Letter to the Dallas Examiner (on Dr. Aafia Siddiqui)

Soon after running the BMW Dallas Marathon for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, I wrote a letter to the DFW area's leading Black newspaper, the Dallas Examiner. I'd had no success getting letters about my actions for Dr. Siddiqui published in major newspapers in the area, but, I had high hopes that a Black newspaper might possess a slightly different consciousness. Weeks passed, and my hopes were dashed. Not only was the letter not published, but there was no acknowledgment of its receipt.

--Nadrat Siddique

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Dear Editor,

An important event occurred earlier this month, which seems to have escaped the notice of most Dallas news media. The sister of a well-known political prisoner was finally allowed to visit her. The prisoner is a Pakistani woman educator named Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. She is a very unusual prisoner, in that she is a PhD with degrees from MIT and Brandeis, and prior to being locked up, she was developing a novel educational methodology for children with autism and other learning disabilities.

She was on the brink of presenting her ideas to appropriate bodies in Pakistan, when she was kidnapped by security forces from Karachi, She was shot in the abdomen, repeatedly raped and tortured in secret prisons in Afghanistan (then being run as part of the U.S. “War on Terror”), and ultimately brought to the U.S. for trial. Although she was convicted by a New York court in 2010, there is hard forensic evidence that she could not have committed the crime of which she was accused.

The unusual event I mention is the Texas visit of Aafia’s elder sister, Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui. Fowzia, is a Harvard-educated physician with a focus on neurology and epilepsy, and is based out of Karachi, Pakistan. She traveled the 8,300 miles from there, along with Pakistani Senator Talha Mahmood and U.K.-based Aafia Attorney Clive Stafford-Smith, to see her sister, only to be told by the prison, FMC Carswell, that they couldn’t locate the key for the visitation cell! So, the meeting was canceled for that day, and Fowzia left the prison distraught.

The following day, the prison allowed the sisters to meet, but, the meeting was much shorter than agreed upon by prison authorities, and despite the promise of a “social visit,” no contact was allowed between the sisters.

A day later, Attorney Clive Stafford-Smith met with Aafia. Aafia told him she had been raped while at FMC Carswell! As the visit came to an end, Aafia was crying for Clive not to leave, as she was deadly afraid to return to her cell for more abuse.

In and of themselves, her allegations are not surprising, given the multitude of lawsuits brought by female inmates alleging sexual assault and rape against the prison. In fact, the allegations were so widespread that FMC Carswell was included in a 2022 U.S. Senate investigation on abuse of female inmates at FBOP facilities. But, it is gut wrenching for Aafia’s ultra-conservative, close knit family of academics that not only prison authorities present  numerous road blocks to their visits, which are guaranteed under FBOP regulations, but that their sister, after already being raped in Third World prisons, is once again undergoing such “Cruel and Unusual” punishment at a U.S. prison hospital.

As a Pakistani multi-marathoner and political prisoner advocate, I ran the BMW Dallas Marathon on December 10 to call attention to Aafia’s case. I wore a tee which said, “Free Dr. Aafia Siddiqui!” It was my 54^th marathon all told, and my tenth for Aafia. I truly hope people in the Dallas area will think about the horrors being visited upon this innocent woman in the midst of their Christmas merry making. Is this what Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) would have wanted?

Sincerely,

Nadrat Siddique

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Nadrat Siddique is a Pakistani woman marathoner based out of the Washington, DC area. She is a member of the Jericho Movement, which advocates for political prisoners.

September 23: A Day of Infamy

By Nadrat Siddique

 

Pakistani scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui has been held longer than Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was in Russia's Gulag. She has been imprisoned longer than Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov was in (internal) exile. She has been held about the same length of time as well-known Chinese physician and pro-democracy leader Wang Bingzhang. In fact, like Aafia, Bingzhang was abducted in one country, then taken to another for a kangaroo court trial, convicted, and effectively buried by his captors.

 

In Bingzhang's case, the U.S. registered vociferous protests against the Chinese government. And yet, the U.S. continues to allow the torture and detention of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.

