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February 23rd: 9am Hearing for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui — Why you should be there!

Published

February 21, 2009

(posted by abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed)

Innalhamdolillah! Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem

[Alhamdolillah, an MM reader alerted us about the upcoming hearing of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. May Allah bless the Muslims who seek to ease the suffering of their brothers and sisters, and those who stand up for the oppressed. Ameen.]

COURT DATE FOR DR. AAFIA SIDDIQUI

Monday, February 23th, 2009

United States District Court
500 Pearl St.
Manhattan, New York
@ 9:00am
[In front of Judge Berman]

Information posted at muslimsforjustice.org.

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We have seen in many instances that the courts schedule hearings only to reschedule them later. I say alhamdolillah. “Why not alhamdolillah alaa kulli haal?”

I’m glad you asked. :)

The rewards of deeds depend upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. Thus he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allah and His Messenger. And he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated.

The translation of that famous hadith of RasoolAllah sull Allaho alayhi wa sallam should strengthen your resolve to attend this particular hearing even if you have attended every hearing to which MM has invited you. “Why?”

Because you will receive the reward of your efforts.

Did the Prophet Muhammad sull Allaho alayhi wa sallam say that only those who complete their hijrah, and build a fantastically just society, and fight many battles, and have many long years of service, that only those persons would get the reward of their intentions? Go back and check if you need to.

Are you smiling with me, yet? You should be. Every time the hearing of these unjustly, cruelly, or unconscionably imprisoned Muslims is rescheduled, every Muslim who went to the canceled hearing to stand beside their brother or sister seeking only reward from Allah subhanahu wata ala received that reward.

Would I be even happier if the prisoners were released? Of course! And Allah will reward their sabr even more than ours because their tribulations far exceed ours. Can we not at least find the time to attend a hearing, knowing that it may be canceled or postponed, but that we can go back to our homes, while our brothers and sisters can only wait for American justice to realize its many errors?

I pray for each of you who responds and attends this hearing that Allah will be Pleased with you. That He will Forgive you your sins and excesses, those you know of, and those you were not aware of. That He will strengthen you with beneficial knowledge, bountiful rizq, and accepted deeds.

And I pray that Allah will grant relief and justice to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, release her from this captivity, and speed her journey to be reunited with her family.

COURT DATE FOR DR. AAFIA SIDDIQUI

Monday, February 23th, 2009

United States District Court
500 Pearl St.
Manhattan, New York
@ 9:00am
[In front of Judge Berman]

Information posted at muslimsforjustice.org.

You can get driving directions via this map, inshaAllah (click on the small red marker near the Civic Center):

View Larger Map

Security (what not to bring) suggestions (adapted from Cageprisoners)

SECURITY RESTRICTIONS
Visitors will be required to walk through a metal detector. All bags will be screened by an x-ray machine. You will also be required to show a photo ID issued by a government agency (for example a driver’s license). Please note that for security reasons there are absolutely NO electronic devices allowed. That means NO cellphones, pagers, cameras, computers, MP3 players, IPODs, PDAs, etc. Do not expect the court to hold these devices for you. Do not bring food or drink to the building. Do not bring anything that could be misinterpreted to be a weapon.

You can re-acquaint yourself with the hardships faced by Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Allaho Musta’aan. HasbunAllaho, wa Naymal-Wakeel.

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NEW DATE: Feb. 19 Hearing in Shaykh Dr. Ali al-Timimi’s case — PLEASE ATTEND!!

Tariq Nisar Ahmed

Bismillah walhamdolillah. May Allah accept my repentance and yours. I am an attorney, a stepfather, a husband, a son, and a Muslim. Studying Islam is a means, reflecting what I have learned is a must, and to Allah is the inevitable return. If you would like my help, know that Allah is the source of all aid. If you would like to contact me, try tariqnisarahmed at Gmail, LinkedIn, Twitter, or add me as a friend on Facebook.

