Injustice

Who was Dr. Aafia? An eyewitness account.

Published

July 23, 2009

A non-Muslim and family friend reacts to the plight and case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.

This document began life in October 2008 as an e-mail to the author’s family and friends to explain why he cared so much about what happened to this “terribly dangerous woman.”

This story has been getting uneven play in the news in this country. Some of you may not even recognize her name.

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The FBI began looking for Aafia Siddiqui in March 2003 for reasons never explained and the internet is full of guesses, ranging from the almost believable through outlandishly lurid.

These internet stories became sensational fantasy. “Lady al-Qaeda Leader Totes Three Small Children, Ex-Husband, New Husband, Boyfriend Around World While Directing Bin-Laden’s Biological Weapons and Internet Programs, Smuggling Diamonds from Africa, Laundering Money, Planning Attacks On Gasoline Stations In Maryland…”

These were all real headlines in 2003. Even a James Bond villain would have trouble matching them.

There is even one web site claiming that she can be found in the Bible, mentioned by name, as a sign of the coming Rapture, by using information published in the popular book “The Bible Code”.

You get the idea. The first story I came across read “FBI Looking for Female al-Qaeda Leader”. That was so odd. Don’t those bozos realize that al-Qaeda has no use for female leaders? They barely consider women to be human…

So I called her family and asked what was going on. Yes, you read that right. I have known Aafia, her brother, her sister, and their mother for decades.

They told me that Aafia and her three children, Ahmad, 6, Mirryam, 4, and Sulyman, six months, had disappeared one weekend in March, 2003 and that no one had heard from them since. Shortly after Aafia and her children disappeared the Pakistani government announced that she had been picked up and turned over to the US government. The US government denied having her in its custody, and the Pakistani government then denied arresting her.

Anonymous sources in Pakistan initially told her family to keep quiet about the disappearance and she and the children would be released soon. In the following months the message to the family was changed to keep quiet and you won’t be harmed.

As the months went by, her family assumed that she and the children were dead.

Aafia faded into limbo for more than a year, until summer 2004 when the Attorney General and the Director of the FBI announced that she was one of seven terrorists who were planning to disrupt the American presidential elections.

After that, Aafia and her children might as well have drifted off the edge of the world. Various human rights organizations added them to their list of people whose disappearances seemed to be linked to governmental actions in the Global War on Terror.

About two years ago a man who had been held at the US facility at Bagram in Afghanistan was released, and he told a story about the only woman held there. Half mad and crying all the time; subjected to “harsh interrogation techniques” and “physical indignities”. He identified her as Aafia Siddiqui.

She has also been described as “Prisoner 650”, “The Ghost of Bagram”, and “The Grey Lady.”

In early July 2008, a British journalist and a south Asian human rights group had collected enough evidence to pinpoint her location down to the cell number at Bagram, and they began legal proceedings to force the authorities to produce Aafia and her children. The American phrase is “habeas corpus”.

A few days later…

The original Afghani story:

On July 17, 2008, Afghani police, acting on an anonymous tip that a foreign woman was planning terrorist activities, arrested Aafia Siddiqui outside the governor’s compound in Ghazni, and discovered in her purse bottles of liquids, bomb making instructions, and a map of New York City landmarks.

During the arrest, Aafia fled towards a group of approaching American soldiers, and was shot by one of them who feared she was a suicide bomber. Afterwards, the Afghani policemen allowed the Americans to take her into custody.

The official American story:

The next day a group of American soldiers and FBI agents went to the police station where Aafia was being held and demanded that she be turned over to them. During this discussion, one of the American soldiers put his M4 rifle on the floor in front of a curtain, unaware that Aafia was behind it.

Aafia came out from behind the curtain, picked up the rifle, switched the safety to the “Fire” position, and fired twice before being overpowered by an Afghani translator and shot twice by an American soldier with his pistol. She continued to struggle and shout obscenities until she passed out.

Aafia’s story:

Aafia hasn’t really told much of her story. She has been allowed only limited contact with her lawyers and some brief visits with her brother, during which discussion of the last five years was forbidden.

So why am I telling you this odd story?

I have known Aafia, her brother, her sister, and their mother for decades. Over the years these people have become as close to me as anyone who shares my DNA. This is not a jihadi family. If I were to use any adjectives for them, “middle class Victorian” would work. Think of the family in “Mary Poppins” and throw in a few head scarves (and yes, for all of you sticklers for accuracy, I do know that the Banks family was technically Edwardian).