 

Not one person died or was injured in the incident in Ghazni, Afghanistan, in which Aafia was charged. In fact, she should never have been in Afghanistan in the first place. Aafia was kidnapped by Pakistani and U.S. intelligence services, and forcibly taken there from Pakistan- in violation of international law. In other words, if international rules and norms had not been trashed by the security agencies in question, the (concocted) incident for which Aafia was charged would not have arisen.

 

And yet, on September 23, 2010, the MIT alum was sentenced to 86 years in prison. A brilliant scholar, with innovative ideas to uplift Pakistan's education system, she continues to languish at FMC Carswell, where other political prisoners, eg Lynne Stewart and Reality Winner, have also been held.

 

Does the U.S. have no shame in continuing to hold this innocent woman scientist/ educator, all the while protesting the detention of scientists, writers and academics in other countries? Today on this day of infamy, September 23, we say "Free Aafia Siddiqui now! Free all political prisoners!"

 

#FreeAafiaSiddiqui #BlackDayforPakistan #DrAafiaSiddiqui #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners

Essence of Running: the DC Gaza 5k

By Nadrat Siddique

So, this morning I ran the Gaza 5k in Washington DC's Rock Creek Park. The race starts on the grounds of the iconic Carter Barron Theatre, and is one of my favorite races. I run with some regularity from the Carter Barron, and it was beautiful to see it nearly over run by Palestinians in kaffiyahs, some of them carrying Palestinian flags. (Usually I encounter mostly Black and Latino youth playing soccer and such, in itself a beautiful sight.)

The Gaza 5k is organized by UNRWA, and benefits Palestinian refugees. The DC version of the race (which is also held in other cities) had turned virtual due to COVID-19, and I'd missed it terribly. This was the first year the live event was rekindled.

In Gaza, Palestinians are crammed into refugee camps with an extremely high population density. These camps frequently lack basic resources, such as electricity and running water, which "Israel," as the occupying power, controls. "Israel" then conducts aerial bombardment of these heavily populated areas, under the pretext that Hamas fighters are "hiding" there. (Where else would they be? They live there.)

As a result, much of the population of Gaza has been terrorized, displaced, and traumatized. It would be difficult to find someone there who DOES NOT have PTSD and other serious mental health conditions. Palestinian children are the worst afflicted. UNRWA's facilities in Gaza provide schooling, mental health care, and other badly needed services to Gazans.

At the Gaza 5k, I was thrilled to see a great turnout, with a youthful, energetic vibe. The race seems to get larger every year. The majority of attendees appeared to be of Palestinian heritage, with a smaller number of allies (White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian) present. Race participants ran and walked a 3.1 mile course which was largely downhill on the outbound. Unfortunately, since the race route returns the same way, there is a huge climb on the way back. During one of the last in-person renditions of the Gaza 5k (before COVID), I remembered my father, the editor of the Muslim newspaper "New Trend" and a huge supporter of Palestine, bravely walking the course with his wife. In his late 70s at the time, he completed the course, but not without some effort.

PERSONAL NOTES: Today as I ran, I was still recovering from an annoying bug I'd picked up during a recent trip to Florida to attend a funeral for a member of my extended family. But I would not miss my favorite race for anything. I thought about the Palestinians who, when faced with much more serious ailments, are deprived of all medications, due to the "Israeli" blockade of Gaza. That, from "the only democracy in the Middle East." My cold (or whatever it was) quickly became a non-issue.

I hadn't been training at all, since Ramadan had ended not so long ago (I relax my training during the Holy Month, running only about 25 miles per week, instead of 40), almost immediately followed by the death in my extended family. I even registered very belatedly for the Gaza 5k, totally unlike me. In any event, when I finally did register, it was as a member of Team Jamaat Al-Muslimeen. And our team, in a very short time (less than a week), raised over $400.00 for UNRWA's work in Gaza.

As I ran outbound, I was intimidated by the huge hill I knew I'd face on the inbound. I hoped rather unrealistically that the race organizers had tweaked the route to avoid runners having to tackle that hill (around Mile 2).

