No Justice My Lord: Dr Aafia Convicted!

It was around 1am in Pakistan while may be 2pm down in New York, but for one woman, her family and her children it was all over. The jury based on no fact handed down “guilty” verdict to Dr Aafia Siddiqui, linking her to all the 7 charges filed against her. Shock, ashamed and broken it took me nearly 10 hours to sit down and write something, because all along the way through Chowrangi and other forums, we all in vain begged the US public to open their eyes and save themselves from a disgrace like this but like many other facts, its evident that they have chosen for themselves the inheritance of “wild Viking or Mongols”.

With this conviction the US judiciary must have woken up George Washington from his peaceful asleep, because until now his soul was under the impression that US brutalities and imperialist policies have yet not polluted the mainland as if Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo and earlier Hiroshima do not fall in their jurisdiction.

Freedom, justice and equality is what we know about US and French revolution, but from now on its time to change the theme of this history. There is no justice in their court room, as the fools sitting there never asked the agencies under which law she was arrested, what about the horrific time she spent in Afghanistan’s famous Bagram prision and later her shifting to New York? These living Nazis never mentioned her children who went missing and two of them are still unaccounted. I must say that after this verdict the US marines must be given a lock and a chain to guard their weapons too, because a lady can snatch them, turn them into donkey’s and later fire the same weapon on them (ofcourse it was a cover up as later the official account of the witnesses never matched).

Terror to eradicate terror can only be engineered by the US think tanks, because all along the way the theory of winning hearts and mind has been sidelined. The most advanced nation can kill upto a million in Afghanistan and Iraq in order to take revenge of 3000 of its people, and still call it a war against terror, amazing.

None of us ever appreciated the acts of 9/11, but what about the 9/11 unleashed on us every day???If our life means nothing to you, fear a time when it will be the same for you, but of course we haven’t sunk into evil age that much.

The 8 years of Bush were seen as a tragedy for Americans by us, as it was perceived that like Musharraf here you were not represented by your leader, and it was one man show. But now this dilemma of “black man in the white house” has proven that they are in no mood to wash away their sins. All they want is to turn this world into a battle filed, where instead of nations entire civilizations come against each other in an eternal war. Obama “the liar” is worse than Bush even, as he has played with the tools of morality to enhance the same agenda. This injustice right under his nose shows his future aspiration, and I bet that the chain of events paint a picture more horrific than the one we witnessed in the past.

That was for the Americans but how could I leave the Mir Jaffar of Pakistan, Mr Musharraf. Just for the blessing of his masters he sold people like Aafia to these merchants of death. I wonder what he feels today at his luxurious apartment in London. Let the history repeat itself and a day should come where his daughter comes to him and ask the question which we have been forced to ask. The present regime, the entire leadership can relax too with their shameless power and authority, because from my side being silent is a bigger crime than the one committed by the executor.

Its not about whether Aafia was involved with Al-Qaeda or not, but its easy for me to say today that with this act in my eyes and so for the 180 million Pakistanis she has been proven innocent. She has served much more than the crime she never committed on ground, a family lost, a mother deprieved and a nation left heart broken. Whether she gets now 100 years in sentence, she has written her name in the history books. I just wish if Iqbal was here today, what a master piece he would have written like the one he did for Fatima Barnawi.

When justice fails, it takes every thing with it. The “prisioner 650” is not a criminal, she is an outstanding person with an excellent track record, but above she is a human, mother and a daughter. We can celebrate our life normally by saying we have nothing to do with her, but just ask yourself if silence is the answer, next Aafia will be whose daughter, sister or mother? Allah will decide her fate but we have been disappointed greatly, and my tone is so harsh because I never expected this from the so called West full of values. We beg you to wake up from this dream based on “realpolitik” and return to the values which are human atleast.

To you Aafia, we are ashamed of ourselves as a nation…………………..


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23 responses to “No Justice My Lord: Dr Aafia Convicted!”

  1. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    “we dont have any perception of religion in this case,,,,,,,,but its hatred and mindset that we are talking”

    mindset is on both sides.

    “its US and its people that have been gripped by osama phobia”

    why will they not be? his org attacked usa…what more is needed? isnt pakistan gripped by india phobia?

    “cant get an example where a nation can elect some1 like bush for 2nd term just based on a video released by osama”

    crap assumption…it was due to iraq war

    “cant get an example where a nation can elect some1 like … nd also cant get leaders like reagan who can lie to his people by claiming earlier that holy warriors not jihadis are fighting soviets………..amazing”

    look in your country. convicted felons and liars have been elected to prime ministerial and presidential jobs all along…when not ruled by dictators. countless examples for you if you couldn’t get one before reading this.