During the year and a half that Aafia lived in Houston I saw her about once a week at her brother’s house. Her interests were pretty much limited to her schoolwork and religion, and since my ability to to participate in an intelligent conversation on science is limited we talked about religion.

The living and vibrant Islam she talked about, the Islam of mercy and redemption, the Islam of forgiveness and love, sounded very much like the Catholicism that my mother talks about. In fact, once you got past the accent and the different nouns, you had to wonder if they were talking about different religions.

She went on to get a degree in science from MIT and a PhD in Cognitive Neurology from Brandeis University. Got married, had kids, raised money for Bosnian war orphans, brought Korans to local jails, and was active in her local religious community . For those of you who don’t know the difference, I will use the Christian term you will be familiar with. This makes her a missionary not a terrorist.

Okay, people do change. It is possible that she has changed, but I will believe in a change that dramatic as soon as my mother joins al-Qaeda, and Mom is a nice Catholic lady.

It is also possible that she was lying to me the whole time I have known her, but anyone who has spent more than five minutes talking to her will agree that guile is not her forte.

I know Aafia and the rest of her family well enough to know that if she were hiding, whether in the mountains with Osama bin-Laden, or anywhere else, she would have contacted her mother to let her know she was alive, and if her mother knew she was alive, I would have known she was alive.

I am not asking any of you to pick sides. I am just asking you to be aware that you are hearing only the government’s side of the story.

Consider the possibility that the official story is not true. Consider the possibility that there are some very bad actors in our government who have wronged this woman and her children quite badly.

Wait a minute. I am asking you to pick sides. Aafia and her children were taken into custody in March 2003 and turned over to a series of intelligence agencies. There is at least one witness who can place her in Bagram in 2006.

In the face of legal activity to force her release, she was put out on the streets of Ghazni, Afghanistan wearing traditional Pakistani clothing and carrying incriminating materials. Being unable to speak any of the local languages, she was an obvious target for Afghani policemen who had been given an anonymous tip that a foreign woman was acting suspiciously.

The initial Afghani account has the ring of part of the truth. The events described in both the initial US complaint and the indictment describes an event that did not happen. The fancy term is perjury. It can’t be proven yet and it may not be possible to prove. Aafia does not have the resources to match the US government.

I am neither judge nor jury. I am a witness.

Andrew, Houston, Texas

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15 Comments

Mehedi Islam

July 23, 2009 at 7:47 AM

Thank you very much, I am sure this will clear a lot of minds

Reply
Pingback: Who was Dr. Aafia Siddiqui? An eyewitness account « mehedi islam
Amad

July 23, 2009 at 9:30 AM

Thank you Andrew. It is good to see upright human beings stand up for the truth, even if it is inconvenient and against the “official narrative”. I really believe that this is one of the biggest injustices of the last 2 decades against one of this nation’s own citizens.

Still no one knows where the two other kids are… can there be anything more painful and distressing than having your children torn away and then having no idea where they are now??

Reply
Yaser Birjas

July 23, 2009 at 12:48 PM

Thank Andrew for sharing your personal experience with us.

May Allah be with Dr. Aafia and her family, and free her soon from her ordeal.

SubhanaAllah, everytime I read something about her, my heart jumps hoping that justice for her has at last arrived. We will keep her and her family in our dua’. Ramadan is coming everyone, so make sure to dedicate a special dua for her everyday at Iftaar time.

With all these other initiatives going on to help dr. Aafia as we all support that, can we start a dua’ campaign for her during the month of Ramadan? One dua at iftaar time for dr. Aafia, and lets have thousands and millions of Muslims make dua for her and her family.
We can make it even a broader campaign to free all Muslim captives around the world who are kept in prison unjustly. Lets keep her and their cause alive, at least in our dua, and do not belittle the power of the dua for it is the weapon of the believer.

FREE Dr. AAFIA

Reply
Iesa Galloway

July 23, 2009 at 1:02 PM

Andrew,

This is a great letter you have written and it speaks to your sense of justice and perhaps more importantly your commitment to your friends.

Amad,

A point of clarity here, Dr. Aafia is not a U.S. citizen, however two of her children are/were (May Allah preserve them and re-unite them with their family safely).

Your comment is still correct if you mean what exactly has Pakistan done to protect it’s citizens? I am speaking in the larger sense, one of the underlying issues that makes Dr. Aafia’s case so important, the issue of missing persons in Pakistan.

