By Sara Flounders
October 21, 2021
The case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is another great miscarriage of justice in the long history of the U.S. legal-carceral system, which reinforces xenophobia, anti-Muslim prejudice and white supremacy.
New York City protest, Oct. 20. PHOTO: Toni Arenstein.
For almost two decades, Dr. Siddiqui has been subjected to the brutally harsh conditions of the U.S. prison system. This July 30 she was violently attacked by a fellow inmate, suffered burns and severe bruising, and was placed in solitary confinement. This is not the first time Dr. Siddiqui has been attacked. Arrested and brought to the United States for a “crime” she supposedly committed while not on U.S. soil, Dr. Siddiqui has been imprisoned at the Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, for the last 18 years. She is known as the “Daughter of the Nation” in Pakistan for supporting her own country.
The Aafia Foundation is spearheading mobilizations in five cities to mark Dr. Siddiqui’s 18 years of unjust imprisonment. The purpose of these mobilizations is:
- To raise awareness regarding the terrible miscarriage of justice done to this political prisoner and to make people fully aware of her innocence and plight.
- To protest the recent attack on Dr. Siddiqui at FMC Carswell, and to demonstrate concern and solidarity with her, especially given the nature of the recent assault
- To demand accountability for the failure of the prison facility to protect Dr. Siddiqui, and to inform her lawyer promptly about the assault.
- To demand the repatriation of Dr. Siddiqui back to her home country, Pakistan.
- To demand humane treatment of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui until repatriation occurs.
- To fulfill our moral and communal responsibility to stand against injustice and be the voice for the voiceless!
- To send a message to the powers that be that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui has NOT been forgotten!
For more on the Five City Mobilization, contact info@aafia.org. For more on Dr. Siddiqui’s case, go to www.aafia.org
