Aafia Siddiqui facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aafia Siddiqui
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| عافیہ صدیقیؒ | |
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| Born | 2 March 1972 |
| Other names | Afiya Siddiqui |
| Education | |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Board member of | Institute of Islamic Research and Teaching (President) |
| Spouse(s) |
Amjad Mohammed Khan
(m. 1995; div. 2002)Ammar al-Baluchi
(m. 2003; div. 2003) |
| Children | 3, including Mohammad Ahmed |
Aafia Siddiqui (also spelled Afiya; Urdu: عافیہ صدیقی; born 2 March 1972) is a Pakistani neuroscientist and educator. She became widely known after being found guilty in the United States and is currently in prison.
Siddiqui was born in Pakistan into a Sunni Muslim family. From 1990, she studied in the United States. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in neuroscience from Brandeis University in 2001. After the 9/11 attacks, she returned to Pakistan. She went back to Pakistan again in 2003 during the war in Afghanistan. Around this time, she was placed on a "Seeking Information" list by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). She was the first woman to be on this list. It was said that she and her three children were taken in Pakistan.
Five years later, she was found in Ghazni, Afghanistan. Afghan police arrested her, and the FBI questioned her. While in custody, Siddiqui reportedly said she had been hiding. Later, she changed her story, saying she had been taken and held prisoner. Her supporters believe she was held at Bagram Air Force Base, but the US government denies this. During her second day in custody, she was involved in an incident where she was shot. She was then taken to the US. Her case has been called a "flashpoint of Pakistani-American tensions" and a "mystery." In Pakistan, her arrest and conviction led to large protests. Some media groups have called her "Lady al-Qaeda" due to her alleged connections. Islamic State has offered to exchange her for prisoners on two occasions. Pakistani news media called her trial unfair. Pakistani leaders, including the Prime Minister and opposition leader, promised to work for her release.
Contents
About Aafia Siddiqui
Her Family and Early Life
Aafia Siddiqui was born in Karachi, Pakistan. Her father, Muhammad Salay Siddiqui, was a neurosurgeon. Her mother, Ismet, was an Islamic teacher and social worker. Her family belongs to the Urdu-speaking Muhajir community in Karachi. She grew up in a religious Muslim home. Her parents believed in combining their faith with new scientific discoveries.
Ismet Siddiqui, Aafia's mother, was active in politics and religion. She taught Islam and was a member of Pakistan's parliament. Aafia is the youngest of three children. Her brother, Muhammad, became an architect in Texas. Her sister, Fowzia, is a neurologist trained at Harvard. She worked in Baltimore before returning to Pakistan. Aafia went to school in Zambia until she was eight. She finished her primary and secondary schooling in Karachi.
Her College Years
In 1990, Siddiqui moved to Houston, Texas, US, on a student visa. She joined her brother, who was studying architecture there. She attended the University of Houston. Friends and family said her main interests were religion and schoolwork. She avoided movies, novels, and TV, except for the news. After three semesters, she moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In 1992, Siddiqui won an award for her research idea about "Islamization in Pakistan and its Effects on Women." She went to Pakistan to interview people involved in these laws. She also received a fellowship to help clean up playgrounds in Cambridge. She initially studied biology, anthropology, and archaeology at MIT. In 1995, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.
At MIT, Siddiqui lived in an all-female dorm. She continued to do charity work and share her faith. Her fellow students described her as religious but not extreme. She joined the Muslim Students' Association. She volunteered for the Al Kifah Refugee Center. This center was linked to controversial events. She was known for encouraging people to donate to charity. Through the student association, she met several committed Islamists. Journalist Deborah Scroggins suggested that these connections might have led her into a world of more serious activities.
Siddiqui's involvement with Al-Kifah continued even when its links to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing became known. When Pakistan helped the US arrest Ramzi Yousef for his role in the bombing, Siddiqui criticized Pakistan. She wrote guides for teaching Islam, hoping that more people would embrace the religion.
