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