Running the MoCo Interfaith 5k

So this morning, I ran the MoCo Interfaith 5k in Boyds, MD. I ordinarily don't engage in interfaith activities, and registered for this race for one reason, and one reason alone, which I explain below. Numerous other faith organizations (Lutherans, Bahais, Ahmadiyyas, Catholics, and multiple Jewish denominations) all had sizeable teams registered. The number of members of each team was visible on the race website.

ISWA (Islamic Society of the Washington Area), which I occasionally visit, had a team set up. But, although they made announcements about the race (and the team they had set up for it) repeatedly on their Facebook page (and presumably at the mosque), no one had signed up for their team. Since I'm not a member of ISWA, I didn't want to pre-empt any ISWA members who wanted to join. So, I waited.

Finally, it was around the end August, and the race was on Labor Day. The Ahmadiyya team had ten members! And ISWA had zero. Finally, I buckled, and signed up. Right around the same time, three people from Potomac (a family) also joined the ISWA team. We were in business!

Race Day

The race itself was very well organized. It was held at the Maryland SoccerPlex, a huge outdoor park hosting 24 soccer fields. There was also a swim center, tennis courts, lacrosse fields, and even a cricket field.

I parked far away, as is my habit, and jogged to the packet pickup area as a warm-up. As I approached, I saw the Ahmadiyyas were out in full force. They, like a lot of the other religious groups, had a table set up. Their team was entirely male. Teams representing the other faiths all had mixed gender teams.

It was getting close to race time, and there were still hardly any Muslims. And there was no ISWA table. The saving grace was the presence of the ISWA imam. (He arrived quite late, sporting a traditional Muslim thobe.)

The preliminaries started. The RD (race director) called members of the different sponsoring faith organizations to speak. A member of the Shaare Torah Jewish Community spoke, as did a representative of the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Then, ISWA’s imam took the mic and spoke briefly. He was very low-key and unassuming, as if trying not to offend.

The race started. We took off, running on a paved trail which traversed the soccer fields. It was relatively flat, and should have been a piece of cake for me. Instead, I felt every step, not being a morning runner.

The top finisher was a 14-year old boy named Ayaan Ahmad. When I checked, I was just a little disappointed to see he was not a member of Team ISWA. Then, I had a moment of panic, as I considered if he was Ahmadiyya (Ahmadiyya names are similar or identical to Muslim names). I perused the Ahmadiyya team registry again. He was not listed there. Thank God! So, this young talented boy, who had just run 3.1 miles in 16:26 (16 minutes, 26 seconds), was an independent. And his pace was an astounding 5:18.

Alhamdulillah I was 3^rd overall female, with the mediocre finish time of 24:44 (7:58 pace).

The sun was shining ever so brightly as I headed to work immediately afterwards. A boy with a Muslim name was #1 male, and a Muslim woman was #3 female. That almost never happened at local races in the DMV. Oh, and we beat all the Ahmadiyyas!

Pakistani Woman Marathoner Writes to Star-Telegram About Aafia

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

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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

Fort Worth Marathon for Aafia

By Nadrat Siddique

November 8, 2021
Fort Worth, TX

This weekend, I ran the 26.2 mile Fort Worth Marathon (race) to call attention to the glaring injustice of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's imprisonment in that town. For the crime of being an unapologetic Muslimah, she's serving an 86-year term. That means--if the authorities have their way--she may still be in prison after most readers of this post are dead.

Before her imprisonment, she was super-conservative; very family-oriented; and well known and active in her community, local mosques, and student organizations. And she was very focused on intellectual pursuits, earning advanced degrees from MIT and Brandeis in a short time.

I'm not sure how Aafia would view the enormity of my traveling 1,400 miles from the Washington, DC area to Texas to run a marathon in her name, and that, too, in funky red tights.

Some photos of my Fort Worth Marathon for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui are here.

The marathon, interestingly, is run on a portion of the Trinity Trail. This is part of a  huge system of trails- over 100 miles in total- called the Trinity Trails System. It is so expansive that you can basically travel the entire city on foot, bike, or rollerblade, relying solely on the trail.

