Page 6 - :: Rashtradarpan Magazine - January 2021 ::

Who is Aafia Siddiqui? Texas sional life in pursuit of terrorism — and sonnel were interviewing her in Afghan- ing FBI’s Most Wanted Woman,” wrote
synagogue hostage-taker al- would be called, at one time, the “most istan, she grabbed a rifle and opened fire that “many Pakistanis equate the injus-
legedly sought release of ‘Lady wanted woman in the world.”Siddiqui on the Americans before she was herself tices done to her as an injustice against
al-Qaeda’?How Aafia Siddiqui was convicted on terrorism charges in shot. Pakistan.”
became an icon for terrorists 2010 and sentenced to 86 years in prison She was flown to the United States and Counterterrorism experts warn that Sat-
after opening fire on Americans. She is convicted in federal court in New York of urday’s events at the synagogue in Texas
slated for release in 2082. attempted murder for the attack. could inspire copycats.
“We are talking about a very unique fig- U.S. law enforcement agencies have al- Steven Stalinsky, executive director of the
ure,” said Boaz Ganor, executive director leged that Siddiqui has ties to al-Qaeda. Middle East Media Research Institute,
of the International Institute for Count- In 2003, the FBI issued a global alert for said Saturday’s incident is “energizing ji-
er-Terrorism, a nonprofit think tank her and her ex-husband, Amjad Khan. In hadis and terrorist groups both online.”
based in Israel. “What we know is that 2003, according to U.S. law enforcement, Other potential attackers motivated by
this is a very intelligent terrorist.” Siddiqui married Ammar al-Baluchi, the antisemitism “might be intrigued by that
Her case, in part, is compelling because nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and might follow with a lone-wolf attack”
she is “not the prototype of a … regular the Guantánamo detainee who has pro- on places of worship, and particularly
terrorist.” While elements from Islamist fessed to being a mastermind of the 9/11 on synagogues, Ganor said. “Definitely,
The man who took hostages at a Dal- groups want her release, others “might attacks. I would … tighten the security around
las-area synagogue Saturday night was think that what happened [to her] is in- In 2004, the FBI added her to its list of synagogues and holy places in the coming
apparently motivated by his anger over justice and they want to free her for hu- the seven most wanted al-Qaeda fugi- week or two,” he said.
the U.S. imprisonment of Aafia Siddiqui, manitarian reasons.” tives, and officials from the bureau and Siddiqui’s attorney, Marwa Elbially, be-
49, a Pakistani woman being held in fed- the Justice Department described her as fore the standoff ended said the suspect
eral prison in Fort Worth for trying to kill Siddiqui, who earned a bachelor’s de- an al-Qaeda “operative and facilitator” was not a member of her family, adding
American soldiers. gree in biology from the Massachusetts during a news conference, according to that they do not know of the individual’s
That’s according to a law enforcement Institute of Technology and a PhD in the Associated Press. identity or approve of his actions. “They
official speaking on the condition of an- neuroscience from Brandeis Universi- Various extremist groups have tried to condemn any type of violence done in
onymity to discuss the ongoing investi- ty, was married with three children and negotiate for her release over the years, [Siddiqui’s] name,” Elbially said.
gation. The official also told The Wash- living in the Boston area during the Sept. including al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda in the Ara- As recently as September, British extrem-
ington Post that early in the standoff, 11, 2001, attacks. After 9/11, she left her bian Peninsula and the Islamic State. ist preacher Anjem Choudary announced
the hostage-taker said he wanted a rabbi husband and returned to Pakistan with Meanwhile, protests in Pakistan over her a campaign calling for Siddiqui’s release.
in New York to know that he was taking her children, fearing that if she stayed in detention have fueled a broader online “The obligation upon us is to either free
the hostages because he wanted Siddiqui the United States, the children would be movement dedicated to proving she was her physically or to ransom her or to ex-
freed. forcibly taken from her and converted to tortured by U.S. soldiers and then wrong- change her,” said Choudary on his Tele-
The standoff ended Saturday night with Christianity, according to a psychological fully convicted. gram channel. “However, until such time
law enforcement freeing the hostages and report prepared for her trial. The report Pakistani officials have expressed sup- as we can fulfill one these obligations the
the suspect dead. said that her thoughts were “replete with port for her release. In November 2018, minimum that we can do is to use all that
While little is publicly known about numerous conspiratorial ideas” and that the Pakistani Senate passed a resolution we have to raise awareness about her case,
the suspect — identified by the FBI as “she also related a number of beliefs that demanding that Siddiqui be repatriated to keep her name in the hearts and in the
44-year-old British citizen Malik Faisal appeared delusional.” to Pakistan, naming her “the daughter of minds of Muslims.”
Akram — Siddiqui has long been a cause Siddiqui disappeared after her return to the Nation.” Prime Minister Imran Khan On Jan. 13, a pro-Islamic State outlet
celebre in Islamist militant circles, with Pakistan. She was captured in Afghan- pledged in a 2018 election manifesto that released a video in which a narrator de-
frequent demands for her release. istan in July 2008, when she was found his political party would “make best ef- nounced what he described as the at-
with a flash drive containing documents forts to bring prisoners like Dr. Afia Sid- tacks and torture by “the enemies of Al-
Saturday’s events at the Texas synagogue on chemical and biological weapons, diqui and others back to Pakistan.” lah” against female Muslim prisoners. A
have reignited interest in the story of the according to U.S. prosecutors. Afghan In an article published in 2020 by the At- poster mentioning Siddiqui is visible in
woman widely known as “Lady al-Qae- authorities captured her carrying hand- lantic Council think tank, Dawood Ghaz- the background of the video. In 2014, the
da.” At its center is an enigmatic and ex- written notes detailing a “mass casualty anavi, a lawyer in Pakistan and author of Islamic State offered to release American
tremely educated mother who apparently attack” on several New York City spots. the book “Aafia Unheard: Uncovering the hostage Kayla Mueller in exchange for
cast off a comfortable, successful profes- When FBI agents and U.S. military per- Personal and Legal Mysteries Surround- Siddiqui and $6.6 million.

