPING HER IN CAPTIVITY IS AGAINST HUMANITY. AND THE MAIN QUESTION IS THAT
WHY WOULD SHE TRY TO ATTACK US ARMY OFFICIALS. AND HOW SHE WAS TAKEN TO UNITED STATES?? THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN HER TO USA SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN HER BAD FORTUNE. FORGOD SAKE…PAY MERCY ON HER KIDS… WHTS THEIR SIN??? YOU U PEOPLE ARE PUNISHING THEM??? I STRONGLY APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE KEPT HER IN NUTSHELL RITE NOW…THAT PLEASE RELEASE HER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SHE IS A PART OF OUR NATION…..SHE IS OUR SISTER! SHE IS THE DAUGHTER OF PAKISTAN.
August 9th, 2008 20:22 GMT
well its AMNA SYED here….
i jux wana say dat U.S ix d enemy ov MuSlImX…..
and AAFIA sidiqui is a woman, mother,daughter n many more…
she cant do that….
so plx help her out….
August 13th, 2008 00:25 GMT
After going through this story that is described here,i believe ANY human who is in his/her sences can sense the MADE-UP factor in it…this story made against Dr.Afia is so rediculous!!…Americans the ‘SO-CALLED’ people who have raised the concept of Human RightS,Women rights and all this artificial work that they keep doing for humanity..i put up this question to them,Where is ur Justice now?where did all the RIGHTS go?…the way Dr.Afia was tortured,is awful…these Americans have proved that dey are merceless and have crossed the humanity level…thay have acted as BEASTS!!HUNGRY,WILD AND IGNORANT ANIMALS!!!…THESE PEOPLE ARE ACCOUNTABLE…NO WAY THEY ARE GOING TO GET AWAY WITH THIS UNJUSTIFIED ACTS OF THEM…today one ov their deeds has shown..Allah knows how many such cases happen every day!?!!…MY DEAR PAKISTANI AND MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS-ALL WHO ARE READING THIS..I WANT TO MAKE JUST ONE APPEAL TO YOU ALL HERE..PLEASE STAY UNITED AND PLEASE STAY STONG…THESE AMERICANS AND ALL OTHERS ARE JUST SCARED OF THE TIME WHEN MUSLIMS WILL UNITE AND ARE SCARED OF OUR FAITH IN ALLAH!…Gradually they are attempting to pollute our image in the world and by bringing crises to us,they are just breaking down our WILL,HOPE AND NATIONALISM!!…Let us all pray to Allah and promise each other that we WILL inshAllah bring justice to Dr.Afia and her kids and ALL SUCH CASES THAT ARE TOTALLY NOT ACCEPTABLE TO US AT ANY COST!May Allah keep our faiths strong,make us better Muslims and protect us all!Ameen!
August 13th, 2008 10:03 GMT
When we read about Dr Afia same time we remember Muhammad Bin Qasim. We need Muhammad Bin Qasim, Tariq Bin Zayad for save our monthes, sisters, daughter and wives, because our present ruler like Musharaf and his partner shamless ( Bahgarrat Haan ). In presence of these people our respect can not be safe. Our security agencies are also not in favor of pakistani why u hand over the Dr Afia to non muslims shamfull act for our authorities. If she did any wrong why not trial her in our country. Why we handed over to USA because a nation who eat pigfat ( mixed in Checkenfeed ) in his food may be done more, because our honour/selfrespect die. I know most of people disagree with this thought, but we think about this if we have time. In five years we keep silent on this issue because our own mothers, sister, daughter and wives are in our home. We should consider every women of this land is our own mother, sister and daughter for safe our respect, God help those who help themself. ( uss qoom ki halat khuda bhi nahi badaltah jo apni halat khud bhi badalna ki kohshish na karay). This criminal suit should be against Mushraf Aftab Sherpaw, Shoukat Aziz, and they should be punished.
May Allah bless Dr Afia and his family.
August 22nd, 2008 15:26 GMT