During the marathon, an approximately 6.5 mile segment of the trail is traversed 4 times. Much of the route is flat and follows the Trinity River. I saw egrets, herons, and other waterfowl as I ran, repeatedly murmuring "subhanAllah" to myself. Along the way, there were water and Gatorade stops--and Saleema Gul.

What Gul Did

Saleema Gul, a staunch supporter of Aafia, came out to assist me in my marathon effort. In October, she'd helped organize a protest for Aafia (one of a five-city mobilization) outside the Pakistan Consulate in Houston, despite the strong objections of consular officials, including the CG, Abrar Hashmi. Seemingly in an attempt to disavow responsibility for the Pakistan government's essential role in Aafia's abduction from Karachi, and then her transfer to U.S. authorities for torture, the Consulate insisted that the protest not occur near their premises. "Any location but the Consulate" was the message. The Aafia Foundation and its coalition partners went ahead with the Pakistan Consulate protest anyway.

This time around, Gul again showed that she had more guts than most men. Fort Worth is nearly four hours from Houston. The Houston-based Gul woke up around 1:00 AM, chugged down some coffee, then jumped in her car and headed to Fort Worth. She was at the race with her "Free Aafia" sign well before me--and I was staying in a hotel literally 15 minutes away!

While I was running (sporting my "Free Aafia Siddiqui tee, prepared for me by an all-women's collective in Indiana), Gul was busily explaining Aafia's case to numerous bystanders.

As I passed by her, I was a bit concerned that she, a petite Pakistani hijabi, was standing in the midst of a largely White, largely pro-Republican crowd rocking a "Free Aafia" sign. And- Texas has an open-carry law. In other words, guns can legally be carried in plain view, on one's person in public places. Pro-Trumpers and others were known to use the provision to their advantage. Gul did not seem to be the least bit concerned. Afterwards, she told me the reception she got was generally positive, and that people were polite--even friendly--in some cases.

Torture in the Shadow of the Trinity

In the DFW area, everything seems to be about Trinity. As mentioned, there's the Trinity Trail, which runs along the Trinity River. Then, there's Trinity Park, Trinity Springs, Trinity High School, and Trinity Valley Middle School. There are churches of all denominations bearing the name Trinity. Then, there's Trinity Spine and Orthopedics, Trinity Valley School of Ballet, and Trinity Self Storage.

There is even a portion of the Trinity Trail a stone's throw from FMC Carswell, the prison where Aafia is held.

Although my understanding of the Trinity (in Christian belief) is limited, I do know that Jesus (AS) is a crucial component of this. To Christians, he is the Son (ouzo-billah). To Muslims, he is the revered messenger of God, sent to the people of his time to bring them to God's Word.

In either case, Jesus, like Aafia, was tortured horribly by the authorities of the time. And, like Aafia, he did not give up his faith under torture. 

As I left Fort Worth, I wondered what Jesus would say if he knew of an innocent Pakistani Muslim woman's continued abuse in an ostensible prison hospital, in the area popularly known as the "Bible Belt." Would he sanction Aafia being forced by her jailors, to walk on her holy book, Al-Qur'an?

#FreeAafiaSiddiqui #FortWorthMarathon #RunningForJustice #IAmAafia #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners 

© 2021 Nadrat Siddique

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Nadrat Siddique is a Pakistani Muslim woman marathoner who lives in the Washington, DC area. She has done 48 marathons, frequently combining her twin passions of advocating for political prisoners and distance running by doing marathons to draw attention to political prisoners' cases. Previously, she did two Boston marathons, two Chicago marathons, and a Washington, DC marathon to draw attention to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's case.

Aafia More Guilty than Chauvin?

So Derek Chauvin, the cop who killed George Floyd--in broad daylight and on camera--got a prison term of 22.5 years. And he's appealing, so, if the pattern of police impunity holds, he may get out. Pakistani scientist #AafiaSiddiqui, killed no one and injured no one. But she got 86 years. Where is the justice in that?

Al-Jazeera Piece Reveals More U.S. Torture Techniques

A recent Al-Jazeera article talks about the US torture center at Baghram, Afghanistan. One of the former detainees interviewed, named Sultan, speaks of losing his teeth during interrogation (ie torture). Pakistani political prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who was also secretly detained at Baghram (her name did not appear in any prison registry, contrary to international law), similarly lost her teeth. This raises the possibility that this was standard practice by US forces, who claimed to be in Afghanistan to bring democracy there. The question remains: When will the US (and their equally genocidal predecessors, the Russians) be held accountable for the death and destruction it wrought on Afghanistan and its people?