Marriage, Graduate School, and Work
In 1995, Siddiqui agreed to an arranged marriage to Amjad Mohammed Khan. He was an anesthesiologist from Karachi. They had never met before the ceremony, which was done over the phone. Khan came to the US, and they lived in Lexington, Massachusetts, and later in Roxbury, Boston. She gave birth to a son, Muhammad Ahmed, in 1996, and a daughter, Mariam Bint-e Muhammad, in 1998.
Siddiqui studied cognitive neuroscience at Brandeis University. In early 1999, she taught a General Biology Laboratory course. She earned her PhD in 2001. Her dissertation was about how people learn by imitating others. After getting her PhD, she told an adviser she wanted to focus on her family. She started translating biographies of shahid (jihad fighters who had been killed). She became more strict in her religion, wearing a niqāb (a black veil) and avoiding music.
In 1999, Siddiqui started the Institute of Islamic Research and Teaching as a nonprofit group. She was its president. She also helped start the Dawa Resource Center, which offered faith-based services to people in prison.
Divorce and Later Events
Problems began in her marriage. According to her husband, Khan, this was due to her strong focus on activism. In the summer of 2001, the couple moved to Malden, Massachusetts.
After the 9/11 attacks, Siddiqui wanted the family to leave the US. She felt their lives were in danger if they stayed. Once back in Pakistan, Siddiqui wanted the family to move near the Afghan border. She wanted Khan to work as a medic to help those fighting in Afghanistan. Khan was hesitant. Siddiqui agreed to return to him in the US in January 2002 if he joined her in Islamic activities. She began teaching her children at home.
By this time, the FBI was asking questions about Siddiqui. In May 2002, the FBI questioned Siddiqui and her husband about some items they bought online. Khan later told authorities he bought them to please Siddiqui. The couple agreed to talk to the FBI again, but Siddiqui insisted the family leave for Pakistan. On 26 June 2002, they returned to Karachi.
In August 2002, Khan said Siddiqui was difficult during their marriage. He suspected she was involved in extremist activities. Khan went to Siddiqui's parents' home to say he wanted a divorce. Soon after, Siddiqui's father died of a heart attack. This made her relationship with Khan worse.
In September 2002, Siddiqui gave birth to Suleman, their third child. After a failed attempt to fix their marriage, their divorce was finalized on 21 October 2002. According to her statements to the FBI, her connections with Al-Qaeda became more serious around this time.
In February 2003, Siddiqui married Ammar al-Baluchi in Karachi. He was accused of being an al-Qaeda member. While her family denies this marriage, intelligence sources and others confirm it. The marriage lasted only a few months. Siddiqui told the FBI that al-Baluchi divorced her after he was arrested.
Allegations of Working with Others
Siddiqui traveled to the US in late 2002 and early 2003. She told her ex-husband she was looking for a job. The FBI later said she helped Majid Khan open a post office box. Majid Khan was listed as a co-owner. The FBI said Majid Khan was an al-Qaeda operative. Siddiqui told the FBI she helped him because he was a family friend. The post office box key was later found with Uzair Paracha, who was found guilty of supporting al-Qaeda.
The US government stated that Majid Khan was part of an Al-Qaeda group that planned attacks in the US, UK, and Pakistan. Siddiqui's role, they said, was to "rent houses and provide administrative support." Her lawyers noted that some testimony against her might have been obtained under difficult conditions. Her sister Fowzia said the post office box was for job applications.
Diamond Allegations
A UN report in 2004 said Siddiqui, using a different name, was one of six people who bought $19 million worth of diamonds in Liberia before the 9/11 attacks. These diamonds were supposedly untraceable assets to fund al-Qaeda. Siddiqui's lawyer said records showed she was in Boston at that time.
In early 2003, while working in Karachi, Siddiqui emailed a former professor. She expressed interest in working in the US because of limited opportunities for women with her education in Karachi.