20 Comments

ummlabeebah

February 22, 2009 at 12:45 PM

May Allah make it easy on her .Ameen

Reply
abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

February 23, 2009 at 3:15 PM

bismillah was salamu alaykum. updates from anyone who attended will be very welcome. :)

Reply
abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

February 24, 2009 at 12:17 AM

bismillah was salamu alaykum: never lose your grip on the Rope of Allah!

this update is not from New York, but from England, where another Muslim, Binyam Mohamed, has been released from Guantanamo Bay after seven years, and he, too, allegedly tortured by the American government. may Allah reward him for his sabr.

The detainee, Binyam Mohamed, was flown in a Gulfstream jet to the Northolt Royal Air Force Base in Northwest London, and by the evening had been released from detention. [Alhamdolillah wAllaho Akbar!]

some more background on his case:
Multiple articles at cageprisoners.com

more NYTimes articles in reverse chrono:
U.S. in Pact to Release British Detainee

Citing U.S. [Threat], British Court Blocks Data on Suspect

Questioning ‘Dirty Bomb’ Plot, Judge Orders U.S. to Yield Papers on Detainee

Torture Claim Credible, Court Finds

Reply
Abu Sabaya

February 24, 2009 at 5:14 PM

They changed their minds at Monday’s hearing and concluded that she is mentally fit to stand trial. Read details here.

Pray for this woman, folks.

Reply
abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

February 24, 2009 at 5:31 PM

bismillah was salamu alaykum, wa jazak Allah khayr, abu Sabaya.

the Times’ article indicates that the Judge has not made a final ruling on competence. rather the government is trying to get a reversal on the earlier finding that she can stand for trial. the article indicates the fed. prosecutor wants to proceed with the trial, and had two of his own psychologists come to their “independent” conclusions that she should be tried.

but it is also clear that the defense lawyer will argue against trial, and that she may be evaluated again by defense experts before the final decision of the judge.

and you’re right: she needs our prayers.

i pray that Allah will grant Dr. Aafia speedy return to her family, and deliver her from the injustice she has suffered from Americans hell-bent on justifying their past treatment of her. may Allah free her by whatever means please Him, and may her freedom be complete and without reservation. may any time she spends incarcerated be free from the evils visited upon her by the jailers in NY, and may Allah protect her from any and all abuses. ameen.

Reply
abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

February 24, 2009 at 5:41 PM

Allah is the Most Great, Mightier than all His creation. He is Mightier than what I fear and dread. I seek refuge in Allah, Who there is none worthy of worship but Him. He is the One Who holds the seven heavens from falling upon the earth except by His command. [I seek refuge in You Allah] from the evil of Your slave [name of the person], and his helpers, his followers and his supporters from among the jinn and mankind. O Allah, be my support against their evil. Glorious are Your praises and mighty is Your patronage. Blessed is Your Name, there is no true God but You. (Recite three times in Arabic.)

Reference: Al-Bukhari, Al-‘Adab Al-Mufrad (no. 708). Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih Al-‘Adab Al-Mufrad (no. 546).

from the web page: Invocations against the oppression of rulers.

Reply
Confused!

February 25, 2009 at 11:58 AM

Thanks for keeping up with her plight. She and her family are always in my prayer. I have recently come across the comments her ex-husband has been making. I cannot wrap my head around the idea that how anyone can hold so much hatred towards another person (especially when that person is in utter despair) to go around and try to exacerbate someone’s already pathetic condition. Aafia is being victimize by the “most powerful” nation of the planet, how can he possibly help US government? This guy is just being mighty stupid to expose himself as beyond belief vengeful person. SUBHAN ALLAH.

Reply
- flubber
  
  February 2, 2010 at 5:11 PM
  
  yeah isnt that mental?
  
  Reply
  - flubber
    
    February 2, 2010 at 5:17 PM
    
    no she isnt is despair
    it is the husband who is in despair.
    
    Reply
shahgul

February 26, 2009 at 12:57 AM

Here is another appeal from a brother to attend the immigration hearing of Sheikh Zoubir Bouchikhi who is being held in federal detention on immigration violation charges:

Please attend if you can:
***************************************
salam aliakum brothers and sisters,

Mashallah some brothers have been communicating with sheikh Zoubir by mail, and I
was gvien some information about him by Brother David, jazahu-allahu kheiran for his
support of our beloved sheikh.