They had not. I tried to concentrate on my breathing and form, which helped somewhat. Two or three groups of young, fast Arab men passed me, which made me feel even slower than my (approximately) 8:30 min/mile pace. Then, a young, very fit looking Black woman caught up to me. For some reason, she told me right then and there (shortly before we were about to encounter the monster hill) that "I look beautiful." I thanked her, saying "You do, too," and complimented her on her pace. She ran with me for a short while, before overtaking me. I tried to keep her in my sights, which helped my time. (She later told me I helped her time, as she'd spotted me from afar, and was trying to catch up to me.) We both survived the Hill.

A while later, when the awards ceremony was held, I was surprised to hear my name called. I was #1 in my division, with a finish time of 26:08 (8:25 min/mile pace). Later, looking at the detailed race results, I realized I was #9 out of 334 total women participating in the race. Of the 8 women who finished before me, all were in their 20s and 30s, except an 8-year old and an 18-year old. (I'm now 54.) Amusingly, the 8-year old beat me by two seconds. Alhamdulillah.

The lesson in all this? One need not use age as an excuse for inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, which will necessarily lead to premature aging. If you fall down (metaphorically), you need not stay down. If you're a Muslim, then the Rasool (SAW) is your example. That includes in the realm of his eating habits (very little meat; instead: grains, dates, nuts, seeds, fruit, etc), and very active life style (he personally participated in running, horse back riding, etc and engaged in military campaigns, which, at the time, were very physical, into his 60s). From Gaza to New York, oppression is pervasive, and we cannot afford to be physically (or mentally) lazy or sedentary.

#Gaza5k #FreePalestine #FreeGaza
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It's not to late to donate to the Gaza 5k. You can do that here:
https://unrwausa-2023-dc-gaza-5k.funraise.org/fundraiser/nadrat-siddique

Jahiliyya in a Major Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Race

Last Sunday, I participated in the MD/DC RRCA 10 Mile Club Challenge, the premier race between competing running clubs in the DMV. I represented my club, the Howard County Striders (HCS). The HCS is a rather snotty, elitist group of runners from one of the wealthiest counties in the DMV, and I sometimes wonder what the heck a rabble rouser like me is doing in their midst.

In any event, the HCS were the hosts of the competition, and it was on their turf. The race is very hilly, and the  temperature, as usual, was cold.  Because of the distance (10 miles), the hills, and the stringent time limit, nearly all the participants are strong, accomplished runners. So, running this race necessarily entails competing against the best in the area.

I completed the race in 1:25 (read "one hr 25 min"). It was my third time doing it, and, time-wise, my finish was mid range between my other two attempts. But that was just my individual finish time, which I also clocked using my watch.

The bigger question- and the point of the competition, which is what differentiates it from other races- was: How did all the teams do against each other, and how did individual runners do compared to other members of their team? None of this information was available for days.

The HCS usually organizes all its races to a "t." No detail is overlooked. This year, for some reason, the team results were taking unusually long to be posted. The HCS website said that complete race results (including how each team ranked) for the event would be posted within 24 hours of the event. So, for a Sunday morning race, that meant results had to be posted by Monday morning.

I looked on Monday, and the web announcement had been altered to say the results would be posted within 48 hours of the event. That meant they would be posted Tuesday.

On Tuesday, I checked the website again, bemused as to why it was taking inordinately long for the results to be posted. There was nothing.

On Wednesday, a new message appeared in bright red lettering on the HCS website.. It said: "Official results posting will be delayed due to processing and re-scoring against gender changes and DQs." [DQs are disqualifications.]

So, people changing their gender was the primary reason for the delay in results?!! I was blown away.

On Friday morning, the team results were finally posted. Our team, for being the host team, did not do well. There are 8 categories of team competition, based on age and gender (per cross country rules).

We did well in only three of those: In the Male Grandmasters (50 and over males) category, we took the top spot. In both the Female Overall, as well as the Female Masters (40 - 49 females) category, we took second place.

But, in all of the younger age groups, we did rather poorly. And in general, the HCS men did much more poorly than the women (compared to their counter parts from other running clubs).

One bit of hopeful news for me personally: I was the top finisher for my team in my division (Female Grandmasters). Other than a sister named Aaliyah El-Amin from the Prince Georges Running Club (finish time 1:33), who is quite an accomplished runner, mine was one of the few Muslim names in the roster. Alhamdulillah for all things.