According to US intelligence and testimony from some al-Qaeda figures, Siddiqui was an al-Qaeda operative. This included information from Khalid Sheikh Muhammad (KSM), who was questioned after his arrest in March 2003. On 25 March 2003, the FBI issued a global alert for Siddiqui and her ex-husband. She was accused of being a "courier of blood diamonds and a financial fixer for al-Qaida." An FBI agent said they ruled out the specific claim about diamonds in Liberia, but she remained suspected of money laundering.
Her Disappearance
Knowing the FBI wanted to question her, she left her parents' house on 30 March 2003 with her three children. Her parents said she was going to visit her uncle in Islamabad but never arrived. Around 25 March, the FBI issued a "worldwide alert" for Aafia and her ex-husband.
What happened to Siddiqui and her children from March 2003 to July 2008 is debated. Her supporters and the Pakistani government claim she was held prisoner by the US. The US government and others suggest she went into hiding.
Starting 29 March, confusing reports about her arrest appeared. On 1 April 2003, Pakistani newspapers reported she was taken into custody. However, a few days later, both the Pakistani government and the FBI said they were not involved in her disappearance. Her sister Fowzia claimed a minister said Aafia had been released.
In 2003–04, the FBI and Pakistan said Siddiqui was still free. On 26 May 2004, US Attorney General John Ashcroft called her one of the seven "most wanted" al-Qaeda fugitives.
After her reappearance in 2008, Siddiqui told the FBI she had been hiding. She said she worked at the Karachi Institute of Technology in 2005 and was in Afghanistan in 2007. She also spent time in Quetta, Pakistan. She told the FBI she met with a religious leader and began collecting materials on viruses. An Afghan official said her son, Ahmed, who was with her when she was arrested, said they collected money for poor people in Pakistan. He believes Siddiqui worked with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistani group.
Her ex-husband, Khan, said he saw her at Islamabad airport in April 2003. He said he helped Pakistani intelligence identify her. He saw her again two years later in Karachi. Khan tried to get custody of his son Ahmed. He said most of Siddiqui's family's claims in the media were one-sided.
Siddiqui's uncle, Shams ul-Hassan Faruqi, said she visited him in Islamabad on 22 January 2008. She told him she had been held by Pakistani agencies. She asked for his help to cross into Taliban-controlled Afghanistan for safety. He told her he could not help. He informed her mother, who visited the next day. Siddiqui stayed with them for two days.
Ahmed and Siddiqui reappeared in 2008. Afghan authorities gave Ahmed to his aunt in Pakistan in September 2008. In April 2010, DNA showed a girl was Siddiqui's daughter, Mariyam.
Allegations of Being Held Secretly
Siddiqui's sister and mother denied her connections to al-Qaeda. They claimed the US held her secretly in Afghanistan. They pointed to comments by former Bagram Air Base detainees who said Siddiqui was there. Six human rights groups listed her as a possible secret prisoner held by the US. In early 2007, Pakistan released many "missing" people. Siddiqui's uncle reported that she visited him in January 2008. She told him she had been imprisoned and tortured at Bagram Airfield for years. Siddiqui herself later claimed she was taken by US and Pakistani intelligence.
Siddiqui has not clearly explained what happened to her other two children. According to a psychiatric exam, her story changed between claiming they were dead and that they were with her sister. She told an FBI agent that working for her cause was more important. Khan believed the missing children were in Karachi with her family, not in US detention.
In April 2010, Mariam was found outside the family house. She was speaking English. A Pakistani official said the girl was believed to have been held captive in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2010.
The US government said it did not hold Siddiqui during that time. They said they did not know her location from March 2003 until July 2008. US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, stated that Siddiqui had not been in US custody before July 2008. The US Justice Department and the CIA denied the allegations. A State Department spokesman said she had been "concealed from the public view by her own choosing." An Assistant US Attorney said in 2008 that US agencies found "zero evidence" she was taken. He suggested she went into hiding because people around her were being arrested. Some US officials believed she was working for al-Qaeda.