Support her legal defense at: https://www.mlfausa.com/donateAafia.php .

Reply
MM Associates

July 23, 2009 at 8:38 PM

[by abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed]

Jazak Allah khayr for the article. I know the article title is technically correct in grammar as the author is writing about his past experiences. But the use of “was” implies that she is in the past tense, ie, that she has passed away. Rather, like too many other Muslims who are treated worse than convicted felons when they have never been convicted of any crime at all — she only passes from the conscious reflection of the majority of Muslims and non-Muslims.

Rather than she, it is perhaps our hearts that should be spoken of in the past tense. May Allah guide us to care more than our actions belie.

Indeed, Dr. Aafia lives, alhamdolillah, despite all the mental and physical harm that hate, venom, and political calculation of the American government can throw at her. May Allah vindicate her in this world and reward her with Jannat al Firdaus in the next.

Reply
- Iesa Galloway
  
  July 23, 2009 at 9:23 PM
  
  Asalaam Alaikum Br. Tariq,
  
  Another way to think of the title, at least when I read it was, who was Dr. Aafia before her ordeal. To me that means that the allegations against her are so far fetched that they are nearly impossible.
  
  That said, your point is VERY important as her story has not concluded and we all can make a difference, du’ah, sending letters of support, donations to her legal defense, raising awareness and so much more.
  
  Ameen to your du’ah!
  
  Reply
Farhan

July 24, 2009 at 1:17 PM

May Allah free her and unite her back with her children.

Reply
monkeynursemd

July 24, 2009 at 1:50 PM

may allah free her and others in her situation and punish the oppressors.

a thought lingers when i hear of the plight of oppressed and unjustly treated muslims => it could just as easily be one of us. instead of imam jamil, it could be imam siraj. instead of gangs of serbians massacring bosnian muslims, it could be hatred in america leading to massive oppression of american muslims (jim crow wasn’t too long ago). and, finally, instead of dr. aafia it could be me.

truly, if you or i were in dire situations, unjustly accused or a target of wanton racism/hatred, what would you want your brothers and sisters to do?

Reply
Jawed Iqbal

July 25, 2009 at 4:18 AM

Indeed, Dr.Afiaa has suffered what most of us cannot even fathom. Her torture was inhumane to say the least. Being forced to stay awake for days, and molested numerous times, has caused her to lose her sanity. From what I have read and heard, she is hopelessly depressed and has severe mental health issues now. And we can thank the champions of human rights for this “royal” treatment.

Reply
Abdullah Brown

July 26, 2009 at 12:12 PM

Salaam, All.

Those wishing to write Dr. Aafia Siddiqui may use the following address:

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, #90279-054
MDC Brooklyn
Metropolitan Detention Center
P.O. Box 29002
Brooklyn, NY 11232

It is important NOT to discuss political matters or details of her legal case, as these may be used against her and/or prevent delivery of your letter, but words of general support can be helpful.

Jezekum Allahu khairun

Reply
Madeeha Shah

July 28, 2009 at 10:01 AM

Translation of a Verse From The Quran:

Chapter: An-Nisa (The Women)
Verse: 75

“And what reason do you have for not fighting in the cause of Allah, to rescue helpless oppressed men, women & children, who are crying, ‘ O’ our Lord! Take us out from this town whose people are oppressors & send us a protector by your grace & send us a helper from your presence’. “

Reply
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abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

September 3, 2009 at 12:50 PM

As salamu alaykum. Updates from the hearing this week…

Reply
- abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed
  
  September 3, 2009 at 12:59 PM
  
  I found an article about the hearing from Dawn on-line: http://tr.im/xOBa The best news in the article, if it is accurate, is that the said he would ask the prison to — finally — stop the invasive strip searches of Dr. Aafia.
  
  Reuters on-line article basically confirming what was in Dawn, http://tr.im/xOUO Here the judge is said to have asked the prison to find an alternative to strip searches. SubhanAllah, if her lawyers want to meet her, if the judge wishes her to come to court, for almost anything outside the cell in which she is confined, the authorities subject her to strip searches. May Allah curse those who had subjected her to this barbarity for so many months when she has not been convicted of any crime.
  
  If you have other news articles or especially eyewitness reports from people at the hearing, please post them (or links to them) here.
  
  Reply