Farheen Siddiqui Runs for Aafia at the Cowtown Running Festival

By Nadrat Siddique

I am incredibly proud of my young Pakistani-American sister-friend Farheen Siddiqui. In December, she and I, along with some of her family members, participated in the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival, a gargantuan athletic event which brings out tens of thousands each year. At that event, Farheen and I wore our respective shirts calling attention to the unjust imprisonment of Pakistai female scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.

This time, Farheen ran/walked the 10k which is part of the Cowtown Running Festival in Fort Worth, TX, completely on her own, to call for Aafia's freedom. A few weeks before the event, she had ordered a hoodie with a graphic calling for Aafia's freedom. Unfortunately, it arrived devoid of the desired logo. Undeterred and determined to run for Aafia's freedom, Farheen made her own graphic and attached it to her sweatshirt. She then ran and walked the 6.2 miles in the chilly 40 degree temps, drawing questions and interested looks from fellow runners.

Farheen did that in what is a very "red state," with an open carry law, and an abundance of anti-Islam bigotry. If you truly follow the Islamic maxim of "Innal hokmo illah lillah" (Authority belongs to Allah alone), then you are unafraid. And there is always something you can do to stand up for justice, and against injustice. Ma'ashallah! Congratulations to Farheen!

(Fort Worth, where Farheen did her most recent race, is very near where Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is serving her 86-year prison term on bogus charges. Dallas, where Farheen and I ran in December, is the much larger, neighboring city.)

#FreeAafiaSiddiqui #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners #cowtownmarathon

On the Passing of Pervez Musharraf

By Nadrat Siddique

The former dictator of my country, Pervez Musharraf is dead. Among his other ignominies,

- Musharraf turned a Muslim woman scientist, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, over to the CIA, to be raped, tortured, and brutalized, her children forcibly removed from her and separately imprisoned. She was ultimately sentenced to 86 years in prison for a crime she could not have committed;

- Musharraf turned over the Islamabad-based Taliban ambassador, Mullah Abdus Salaam Zaeef, never mind his diplomatic status, to the U.S. The soft spoken, scholarly ambassador was then sent to the U.S. torture center at Guantanamo Bay and held for 4½ years before being released. He was never charged nor tried.

- During the early years of the WOT ("War on Terror"), Musharraf allowed the U.S. to put out a dragnet to seize all manner of innocents from Pakistani soil. These men and boys, including some as young as 14, were sent to secret prisons, where they endured horrific torture. Many of these were sent on to the U.S. torture center at Guantanamo Bay, where they were held for indefinite periods, without charge or trial, deprived of counsel.

- Post 9-11, Musharraf subverted Pakistan's economy to serve the U.S. WOT.

- Musharraf ordered the military assault and siege of Lal Masjid, a major mosque in Islamabad, which he perceived to be too hard line. He ordered the murder of its imam. The imam's mother and numerous other members of the mosque were also killed in the assault.

- In conjunction with the Lal Masjid assault, Musharraf ordered the Pakistan Army to attack Jamia Hafsa, an Islamic seminary for young Muslim women. Jamia Hafsa was contiguous to, and associated with Lal Masjid. Large numbers of Jamia Hafsa students were detained. Many of these "disappeared" indefinitely.

- Musharraf authorized the Pakistan Military to conduct the aerial bombardment of hundreds of mosques in the Northwestern frontier of Pakistan, setting off what became known as the Waziristan War.

- Musharraf authorized unfettered use of Pakistani air space by the U.S., allowing the latter to conduct thousands of drone strikes across the Pakistani frontier, as well as in Afghanistan. These resulted in the deaths of thousands of Pakistani and Afghan civilian deaths.

I, for one, will not be mourning Pervez Musharraf. He can most charitably be characterized as an imperialist sycophant and king of munafiqs. The pain of his medical treatment for amyloidosis will pale in comparison to what Allah (AWJ) has in store for this war criminal. Inshallah.

#FreeAafiaSiddiqui #PervezMusharraf #PakistanZindabad