Her Arrest in Afghanistan
On the evening of 17 July 2008, police officers in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, saw a woman outside the Ghazni governor's compound. She was holding two small bags and crouching. This made officers suspicious, thinking she might be hiding a bomb. A shopkeeper had seen a woman drawing a map, which was unusual. She was with a young boy she said was her adopted son. She gave a different name and said she was from Pakistan. The officers found her suspicious because she did not speak local languages. She was arrested and taken to the police station. She was later identified as Siddiqui after her fingerprints were taken. She then admitted the boy was her biological son, Ahmed.
In her bag, police found documents in English and Urdu. These documents described how to make explosives and chemical weapons. They also contained notes about a "mass casualty attack" and listed US landmarks like the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty. She also had documents about American military bases and a bomb-making manual. A digital storage device contained over 500 electronic documents, including discussions about attacks and recruiting. She also had maps of Ghazni and photos of Pakistani military members. Other notes described ways to attack enemies.
She also had "numerous chemical substances" in bottles and jars. This included about two pounds of sodium cyanide, a very toxic poison. US prosecutors later said sodium cyanide is deadly even in small amounts.
Explaining Her Reappearance
Journalist Deborah Scroggins noted that Siddiqui's visit to her uncle in January 2008 and her reappearance in Ghazni in July seemed connected to changes in the region. A breakdown in alliances between certain groups and the military might have led to Siddiqui losing any secret government protection.
However, supporters found her reappearance suspicious. It happened less than two weeks after a press conference where it was claimed she had been held by Americans for years. This news had gained a lot of attention in the Muslim world.
Incident in Ghazni
There are different accounts of what happened after her arrest in Ghazni. American authorities said two FBI agents, a US Army officer, and interpreters arrived on 18 July to interview Siddiqui. They were in a meeting room divided by a curtain. They did not know Siddiqui was behind the curtain. An officer put his loaded rifle on the floor. Siddiqui pulled back the curtain, picked up the rifle, and pointed it. The officer said the rifle was pointed at his head. He moved for cover as she shouted and fired at least two shots, missing them. An Afghan interpreter tried to disarm her. The officer then fired his pistol, hitting her. She was disarmed. A Justice Department statement said Siddiqui hit and kicked officers. She shouted she wanted to kill Americans before losing consciousness.
Siddiqui told a different story to Pakistani senators who visited her. She denied touching a gun, shouting, or threatening anyone. She said she stood up to see who was there. After a soldier shouted, she was shot. When she woke up, she heard someone say, "We could lose our jobs."
Hospital Treatment
Siddiqui was taken to a US military base in Afghanistan by helicopter. She was in critical condition. She had surgery and recovered over the next two weeks. FBI reports said Siddiqui repeatedly denied shooting anyone. She reportedly told an FBI agent that "spewing bullets at soldiers is bad" and was surprised she was treated well.
While in the hospital, an FBI agent questioned her daily for ten days. Her statements during these interrogations were different from what she later told her lawyers. She later said she made those statements because her children had been threatened.
Public Reactions
Attacks and Threats Related to Her Case
For al-Qaeda and Pakistani groups, Siddiqui's case became a reason to rally. They accused the Pakistani government of not protecting her.
A video from a Taliban leader claimed that a 2009 attack in Afghanistan that killed CIA officers was partly in revenge for Aafia's imprisonment. The 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt happened one day after another video promising revenge for Siddiqui. The person who tried the bombing had contacts with a Pakistani group.
In February 2010, a Pakistani newspaper reported that the Taliban threatened to execute US soldier Bowe Bergdahl in return for Siddiqui's conviction. Bergdahl was later released in 2014 in exchange for five prisoners.
In September 2010, the Taliban kidnapped Linda Norgrove, a Scottish aid worker. Taliban commanders demanded Norgrove be exchanged for Siddiqui. Norgrove was accidentally killed during a rescue attempt.
In July 2011, another Taliban leader announced they wanted to swap Siddiqui for two Swiss citizens kidnapped in Pakistan. The Swiss couple escaped in March 2012.
