by Friends of Aafia Siddiqui, the The Aafia Movement, November 2024
Editor’s note: I have been following Aafia Siddiqui’s case since around 2010. I met her sister Fowzia in Pakistan in 2012, along with her mother and her children. Her father had died shortly before she was abducted with her children and imprisoned. The family is very well educated and both Fowzia and her father are well know physicians. They were associated with Zia al Haq at one point, he was after all the President of Pakistan, and Aafia’s parents were involved in charitable work and political causes. This may have been one reason why she attracted negative attention after 911. However, it was the U.S. that put Al Haq in power and they likely had something to do with his assassination as well, a dirty tool that had outlived its usefulness. Many of us covered Dr. Siddiqui’s tragic case with some diligence, but time passes and we were outside an impenetrable barrier. I tried to write letters to Aafia at Carswell after meeting Dr. Fowzia and the rest of her family, but they were all returned for various reasons, all unopened, which means that they were never presented to her. Click here for a list of articles about Aafia Siddiqui on this blog.
Petition to President Biden: Free Dr. Aafia Siddiqui
We, the undersigned, call on President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and allow her to reunite with her family after years of unjust imprisonment and immense suffering.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani citizen with a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, has been held in U.S. custody for nearly two decades, sentenced to 86 years in prison for an incident widely believed to be based on false allegations. Her case is one of the tragic remnants of the “War on Terror,” a period marked by injustices that continue to strain U.S. relations with the global Muslim community.
On March 30, 2003, Dr. Siddiqui was sold to the CIA for a bounty and taken into U.S. custody under the suspicion of terrorism. During her capture, her youngest child, Suleman, just six months old, was reportedly dropped on his head and killed. Her two other children—both U.S. citizens—were also taken from her. Maryam, then three years old, was forcibly adopted into a family in Afghanistan and renamed Fatima, while her son Ahmed, six years old, was imprisoned. Both children were held in captivity for five and seven years respectively, suffering immense trauma before being rescued.
Meanwhile, Dr. Siddiqui was taken to Bagram Air Force Base, where she was tortured for five years. What followed is a nightmare of injustice: she was tried in the U.S. for allegedly attempting to harm U.S. personnel, despite being the only one shot (twice) during the incident in Ghazni, Afghanistan. Her harsh 86-year sentence stands in stark contrast to the countless other injustices of the War on Terror, where far greater harm has gone unpunished.
In addition to the torture she endured at Bagram, Dr. Siddiqui has been subjected to further abuse during her imprisonment at FMC Carswell, where she has been held in Administrative Segregation for 14 years—longer than any other woman in the U.S. federal system. Her time in isolation has been marked by reports of sexual abuse and rape within the prison. These claims are further supported by the fact that 13 employees have been convicted of sexual abuse at Carswell.
Dr. Siddiqui has received no meaningful medical care, nor has she been treated for the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder she suffers from due to years of torture and isolation. She has not even been allowed access to religious support, despite Imam Omar Suleiman offering to minister to her. Her sister, Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, a Harvard-educated neurologist, is prepared to provide Aafia with the medical care and supervision she desperately needs upon release.
We urge you, President Biden, to exercise compassion and grant clemency to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. As someone who has experienced the profound personal loss of two children, we believe you can understand the unbearable pain that she has endured, both as a mother separated from her children and as a victim of severe abuse. It is time to bring an end to this injustice.
Dr. Siddiqui has suffered enough. President Biden, use your clemency powers to free Aafia Siddiqui and allow her to return to her family.
We are asking for everyone’s support to call for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s release. By signing this petition, you stand with a mother who has endured unimaginable suffering.
Her dedicated lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, has been working pro bono, tirelessly pursuing every avenue to secure her release. Raising awareness and supporting this petition will amplify his efforts and strengthen the call for clemency.
Let us unite to seek justice and end her prolonged suffering. Together, we can bring Aafia Siddiqui back to her family at last.
Go to the Aafia Movement page for numerous options to support Dr. Aafia including a link to this petition, an email to send and other options.
For Further Information on Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s Life:
- Aafia Siddiqui Documentary
- Dr Aafia Siddiqui – Thinking Muslim Podcast with Clive Stafford Smith
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Share this petition in person or use the QR code for your own material.
