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
