Following my running of the Fort Worth Marathon for political prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, I wrote the following letter to Fort Worth's main newpaper. Although I followed their guidelines to a "t," including number of words permitted (this is a slightly longer version of what I actually sent), they did not publish it. -Nadrat Siddique
- - - - - - - - - - -
To: The Editor
The Star-Telegram
I wonder how many Fort Worth residents realize their town houses a prisoner whom hundreds of thousands worldwide view as a political prisoner. Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is serving an 86-year sentence at FMC Carswell for a putative crime in which no one was killed or injured. This past Sunday, I ran the Fort Worth Marathon to draw attention to her case. It's a case which former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark (himself a native of the DFW area) characterized as "the worst case of individual injustice I have ever witnessed."
Like Aafia, I hail from Pakistan, a country which boasts few women marathoners. So, in that regard, I am a rarity. Leading up to the Fort Worth Marathon, I'd done 47 marathons in 14 different states. Previously, I'd done two Boston marathons, two Chicago marathons, and a Washington, DC marathon--all to protest Dr. Siddiqui's plight. Fort Worth was my 48th full marathon, and the 6th one which I dedicated to Aafia.
It seemed particularly appropriate, given that Aafia had been attacked 2 1/2 months prior by another inmate at FMC Carswell who smashed a coffee mug on her face, burning and cutting her. Afterwards, the prison administration did nothing to protect Aafia, placing her in solitary confinement, as if she were the one at fault.
Running in my "Free Aafia Siddiqui" tee, I placed #3 in my division, which came as a shock since I was quite sleep-deprived, and lacked "home court advantage."
The next day, a friend and I headed to FMC Carswell to deliver a petition bearing around 750 signatures calling for Aafia's release on humanitarian grounds. We attempted, but were unable to deliver the petition, because administrative offices appeared closed. We left, resolving to return another day.
Sincerely,
Nadrat Siddique
Email: nadratsiddique@yahoo.com
© 2021 Nadrat Siddique
No comments:
Post a Comment