To: aafiamovement@yahoo.com
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I can fully understand the horror, pain and desperation of Aafia’s plight and the need to secure her freedom at all costs and by any means possible. Every worthy human being, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, share the grief with Aafia’s family.
It is no secret that America patronized the freedom-fighters of Islam when they needed them against Russia, but when the freedom-fight asked for their own freedom, the same freedom-fighters were termed ‘terrorists’. There is a difference of opinion among Muslims upon the strategy of these freedom-fighters, but there is no doubt that these freedom-fighters are genuine for Islam and the Muslims to the core of their hearts. That is why they have disrupted their personal lives and their economic lives and struggle for the freedom of the Muslim nation.
“O believers! Be steadfast for the sake of Allah and bear true witness and let not the enmity of a people incite you to do injustice; do justice; that is nearer to piety. Fear Allah, surely Allah is fully aware of all your actions.” [The Holy Quran, (5) Surah Al-Maidah, Verse 8]
Taliban, the Al-Qaeda associated group, represented this commandment when they captured Yvonne Ridley, a British journalist spying on them, in 2001. They did not rape her (much to the disappointment of the international media), their women washed her clothes for her and they gave her food before they ate themselves. Due to their gentleman behavior, she chose to study Islam after release and converted in due time. This is a sharp contrast indeed to USA capturing Aafia Siddiqui with her three innocent children, separating them, physically-mentally-emotionally-sexually torturing her, raping her, stripping her, cavity-searching her and to top it all, filming the entire humiliation. Aafia was never an enemy of USA, but supposedly, even if she was, is this how one treats captives? Despite all this, America stands the champion of human rights and Taliban and Al-Qaeda and all their associates are terrorists. Great mathematics!
I am sure that those Algerian fighters feel as deeply and painfully for Aafia as you and I do and that is why they sought to secure her release. I do not think it is fair to malign them as opportunists for a personal agenda for fear that their calling will associate Aafia with them. Aafia does not have to belong to a certain group for that group to call out for her freedom. Every Muslim, be s/he Sunni, Shia, Wahabi, or any other, and belonging to any group, Jamat-e-Islami, Tableeghi Jamat, Muslim Brotherhood or any other, feel a connection and responsibility for Aafia for the mere reason that she is a Muslim and she has been severely persecuted for no good reason. Her torturous imprisonment is the thorn in every Muslim heart.
As to why did they not speak for her earlier on? One cannot be sure but perhaps they also thought that speaking for her would malign her and endanger her further.
Hence, fear not and repel not. Ultimately, it is Allah Almighty who will bring about Aafia’s freedom and not bending to the hypocritical human rights rampant internationally these days which stay mute upon the Burma Massacre of 2012, in which 20,000 plus Muslim men, women and babies were roasted to death in a manner of ancient times torture, but create havoc world-wide when a handful of non-Muslims are killed in some ad hoc incident or retaliation.
Keep believing in Allah Almighty and side with those who believe in Allah Almighty and justice for all, Muslims and non-Muslims, and not just selectively for non-Muslims.
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