  2. James Killian Spratt Avatar

    @Shakir: I don’t think there’s such a thing as “ordinary” people, to the extent that their human experiences are not up to gauging court cases, which, high profile as they might be, are ultimately about pretty simple things. The American public would never, never tolerate a panel of judges; this is a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Juries are picked at random, to make sure it stays that way, so nobody gets to plan any verdicts ahead of time. A panel would look too much like a conspiracy of the privileged, to Americans, and in fact would quickly become one. The judge gets to make recommendations on the verdict to the jury, but the jury are the deciders.

    It’s a certainty that the jurors were extremely well screened, but you might be surprised how easy it would be to find many people here who have never heard of her and never will; she might be a cause celebre in Pakistan, but to the vast majority on the streets here, she’s just another terrorist suspect. But is there anyone here who doesn’t have an opinion on terrorists? Probably not, but we have to go with what we’ve got.

    Another factor that many of your countrymen might not understand is that women here are not coddled just because they are women or mothers, which seems to be at the root of much of the emotional cry to release her in Pakistan; women here are equally free, and therefore, equally held responsible.

    Having been locked up prior to trial is seldom an element that weighs in the accused’s favor; juries know that they’re trying someone who has been incarcerated in criminal cases. Mitigating elements such as “time served” and other distress factors are weighed and decided during the trial–that’s what it’s for–and I can’t emphasize too much how badly she influenced her own outcome by cutting up in court. Her behavior might equate to someone taking a crap on his prayer-rug during prayers–some things are just not done. She knew what she was doing, and she threw the trial on purpose; that’s the only way to read it that I can see.

    I get the feeling that she’s just one of those people who believe the world is all about her, and frankly I find people like that very uninteresting and am getting tired of the subject.

    @Hamid: Have a good trip to Swat.

  3. hamid abbasi Avatar

    @hend
    better being dumb dan 2 becoming an evil genius…………we dont have any perception of religion in this case,,,,,,,,but its hatred and mindset that we are talking……..
    its US and its people that have been gripped by osama phobia……….cant get an example where a nation can elect some1 like bush for 2nd term just based on a video released by osama……….
    nd also cant get leaders like reagan who can lie to his people by claiming earlier that holy warriors not jihadis are fighting soviets………..amazing

  4. hamid abbasi Avatar

    @james
    american dream is long over…………..if they are so good in finding out facts…………may be its time to open up jfk,,martin luther and malcom x files…………but how can they…
    with sorry faces all you hear these policy makers is the cru of freedom, justice and equality…………….
    the pheniomena of global village was so much advocated and credit has always been put in the West basket………….so handle it as a human……..
    in case such justifacation and a rubbish psychological examination comes from you………well some day we will be writing how treasure seeker mad americans, filled with greed are by a mistake beheaded…………poor white skinny guys were under the spell of machanas gold or indiana jones!!!!
    hiding things will help you for a while……….but like you mentioned there cant be 2 captains of one ship………..at the same time there cant b a passanger or companion on a sinking ship………….the hatred US is spreading will be the catalyst to whatever happens in reality……………
    we want a peace…a lasting peace for every1………but how can you achieve it if evil is matched by evil…………no my dear this is a clear judicial murder………..super powers have come and gone…..nothing will stay but only history will write the causes of downfall like Paul Kennedy mentioned in the “rise and fall of the greatest empire”…………
    For US the writing is on the wall………….deviation from foundation based on morality……a corporate economy controlled by oil and warfare mafia…………and a restriction of truth and justice in the shape of guantamnamo,,aafia nd much more,,,,,,,,,,,,,
    for ur next response if i reply late dont b worried coz i m in swat on an assignment bt will get bak 2 u through this forum…………
    “time and tide wait for none”
    i wonder they even called it justice while saddam was hanged on eid day specifically with a US officer hurling abuses………..the same institution that praised him once for his military leadership……..

  5. Shakir Lakhani Avatar

    James: I’ve always wondered how a jury consisting of ordinary men and women can decide complex cases. Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s case had already been heavily publicized by by the U.S. media, so it was impossible for her to get a fair trial. As for her behaviour in court, she’d been through a lot of trauma and the jury should have considered that as a mitigating factor. Finally, I think the jury system is heavily flawed. At least complex cases should be heard and decided by a panel of judges, as is done in Pakistan. As far as the U.S. judiciary is concerned, I think it is not incorruptible, in fact I’ve heard from lawyers that it is much more corrupt than our judiciary (at the lower level, that is).

  6. James Killian Spratt Avatar

    @Hend: Affirmative.

