"...the Islam of compassion and mercy has produced successes that the 'Islam' of be-headings and amputations has not." (Andrew Purcell - from his article below)*** CARDS for Aafia (I've asked for specifics and here's what I received):
Me: Do you think beginning a Letter-writing campaign to Carswell and/or authorities about allowing visits from family and/or family phone calls with her? Would asking for accountability on Aafia's treatment would be helpful, counter-productive or of no help?
Answers from officials/family:
We are told that these MAY NOT BE HELPFUL AT THIS TIME. ALREADY THEY HAVE PLACED HER IN TOTAL ISOLATION. MAYBE LATER. BUT AN OCCASIONAL RESPECTFUL LETTER (to officials) FROM A CONCERNED CITIZEN MAY NOT HURT.
POST CARDS (TYPICAL PICTURE CARDS) SEEM TO WORK BEST. ALSO GREETING CARDS IN ENVELOPS (LIKE CHRISTMAS CARDS WORK FINE AS WELL) BOP OFFICIALS SEEM OK WITH THESE.
...SHE DOES GET CARDS. CAN'T CONFIRMS IF SHE GETS ALL OF THEM BUT PROBABLY MOST. SHE WOULD LOVE THEM I AM SURE. SHE LIKES PICTURES OF LANDSCAPES, ANIMALS, TOURIST STUFF AND HUMOR.
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Despite extremist leaders who continue to use Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's cause as a recruiting tool, she has stated CLEARLY that she wants no violence done in her name. "Her sister, her brother, and their mother have all repeatedly said in public...that they do not want people killing or dying or participating in any sort of violence in Aafia's name." from post below.
On behalf of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui - be sure to see address for CARDS for Aafia end of this post. Find here: reports and analyses with links to scholars, a lawyer, a cleric and keen observers and I've just added below the freeaafia.org items - on Tues, 21st December - a short video by Andy Worthington which is a plea to the Pakistani Government.
The following have all been featured recently on the Official Family Site:
Free Aafia dot org:
Respect the Law
By Khurram Shafique
... Before the common people in Pakistan and US even became aware of the existence of Aafia, she had already become well-known to human rights activists across the world as victim of abduction, rape and torture, whose minor children had also got abducted along with her. Pakistani, Afghan and US authorities were the accused in this case.
This was the world opinion in general. Since August 2008, the American media has been considerably successful in giving a different color to the story, alleging that Aafia had ties with al-Qaeda (a charge that was never brought up in the court at any point).
The power of mass media is itself its limitation: the news of tomorrow is bound to wipe out the news of today. Therefore with the passage of time, the world opinion viewing Aafia as a victim is likely to prevail over the perception created by the American media.
For the US, the consequences could be disastrous in the long-term because nobody can say how its legal system is likely to be judged once the world opinion about Aafia prevails over the American media version...
The same goes for the government of Pakistan. This government seems to be overlooking that the last round of troubles began for President Pervez Musharraf over the issue of "missing persons" and the demand for his impeachment gained support in the wake of the discovery of Aafia in July 2008. The present regime may have made a mistake by failing to behave any differently than Musharraf in this matter...featured on the official family site: Free Aafia dot com.
READ Full Article and find an early Chronology of Events with Archives and related reports here (Be sure to note Khurram Ali Shafique Sahib's classic analysis "Don't Blame the Victim" here including reports of Dr. Aafia speaking for herself- which like most of Shafique Sahib's work - have a strong universal element. this short note added by Connie of oneheartforpeace)
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
By Mauri' Saalakhan
The Case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui: A Profile in Persecution and Faith here
alQaeda vs Aafia - Again
By Andrew Purcell
Dec 16, 2010
My goodness! Aafia has become positively trendy amongst the elite in the world of terrorism. Last month it was Ayman al-Zawahiri attempting to turn her into a pin-up girl for suicide bombers. Now it is the turn of Abu Yahya al-Liby. At this rate I expect Aafia to be the covergirl for "al-Qaeda Chic: The Hottie in the Hijab" next month.
Liby, like Zawahiri before him, seems to have only now discovered Aafia, nearly eight years after she was kidnapped off the streets of Karachi, two and a half years after she surfaced dazed and disoriented in Afghanistan, and ten months following her conviction in a New York City courtroom.
Where have these guys been? Are they really hidden so deeply in caves that the news is only now reaching them? I don't believe that. Even the guys in the caves have cable TV.
They decided that she would make a great recruiting tool. Nothing more and nothing less. Read their statements. Watch their videos. There is no human warmth or concern for Aafia, her children, her brother, her sister, and especially for their mother. Just the tired calls for more mayhem.
Aafia has stated that she wants no violence done in her name. Her sister, her brother, and their mother have all repeatedly said in public and to me in private that they do not want people killing or dying or participating in any sort of violence in Aafia's name.
Do you want to know what success looks like?... SEE rest of Article here
Sentencing Update: Dr. Aafia Siddiqui: "Fact vs. Fiction" : Transcript from her brother's talk posted here night before Aafia was sentenced to 86 years for a crime she didn't commit GO here and find plenty of posts re. the sentencing as well.