First, inshallah his next hearing will be on
Monday, March 9, 2009 at 1PM.
The location is 5520 Greens Rd., Houston, Texas 77032.

He will be very appreciative of the presence of any of us that can be there to
support him inshallah and feels the more support we can show for him, the better it
will be for him inshallah.
He really misses all of us and wants everyone to know that he and the other Muslim
detainees are enduring “some hard times and trying experiences with some guards and
staff who try to prevent them from showing their Islamic identity in the halls of
the center”; ie, preventing the Brothers from wearing their kufis. Also, “some
staff members are very rude and disrespectful to many Muslim detainees when they
address them”. He further explains that in general, the reality of detention is “a
very awful experience”. Sheikh is praying that Allah the All Powerful save us from
it. Ameen. Please keep up the duas for Sheikh, his family and all of the other
detainees and continue to write to him. It is a wonderful way to bring him some joy
to what must be some very long and troublesome days. In case anyone else needs it,
his correspondence address is:

Imam Zoubir Bouchikhi
A # 97-202-599
B17-02-B
CCA/HPC: 15850 Export Plaza Dr.
Houston, TX 77032

Last, Brothers and sisters we have over 20 days to plan our schedule to show up for
sheikh Zoubir’s hearing on March 9th. Our beloved sheikh needs our support and our
presence. He was always there for us whether it was halaqa, marriage ceremony,
family issues, fund raises, speeches, or anything that concerned Muslims . We need
to plan this by showing up to the tuesday halaqa held at el-farouq, or through
email. Either way, please make the time for our beloved sheikh Zoubir for the sake
of allah.

jazakum -allhu kheiran for your time.

salam alaikum
Mohammed S. Benslimane

Reply
muslim

February 27, 2009 at 1:52 PM

Asalamualikum,

I am surprized to see brother abu Sabaya posting on MM. We might disagree with mm on some issues but i think it is not rational to forsake them or isolate mm.Keep up the good work akhi Abu Sabaya!

Wa salam

Reply
- Amad
  
  February 27, 2009 at 8:17 PM
  
  “Muslim”, what is so surprising? And who is “we” when you refer to “we might disagree…”, and who is isolating or forsaking MM? Alhamdulillah, MM has never been stronger, and our readership is growing every month, simply because we all learn from each other. May Allah sustain our efforts and bless our readership, and continue to make this site a source of benefit for ourselves and for our Ummah.
  
  Reply
sincethestorm

February 28, 2009 at 1:47 AM

I came across the article from the ex-husband as well. If he has broken his silence, then why are big newspapers not reporting or covering the story. I would think Curic would be all over it. I’m skeptical about this new report on his behalf on some dingy newspaper…before we cast judgment on her ex husband we should think.

Reply
abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

February 28, 2009 at 7:28 AM

bismillah was salamu alaykum, Amad. i know i was the one who showed you the comment to which you responded, and i ask forgiveness for that from Allah. sure — that person put their comment out in plain site for the whole world to see. it was no confidence of any kind, and i pray Allah will not count it as ghanima to merely show you what passes for righteousness in some people’s minds.

but i was just listening to shaykh Yaser Birjas’ lecture on practimate.com about our relationship with Allah, and i realized whatever evil is in the words of all these people who post anonymously — Allah Knows it. and He will compensate every person slighted by those words on the Day of Judgment. :) dude, you know how you get a lot of grief around here — people had better look at their words as potential blank-checks written against the account of their good deeds…

and may Allah forgive me my mistakes and excesses against every person i have written or said an unfair word to, ever. i know i do not have an inexhaustible account of good deeds. :| wow. i came here to make you feel good, and now i am worried about myself. :) alhamdolillah. may Allah put forgiveness for me in the hearts of every person to whom i had given a cause against me. ameen. and may He be Merciful to all of them who have turned to Him in Repentence. and may He soften our hearts towards other Muslims through love and fear of Him, and through our hope in His Mercy. ameen.

Reply
shahgul

March 1, 2009 at 12:42 PM

Ameen.

Did anyone attend Sr. Afiya’s hearing at all? What was the result. Any news?

