Aafia Siddiqui and her three children were kidnapped from the streets of Karachi in March 2003. Since then they have been subjected to enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment beyond measure. Cageprisoners has dedicated itself to campaigning for Aafia and her family in order to help secure their release and expose those involved in their abuse.
Background
Aafia Siddiqui was born in Pakistan on 2 March 1972 – she was raised and educated up until her A-Levels in the country. After completing her initial education she moved to the US in order to study at the University of Houston. Due to the success of her studies, she was able to procure a transfer to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study a BSc in Biology. At MIT she stayed at the female dormitory, McCormick Hall. During her time at MIT she was an active member of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) where much of her activity focussed on explaining Islam to non-Muslims for them to better understand the religion. Much of Aafia’s focus was on Islam and during her sophomore year she won a grant of $5000 to study the effects of Islam on women living in Pakistan. After her graduation, Aafia married Mohammed Amjad Khan who was a medical student and the son of a wealthy family – their marriage was arranged by their respective families. Both shared a mutual desire to make their life in the US and also to live their life dedicated to Islam. Aafia then proceeded to enrol at Brandeis University in order to read for her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience. The degree related to studying the human beings and whether or not they learn by imitation. Her supervising professor, Paul DiZio, said of her research, “I can’t see how it can be applied to anything...it’s not very applied work. It didn’t have a medical aspect to it. And, as a computer expert, she was competent. But you know, calling her a mastermind or something does not seem – I never saw any evidence.” On 7 April 2004, MSNBC’s Newsweek identified Aafia Siddiqui as a microbiologist and, according to her lawyer, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, references were being made to her being involved in biochemical warfare. After the completion of her biology degree at MIT, Aafia went on to do a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience at Brandeis University while her husband finished his medical studies. Media reporting painted Aafia as a microbiologist, geneticist or neurologist, fields which were very far from what she was actually doing. In reality, Aafia’s PhD was based on the concept of human beings learning by imitation. When questioning Professor DiZio, one of her supervisors, regarding her research and how it could be used by Al Qaeda, he clearly stated that it was highly unlikely that she would have the technical knowledge to be involved with such things. Her PhD focused on the use of computers to understand human behaviour and had nothing to do with biochemical weapons. After gaining her PhD qualification, the couple moved to Roxbury with their then two children. From their apartment the couple ran a non-profit organisation called the Institute of Islamic Research and Teaching which was co-jointly run by Aafia’s sister Fowzia. The organisation was started in 1999 and became an important focus in their lives. According to Newsweek, Aafia was found to have funded Benevolence International and the Al Kifah Refugee Center – both of which have been banned by the UN. Although the allegations against her seem plausible, the environment under which she raised the money should be understood. During the conflict in Bosnia, the aid efforts for the Bosnian people were strongly encouraged and even the ability of Westerners to flight in the conflict. Countries such as the US and UK did not hinder those who wished to assist the beleaguered people in the Balkans. Aafia’s involvement was only a small part of the wider efforts taking place. Email sent from her account, which have now been made public, showed very clearly that her efforts particularly concentrated on the plight of orphans in Bosnia and that her attempts to aid such victims were quite sincere. There is no record of any of her emails being in relation to raising funds for violence but rather focused on the humanitarian disaster in the country. According to various new outlets and a UN investigation, in the middle of June 2001, Siddiqui landed in Liberia having flown from Quetta, Pakistan. An hour long drive to the airport in the intense heat did not seem to faze her despite wearing her headscarf. The driver of the car, who was to later become the chief informant in the UN-led investigation, described a woman in a headscarf who kept to herself. She went straight to her designated point, the Hotel Boulevard in the capital Monrovia, where men were waiting to tend to her needs. They knew that a high profile Al Qaeda operative was arriving, and Siddiqui was that person. These claims were to be raised after a ‘Seeking Information’ poster was issued relating to Siddiqui which was recognised by the taxi driver in Monrovia. Within days of the 9/11 attacks, the FBI launched the PENTTBOM investigation – thousands of foreign Muslims were detained and placed through vigorous checks and, in many cases, detained for long periods without charge. The wide net of suspicion was cast and it soon became difficult for many Muslims to live in the US due to harassment they faced by the FBI and other authorities. As a result, Siddiqui and her husband returned to Pakistan. In 2002 Aafia and her husband returned to the US where they separated and were eventually divorced on 21 October 2002. An argument between Aafia and her husband at her parent’s home resulted in a heart attack and the eventual death of her father. Within a few weeks of this incident she gave birth to her youngest child. On 25 December 2002 Aafia Siddiqui returned to the US in order to look for work in the Baltimore area where her sister Fowzia now lived – she had job offers lined up at John Hopkins and SUNY. She remained in the US until 2 January 2003 – having used the time in order to search for work.
