The Plight of Dr Aafia Siddiqui: Is an End in Sight?

The momentum is building, we can make a change for sister Aafia.

When I met Aafia’s lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, I expected to meet a man weighed down by the sheer pain, suffering and injustice he had witnessed over the past twenty-plus years. Instead, I was confronted with someone unburdened by the issues that understandably would take their toll on most people. It took me a few minutes to recalibrate. Clive is a man with a cause, relentlessly fighting for justice.

“Aafia will be released; it’s a matter of when, not if”, he told me. The momentum and optimism was palpable. I must admit, before this past month, Dr Aafia’s plight, however troubling, had sadly become a fait-accompli. I believed her ultimate justice was going to come in Jannah (paradise) where those responsible, chiefly General Pervaiz Musharraf and other Pakistan army chiefs and collaborators, would face Allah with nothing but humiliation for their servitude to the United States.

Yet I can see now that there is a pathway. Ultimately it needs the Pakistani army leadership, the real power brokers behind the facade of the country’s civilian government, to seriously raise her case with the US and place it at the centre of their diplomacy. According to Clive, there are still forces that know her release will unearth the betrayal and duplicity of the past twenty years. But with the Americans moving beyond the war on terror and the passing of Musharraf (and time), a space is opening up for effective advocacy.

So what can we do?

1 - Forward the Thinking Muslim interview with Clive Stafford Smith (her lawyer) to as many people as you can:

2 - Encourage EVERYONE to write words of support and encouragement to Dr Aafia via Clive's email: clive@3dc.org.uk

He will personally ensure all letters reach her; previously, these were intercepted by prison authorities. Please place in the email's subject: Thinking Muslim letter for Aafia.

3 - Contribute financially to her legal and advocacy costs.

Clive does not charge the family for his services. He has set up a crowdfunding page for Aafia to pay a young Pakistani researcher to help on the case and fund the trips to the US, etc. You can contribute using the link:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/freeaafia/

4 - Keep Aafia’s plight alive. This means Muslim gatherings should remind audiences of this injustice, especially in the US. There is a concerted effort to maintain a US government narrative in the media. We must utilise creative means to counter this online and in the mainstream press.

5 - Keep Dr Aafia in your duas (prayers). Ultimately Allah can change her circumstances and open doors that were previously closed. Make dua with urgency as if your own sister or mother was unjustly incarcerated.

I, like Clive, believe we can free Aafia. Let’s do our part.