--Nadrat Siddique

One Explanation for Pakistan Government's Inaction on Aafia

Despite massive support for Aafia amongst the Pakistani public, and the subsequent (perhaps opportunistic) campaign promises of the current prime minister, Imran Khan, to get her released, if he got into office, Aafia Siddiqui continues to languish in a U.S. jail for upwards of 18 years. The Pakistani government has yet to perform the most elemental step of formally requesting her release. The question arises: Why?

The simplest answer seems to be: The Pakistan government is even more complicit than the U.S. in Aafia's continuing detention. At least, the U.S. had expressed an interest at an official level at various points to conduct a prisoner exchange, or some such for Aafia. Although I'm no expert, I believe that under International Law, the Pakistani government and its principles can be taken before the International Criminal Court (ICC), for their role in Aafia's kidnapping, rape, and torture. The U.S., on the other hand, cannot easily be tried before the ICC or any other international body, as they are not signatories to these. 

So, Aafia's release would mean exposure of the Pakistani government's crimes, and open the door to an international inquiry/ litigation. Also, given the monumental support for Aafia across Pakistan, where she is considered the "Daughter of the Nation," reaction to the crimes against her, when and if she is finally released and the full, sordid details come out, is likely to be explosive. This may explain, at least in part, the Pakistan government's hesitancy in requesting Aafia's release.

--Nadrat Siddique 

Aafia Attacked by Fellow Carswell Inmate

On July 30, while prison authorities turned a blind eye, an inmate at FMC Carswell attacked political prisoner #DrAafiaSiddiqui. The inmate threw scalding hot liquid on her. Details are here.

This is absolutely unacceptable. Under the Geneva Convention, the authority holding a prisoner is responsible for her welfare.

Please call the prison to express concern about Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Her registry # (prisoner #) is 90279-054. Phone for FMC Carswell is: (817) 782-4000.

If you can't call, write to the warden ASAP:
Michael Carr, Warden
FMC Carswell
PO Box 27066
Fort Worth, TX 76127

When writing to the Warden, please be sure to use the correct legal spelling of Aafia's name and her register number (Aafia Siddiqui, #90279-054). Mention the fact that you are concerned about the July 30 attack on her by another inmate, her physical safety, and her general health.

Also, please make du'ah for her, and ask the imam of your mosque to make du'ah for her after juma'ah prayers. JazaakAllah khair.

--Nadrat Siddique

Speaking Truth at Masjid (No) Noor

By Nadrat Siddique

This Friday, New Trend's editor Dr. Kaukab Siddique attended juma'ah services at a mosque in a Baltimore suburb. Afterwards, he offered complimentary copies of New Trend to members of the congregation, while standing outside in the considerable heat in the mosque parking lot.

New Trend is one of the oldest continuously published Islamic papers in North America. Since its inception in 1977, it has supported the Palestinian liberation struggle, opposed dictatorships across the Arab and Muslim world, supported the right of Muslims to free themselves from occupation and oppression; and championed freedom for political prisoners like Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, Imam Jamil Al-Amin, Ziyad Yaghi, Ahmed Abdel Sattar, and the innocents held at Guantanamo Bay.

The mosque administrators, with complete disregard for adaab (Islamic etiquette), accosted Dr. Siddique, accusing him of distributing "terrorist literature" (with scarcely a glance at what he was distributing). He responded to them that they ought not use the terminology of the oppressor.

Then, the accusations became even more baseless and bizarre. Surrounding Dr. Siddique, several mosque board members repeatedly called him a liar (it was not clear what he was ostensibly lying about), an "old man," a "rascal,"and possibly an Ahmadiyya. (The last charge was particularly ludicrous, and illustrated that the mosque administrators had not read North America's oldest Islamic paper, which has consistently and vociferously opposed the Ahmadiyyas.)

The relatively young (but old and sold at heart) men finally dismissed the New Trend editor with a wave of their hand, their hubris in full display. In a further attempt at intimidation and suppression of free speech, one of them photographed the license plate of the vehicle in which he was traveling.