Reply
Confused!

March 10, 2009 at 5:10 PM

sincethestorm: I hope that what your alluding to is true. I disagree with you that US media will be all over her ex-husband’s blabbering. b/c the charges against her has nothing to do with what her ex-husband is saying, which is really an assault on Aafia’s character.
I understand your point to keep an open mind, though.
My heart aches for Aafia and her family, especially for her sister. Having seen and heard about what goes on in Pakistan, I can imagine the pain and suffering her sister must be enduring.
Pray for all her family!

Reply
- flubber
  
  February 2, 2010 at 5:29 PM
  
  how can he assault her character?
  is this is a normal woman?
  she is so shy
  and she was assaulted even then
  she is deserves respect
  i think she is amazing
  
  Reply
Umm Q

March 22, 2009 at 8:34 AM

Salaamun ‘Alaykum

Can someone plz update me on the sister’s case? jazaakum Allahu khayr.

Reply
Abu Sabaya

March 27, 2009 at 11:14 PM

Binyam Muhammad is an Ethiopian convert to Islam who was just recently released from Guantanamo Bay after spending seven years in American captivity. Before his time in Guantanamo, he was held by the Americans at the Bagram Prison in Afghanistan. In this interview, Binyam confirms that he personally saw Aafia Siddiqui also being held there, and he gives some details as to her condition:

CagePrisoners: When you were in the Bagram Detention Facility after being held in the Dark Prison, you came across a female prisoner – can you describe a little bit about who you think she is and what you saw of her?

BM: In Bagram, I did come across a female who wore a shirt with the number of ‘650’, and I saw her several times, and I heard a lot of stories about her from the guards and the other prisoners over there.

CP: And these stories said what about her, in terms of her description and her background?

BM: What we were told first…we were frightened by the guards not to communicate with her because they feared that we would talk to her and we would know who she was. So they told us that she was a spy from Pakistan , working with the government. And the Americans brought her to Bagram.

CP: So you think they spread the rumour that she was a spy- that would have kept you away from her and apprehensive towards her?

BM: Basically, nobody talked to her in the facility, and she was held in isolation, where…she was only brought out to the main facility just to use the toilet. But all I knew about her was that she was from Pakistan , and that she had studied, or she had lived in America . And the guards would talk a lot about her, and I did actually see her picture when I was here a few weeks ago, and I would day she’s the very person I saw in Bagram.

CP: And that’s the very picture I showed you of Aafia Siddiqui?

BM: That’s the very picture I saw .

CP: There have been all sorts of rumours about what happened to her- and may Allah free her soon- but part of those rumours include her being terribly abused. Do you have any knowledge of what abuse she might have faced?

BM: Apart from her being in isolation and the fact that I saw, when she was walking up and down, I could tell that she was severely disturbed. I don’t think she was in her right mind- literally, I don’t think she was sane, and I didn’t feel anything at that time, because as far as I was concerned, she was a hypocrite working with the other governments. But had we known that she was a sister, I don’t think we would have been silent- I think there would have been a lot of, maybe even riots, in Bagram.

CP: Some of the brothers who later escaped from Bagram spoke about her and said that they learnt afterwards who she was and that they went on hunger strike. You might have left by this time, but were the other prisoners there upset by seeing a woman there- regardless- as a prisoner?

BM: We were upset at witnessing just the weakened, the injured in front of us in Bagram, and had we known that there was a sister over there, I don’t anyone would have been silent. But to keep Bagram as Bagram- quiet- the Americans put out the rumour that she was not a sister…

CP: That she was a spy.

BM: That she was a spy and we had to stay away from her.

CP: Did you ever hear any rumours at that time of her having children, or anything like that?

BM: I had heard, I’m not sure if from the guards or from the brothers, that she did have children, but the children were not in Bagram- they were somewhere else.

CP: And was there any rumour or discussion as to what happened to those children?

BM: We had no idea what happened to the children.

Read the whole interview: http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=28464

Reply
flubber

February 2, 2010 at 5:15 PM

ill tell you what has happened here:
this lady has been tested and she passed
like man i think she is awesome.
but man she is stronger then men
she is so strong

Reply