In December 2011, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri demanded Siddiqui's release for Warren Weinstein, an American aid worker kidnapped in Pakistan. Weinstein was accidentally killed in a drone strike in 2015.
In January 2013, terrorists involved in a hostage crisis in Algeria listed Siddiqui's release as one of their demands.
In June 2013, the captors of two Czech women kidnapped in Pakistan demanded Siddiqui's release. Both Czech women were released in March 2015.
In August 2014, it was reported that the terrorist who claimed responsibility for beheading US photojournalist James Foley mentioned Siddiqui in an email. She was named as one of the Muslim "sisters" the Islamic State was willing to exchange.
In February 2015, the family of Kayla Mueller was told plans to swap her for Siddiqui were underway before her death.
In March 2017, an Al-Qaeda leader demanded Siddiqui's release for Luke Somers, an American journalist. Somers was killed during a rescue attempt.
In January 2022, a man claiming to be Siddiqui's brother took hostages at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, near her prison. He demanded her release. He was later killed by police, and the hostages were rescued.
Reactions in Pakistan
The case was seen very differently in Pakistan than in the United States.
After Siddiqui's conviction, she sent a message through her lawyer. She said she did not want "violent protests or violent reprisals in Pakistan." Thousands of students and activists protested in Pakistan. Some shouted anti-American slogans and burned American flags. Her sister has spoken often on her behalf at rallies. Many people in Pakistan believe she was secretly held and tortured. They also believe the charges against her were made up.
Her conviction led to much support from many Pakistanis. They became more anti-American. Politicians and news media saw her as a symbol of unfair treatment by the United States. Graffiti saying "Free Dr. Aafia" appeared across the country.
The Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C., expressed sadness over the verdict. They said they would work with her family and lawyers to decide next steps. Prime Minister Gilani called Siddiqui a "daughter of the nation." Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif promised to push for her release. A Pakistani newspaper editor wrote that the verdict was not surprising given the US public's mindset after 9/11.
A few Pakistanis questioned the strong support for her. Her ex-husband said Siddiqui was "reaping the fruit of her own decision." He said her family was portraying her as a victim. Another person criticized the "mass hysteria" of supporters.
US observers noted the Pakistani reaction. Jessica Eve Stern, a terrorism expert, said the case was very important politically because of how people in Pakistan viewed her. According to The New York Times, the case of an educated Pakistani woman who seemed to reject Western ways resonated with the Pakistani public. The Pakistani news media largely called her trial unfair.
Journalist Scroggins noted a lack of curiosity in Pakistan about certain questions. These included where Siddiqui's daughter Maryam had been and connections to certain groups. She also noted that while many Pakistanis were killed by bombings, there were no protests against those attacks.
Efforts to Bring Her Home
In August 2009, Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani met with Siddiqui's sister. He promised that Pakistan would try to get Siddiqui released from the US. The Pakistani government paid $2 million for lawyers to help in her defense. Many of her supporters were present during the court proceedings.
In February 2010, President Asif Ali Zardari asked a US official to consider sending Siddiqui back to Pakistan. This would be under the Pakistan-US Prisoner Exchange Agreement. On 22 February, the Pakistani Senate urged the government to work for her immediate release.
In September 2010, Pakistan's Interior Minister sent a letter to the United States Attorney General. He asked for Siddiqui to be sent back to Pakistan. He said her case was a big public concern in Pakistan. He added that her return would create goodwill for the US.
In July 2019, after meeting with US President Donald Trump, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said exchanging Shakeel Afridi for Aafia was a possibility.
On July 6, 2024, the Islamabad High Court ruled that the government must create a plan to bring Aafia back by August 26. On November 2nd, Pakistan's Attorney General informed the Islamabad High Court that a Pakistani team would visit the United States after the presidential elections to discuss Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's release.
On September 17, 2024, Aafia’s lawyers filed a request with President Joe Biden. They asked for her release or her exchange for Dr. Shakeel Afridi. The request is very long and covers the entire history of her case.
See Also
In Spanish: Aafia Siddiqui para niños
- Anti-American sentiment in Pakistan