Videos of the incident are here and here.

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The ugly incident revealed the nature of the majority of U.S. mosques: Khutbas almost never discuss issues of concern to the Muslim community, whether about political prisoners or police shootings in the U.S., or about the bombing of innocents in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, or other Muslim countries by the U.S. and its allies. Attempts are frequently made to cultivate an "American Islam," in direct contravention to the original Islamic teachings on internationalism and Islamic brotherhood/sisterhood. Mosque board members behave like egomaniacs, their advanced degrees, wealth, and position giving them the illusion of superiority over other Muslims.

Mosque administrators also frequently display overtly misogynistic behaviors towards the women in their congregation (if there are any; not surprisingly, at this mosque, there were exactly four women attendees, myself included). It is common for female members of the congregation to be relegated to servile roles in the mosque, and to be physically placed in backrooms where they cannot see, hear, or interact with the imam, or with the board members who wield authority over happenings at the mosque.

Perhaps most shamefully, such mosques welcome representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties to pitch to the congregations, distribute party literature, and much else, never mind that both parties have killed, bombed, and maimed millions of Muslims.

But, to a representative of an Islamic newspaper, an elder with a decades-long history in the Islamic struggle, and who studied directly under Maulana Maudoodi (RA), they behave with unbelievable arrogance and outright rudeness. And surely Allah (AWJ) is the Knower of all things.

Aafia Siddiqui Case: Does a Guilty Verdict Equal Guilt?

Recently, I had a discussion on Twitter with a young Pakistani man who bought into the propaganda that since Aafia was serving time in a U.S. prison, having been tried and convicted, she must certainly be guilty. 

Here is my response to him:

What exactly do you know of Dr. Siddiqui's case? Some of us were in the New York courtroom where she was prosecuted. Her trial was presided over by a Zionist judge, Richard Berman.

Berman did not allow any discussion of what happened to Siddiqui during 2003-2008. That's the entire period leading up to her appearance before a New York court for trial. That means (if one accepts the Judge's rationale), her alleged crime occurred in a vacuum. It also means that the manner in which Siddiqui, a conservative Pakistani woman, suddenly landed in a foreign country, Afghanistan, to (ostensibly) assault 4 - 6 U.S. soldiers, is irrelevant.

As independent investigations have revealed, Siddiqui was abducted, illegally detained, tortured, and raped (most likely at the U.S. base in Baghram) during that time period. So why would a judge not allow discussion of that period, except for bias and possibly malevolence?

If Berman had the integrity to allow such a discussion, it would have exposed the Pakistani authorities' part in hideous crimes against a Muslim woman, a mother of three, whose PhD research centered on child development.

Dr. Siddiqui was not the only one rendered during the period following the September 11 attacks. Hundreds of other innocents were similarly handed over to the U.S., simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, because someone decided they wanted the bounty (offered by the U.S. at the time) associated with handing over certain population groups, or because a prisoner under torture falsely named them.

All of this started under Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. He is a war criminal, and ought to have been brought before the International Criminal Court. May Allah's lanaat (curse) be on him.

Given the state of the U.S. Justice System, it's never a good idea to assume that guilty verdicts equal guilt, This is particularly true in the "War on Terror" era cases, where the defendant is a Muslim and the odds are stacked against him or her, with biased judges, hand picked juries, and a climate of fear-mongering, and Islamophobia.

Letter to FMC Carswell Warden Michael Carr

(This was emailed to the warden of FMC Carswell (facility where political prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is held). It was written in response to an appeal by the Aafia Movement (Pakistan), which is spearheaded by Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's sister, Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui. The family has had no contact with Aafia since 2018.)

To: 

Michael Carr, Warden
FMC Carswell
PO Box 27066
Fort Worth, TX 76127

Dear Warden Carr,

As a U.S. citizen here in the state of Maryland, I am writing to ask you to please facilitate communication between Aafia Siddiqui and her family. I am a writer, blogger, and human rights advocate, and I cannot understand why, in contravention of Federal Bureau of Prisons regulations, this prisoner is not permitted video- or other types of calls with her family. I believe you have the power and the moral authority to facilitate this, and I would be greatly appreciative if you would do so.

Sincerely,

Nadrat Siddique