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Aafia Siddiqui and her three children were kidnapped from the streets of Karachi in March 2003. Since then they have been subjected to enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment beyond measure. Cageprisoners has dedicated itself to campaigning for Aafia and her family in order to help secure their release and expose those involved in their abuse.</span>
<h2><b>Background</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Aafia Siddiqui was born in Pakistan on 2 March 1972 – she was raised and educated up until her A-Levels in the country. After completing her initial education she moved to the US in order to study at the University of Houston. Due to the success of her studies, she was able to procure a transfer to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study a BSc in Biology. At MIT she stayed at the female dormitory, McCormick Hall.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">During her time at MIT she was an active member of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) where much of her activity focussed on explaining Islam to non-Muslims for them to better understand the religion. Much of Aafia’s focus was on Islam and during her sophomore year she won a grant of $5000 to study the effects of Islam on women living in Pakistan. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">After her graduation, Aafia married Mohammed Amjad Khan who was a medical student and the son of a wealthy family – their marriage was arranged by their respective families. Both shared a mutual desire to make their life in the US and also to live their life dedicated to Islam. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Aafia then proceeded to enrol at Brandeis University in order to read for her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience. The degree related to studying the human beings and whether or not they learn by imitation. Her supervising professor, Paul DiZio, said of her research, </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can’t see how it can be applied to anything...it’s not very applied work. It didn’t have a medical aspect to it. And, as a computer expert, she was competent. But you know, calling her a mastermind or something does not seem – I never saw any evidence.”</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">On 7 April 2004, MSNBC’s Newsweek identified Aafia Siddiqui as a microbiologist and, according to her lawyer, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, references were being made to her being involved in biochemical warfare.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">After the completion of her biology degree at MIT, Aafia went on to do a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience at Brandeis University while her husband finished his medical studies. Media reporting painted Aafia as a microbiologist, geneticist or neurologist, fields which were very far from what she was actually doing.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">In reality, Aafia’s PhD was based on the concept of human beings learning by imitation. When questioning Professor DiZio, one of her supervisors, regarding her research and how it could be used by Al Qaeda, he clearly stated that it was highly unlikely that she would have the technical knowledge to be involved with such things. Her PhD focused on the use of computers to understand human behaviour and had nothing to do with biochemical weapons. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">After gaining her PhD qualification, the couple moved to Roxbury with their then two children. From their apartment the couple ran a non-profit organisation called the Institute of Islamic Research and Teaching which was co-jointly run by Aafia’s sister Fowzia. The organisation was started in 1999 and became an important focus in their lives. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Newsweek, Aafia was found to have funded Benevolence International and the Al Kifah Refugee Center – both of which have been banned by the UN. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Although the allegations against her seem plausible, the environment under which she raised the money should be understood. During the conflict in Bosnia, the aid efforts for the Bosnian people were strongly encouraged and even the ability of Westerners to flight in the conflict. Countries such as the US and UK did not hinder those who wished to assist the beleaguered people in the Balkans. Aafia’s involvement was only a small part of the wider efforts taking place. Email sent from her account, which have now been made public, showed very clearly that her efforts particularly concentrated on the plight of orphans in Bosnia and that her attempts to aid such victims were quite sincere. There is no record of any of her emails being in relation to raising funds for violence but rather focused on the humanitarian disaster in the country. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">According to various new outlets and a UN investigation, in the middle of June 2001, Siddiqui landed in Liberia having flown from Quetta, Pakistan. An hour long drive to the airport in the intense heat did not seem to faze her despite wearing her headscarf. The driver of the car, who was to later become the chief informant in the UN-led investigation, described a woman in a headscarf who kept to herself. She went straight to her designated point, the Hotel Boulevard in the capital Monrovia, where men were waiting to tend to her needs. They knew that a high profile Al Qaeda operative was arriving, and Siddiqui was that person. These claims were to be raised after a ‘Seeking Information’ poster was issued relating to Siddiqui which was recognised by the taxi driver in Monrovia.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Within days of the 9/11 attacks, the FBI launched the PENTTBOM investigation – thousands of foreign Muslims were detained and placed through vigorous checks and, in many cases, detained for long periods without charge. The wide net of suspicion was cast and it soon became difficult for many Muslims to live in the US due to harassment they faced by the FBI and other authorities. As a result, Siddiqui and her husband returned to Pakistan. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2002 Aafia and her husband returned to the US where they separated and were eventually divorced on 21 October 2002. An argument between Aafia and her husband at her parent’s home resulted in a heart attack and the eventual death of her father. Within a few weeks of this incident she gave birth to her youngest child. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">On 25 December 2002 Aafia Siddiqui returned to the US in order to look for work in the Baltimore area where her sister Fowzia now lived – she had job offers lined up at John Hopkins and SUNY. She remained in the US until 2 January 2003 – having used the time in order to search for work. </span>
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