Aftab Pureval in our history where our 14 killed in southern accident, saying that four jour- Silanga, the driver.
sworn in as first incredible potential can be Tanzania road accident nalists and their driver plus seven Writing on her Twitter account,
Indian American unlocked. It’ll be the honor other people from the PSV died on President Samia Suluhu Hassan
mayor of Cincin- of my life as your mayor to the spot. sent a condolence message to
nati do my part in unlocking “It’s true that the accident has now the families of the deceased.I am
it.” claimed the lives of fourteen peo- shocked by the deaths of 14 peo-
Pureval defeated David ple; 11 people died on the spot,” ple, including six journalists, who
Mann during the Novem- said Mr Zakaria. passed away this morning after a
ber general election, win- “A few minutes after the injured car they were travelling in collided
ning 65.8 percent of votes. Fourteen people, among them six were taken to Nasa health centre, with a PSV. I send my condolenc-
Aftab Karma Singh Pureval journalists, have have been killed three others passed away.” es to the families, journalists and
was born on September 9, while several others have been The journalists who died have been friends who have lost their loved
1982, in Xenia, Ohio, ac-
cording to his Wikipedia injured after a car on tour with identified as Johari Saan, Husna ones. May God rest the souls of
page. When he was four Mwanza Regional Commission- Mlanzi from ITV, Van Charles the deceased in peace and may
years old, his family moved er, Robert Gabriel, crashed with a from Icon TV, Abel Ngapemba, the wounded heal quickly,” wrote
to nearby Beavercreek. PSV at Nyamikola in Busega dis- Regional communication officer, President Samia.
Aftab Purewal, 39, created His parents were both im- trict, Simiyu province. Anthony Chuwa from Habari Leo
history earlier this week as migrants; his father Devin- Busega’s District Commissioner Digital, Steven Msengi, Ukerewe
the first Indian-American der Singh Pureval came Garbriel Zakaria confirmed the Communications officer and Paul
to be sworn in Mayor of from India, and his mother
Cincinnati, Ohio on Janu- Drenko was a refugee from
ary 7, 2022. Tibet.
Pureval biked to the cer- An attorney by profession,
emony on a Red Bike Pureval was previously a
along with some council candidate for Ohio’s 1st
members, a nod to cam- congressional district in
paign promises to make 2018.
the city safe, walkable Pureval lives in Cincinna-
and bike-friendly, reports ti with his wife Whitney
Cininnati.com. Whitis. They became en-
“I stand here today with gaged on April 13, 2017,
a clear purpose to move and were married on May
us forward,” said Pureval. 26, 2018. They have a son,
“It has been one grueling Bodhi, who was born in
year after another grueling 2019.
year, but now is a moment

17,January 2022 Vol.4/No-1 6