Find the above and more at the Official Family Site: FreeAafia dot org or GO here including this article: (Pakistan) Massive MQM rally seeks Aafia’s release - Wednesday, 29 Sep, 2010 Dawn
A Few Other Links:
International Justice Network dot org or GO here
Justice For Aafia Coalition here
Pasban here
Cage Prisoners here
SEND CARDS TO Dr. Aafia:
She is now being allowed mail and magazine subscriptions though family visitation or calls are still prohibited.Cards and letters are the only way she knows that she is still remembered.
Aafia Siddiqui #90279-054
FMC Carswell
P.O.Box 27137
Fort Worth, TX 76127
USA
===================
END sources given at Official Family Site freeaafia.org
***TO the short excerpt on top from Andrew Purcell about Islam, I want to add this note:
And of course the Christianity, the Judaism, the Hinduism and Buddhism of Compassion and Mercy are ALSO more fruitful for the whole and the highest in the present and over time as well - than any of their vengeful versions.
Here are a few more resources:
SEE Video of Andy Worthington speaking on behalf of Dr. Aafia and the site is here - an archive by Andy on Aafia is here
WikiLeaks Reveals Diplomatic Cables On Aafia Siddiqui. By Stephen Lendman. 03 December, 2010. Countercurrents.org OR GO here
Barbaric: 86-Year Sentence for Aafia by Andy Worthington here
Also be sure to look up items by ONDELETTE who's commented on both Salon.com and Firedoglake as well as placed comments on other major items for Aafia news and Op Eds. Her work is unusually astute.
Note also the following:
This from Arab News dot com (Opinion):
By TAQI KHAN, BY E-MAILLiu Xiaobo and Aafia Siddiqui
The US has incarcerated, abused, tortured and eliminated alleged terrorists or security risks globally without batting an eye.Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib have even women and children as prisoners. However when the Chinese government jails Liu Xiaobo, it becomes a human rights issue and Liu becomes an international celebrity.President Barack Obama calls on the Chinese to release Liu without delay. There are many people in the world who would walk free tomorrow if only Obama wanted it. I mean all those imprisoned without charges by the US or on orders of the US (for example in Afghanistan and Iraq)? Would Obama start with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui? He does not have to beg China or any other country.
CLICK here
6 comments:
Several more analyses which highlighted the need for nonviolence, compassion and rule of law on behalf of Aafia (these from American blogger Ondelette:
http://nomorecrusades.blogspot.com/2010/09/revisiting-aafias-trial-ondelettes.html
http://oneheartforpeace.blogspot.com/2010/09/ondelette-enhancements-and-forgiveness.html
http://my.firedoglake.com/ondelette/2010/09/21/aafia-siddiqui-will-be-sentenced-on-thursday/
One immediate concern for all who are able and willing is set-up letter and calling events or on own to write to influential American and Pakistani leaders as well as to Carswell to remove Dr. Aafia beyond that "black hole" with a long history of abuse toward women.
Even were there proof that the place has been thoroughly cleaned up and abuse-proofed (of which there's no substantial indication), the history itself should be enough to make SURE that she is in a much safer place with a much better history.
Until the conclusion has been reached (the sooner the better) that Dr. Aafia is of NO threat and should be sent where she would be in the loving care of her family in Pakistan and receiving due honorable protections at all times, she must be removed immediately from any US federal institution especially not the Manhattan variety of pseudo-justice nor Carswell.
That she would be placed in Carswell AND not be allowed to see her brother is beyond any conscience. Nor is there any reasonable diplomatic strategy toward Pakistanis at all available here which itself should create a loud outcry until there is relief for Aafia and her family.
Here are just a few references to corroborate the shady and known abusive history/atmosphere still connected to Carswell (note that the history goes all the way back to Molly Ivins OpEd in 2000!
See these and find more links with an easy search:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2010/04/27/we-know-the-way-to-end-prison-rape-is-it-too-expensive/
http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/1/2000/150
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Medical_Center,_Carswell
Carswell Loses in Court:
http://fwweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3719:carswell-loses-in-court&catid=76:metropolis&Itemid=377
For any who want a quick survey of some December/November human rights/interfaith news which seeks a concern for injustices and compassion regardless of cultural background, plz go to:
http://nomorecrusades.blogspot.com and skim through December and back into November if you have the interest and get the chance.
I wish that she gets freedom from the cunning US imprisonment.
Everyone knows that Aafia is innocent but even if we consider her a criminal for a minute then i would like to ask from US presidency, that please let us judge/punish our criminals ourselves.STOP this doube policy standards!
our politicians who donot find place anywhere in the world get an asylum in US,our criminals are protected in US.WHY?let every independent state take her decisions herself!!
I wish that Afia can come back to Paksitan although she has wasted all the golden years of her life in US imprisonment.I donot expect any form of justice from US.All fakE!
Along with you, dear ReeBz, I am truly disheartened to see the injustice and inhumane treatment continue for Aafia.
Be sure to send her a card per address above in the post - as supposedly she is able to receive these.
We recommend only cards to here with inspiration and well-wishing without political statements in this case. Perhaps you may be able to have friends send such cards as well.
Thanx for coming by.
Be sure also to see comprehensive articles by Andy Worthington in archives and recently at andyworthington.co.uk ,a number by Stephen Lendman. Watch here for more to follow.
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