    @Hina: Hend’s right. If either he or I, or anyone here, adopted and maintained the same fiery, rebellious attitude against America and its authorities that Aafia has allegedly consistently displayed, we, too, would be sitting behind bars, and never get out until our attitudes had changed. The girl has been quite stupid, I believe, or worse.

    America has more people in prison per capita than any other nation on earth. But it can be forgiving, too. There’s a strong possibility of a lighter punishment on appeal, which may be automatic in her case, and even if not, she could get off more lightly on “good behavior” in much less time IF she gives up her antipathy. Her sixty years in reality means perhaps half of that, or less, maybe as little as fifteen or so; this is commonly done here. Attitude is everything.

    We have a lot of respect for law and our authorities here, largely I think because we are not a very old country, are very diverse, and the Law is the glue that holds us together for want of a common religion, ethnicity or other binding force. For the most part, our people in authority know that, too, and are consciencious about doing their jobs right and fairly, and deserve the respect we give them. We need them and they need us. I don’t know how people from other countries view their own authorities, and possibly Aafia and many of you have a different mindset on it, or are perhaps a bit blind to it.

    If you think she’s being punished because she’s foreign, you are mistaken, because we are all foreigners here, a large percentage first-generation, and not many go all the way back to the founding fathers’ time. We are accustomed to foreigners. They are us. All but the Indians have roots somewhere else.

    If Dr. Siddiqhi persists in her defiance, she will be doing it deliberately–as I think she has been doing, probably to make herself look like some kind of “martyr,” hoping it will stir up MORE trouble. Anyone who falls for this stunt is either a fool or an opportunist, hoping to draw attention to themselves by riding this volatile issue on emotionalism. I can’t see how anyone can see this as good, for anyone, and frankly I’m a little surprised and disappointed at your reactions; I didn’t think you were that naive, but that may be your innocence showing. I am certain that the judge and jury in NY felt that she was giving them no choice but to give a “guilty” verdict. It seems to be what she wanted.

  7. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    Hina

    “The story would be different if she was a US national”

    No. I say this as an American ofcourse.

    “Pakistan government has totally failed in bringing justice to her”

    What should they have done? Protected her like Maulana Masood or Dawood ibrahim or Lakhvi or Saeed?

    “What should we expect from those who are corrupt themselves?”

    Government is a reflection of the nation and society. The lines between right/ wrong, ethical/ unethical, sporting/ unsporting, terrorism/ jehad have long been blurred in Pakistan. What can the givernment do when the people are themselves not clear in their mind. What can the government do when people view everything through the goggle of religion.

  8. James Killian Spratt Avatar

    Hamid, Ladies: I don’t think you fully understand where Aafia’s head was if you haven’t lived in the US for awhile and seen how things are here, where she lived for–what, ten years? Here’s my admittedly amateurish psychoanalysis of Aafia, based on what little I can gather of her, never having met her personally, that I hope will give you a better insight and some comfort.

    Women here are legally the absolute equals of men, and are permitted to do anything a man is permitted to do–drive cars, own property, work, fight in the military, be judges, even President, theoretically. At the grass-roots level this idea often doesn’t work, because let’s face it, men are better at some things than women and vice-versa, and in a family, man-to-woman, one must lead and the other must follow in given issues; a ship of family can’t have two Captains or they’ll be eternally fighting for the wheel and get nowhere, sailing in erratic zigzags and circles forever. The husband and wife must agree fully on all important matters, and learn when to keep their mouths shut on the little stuff.

    Dr. Aafia, I understand, grew up Pakistani, probably with some privilege, and surely was a bright little thing. Okay, she got bigger and grew up, married Mr. Khan and so far, so good. Two Muslims happily ever after. BUT. She got her Ph.D., became Americanized, sort of. Bright women LOVE the idea of equality, and she surely would have. She, being a high achiever, would surely love the idea of domination and winning, too. Hubby Khan goes along, for a while; he’s an achiever, too. But eventually her intense and time-consuming study takes too much time and she drops the ball as wife and mother. Maybe she insists that he change the diapers once in awhile, too. Fights start and do not end satisfactorily–remember she’s not one to just say “Yes, Dear” and give in. She’s already smart, and now she’s getting tough, and angry, and worried and self-defensive to the point that it looks OFFENSIVE. This isn’t the way she was raised, or maybe it was; has anyone looked into that?.

    So, push comes to shove with hubby and they get divorced, easy enough to do legally in the US with little apparent social stigma, but now she’s no longer a good little Muslim girl, she’s an American divorcee, a role which she cannot stand. She’s now sister to and in the same boat with fifty million other stupid miserable American bitches who had no sense. She can no longer stand herself. So her attitude goes absolutely sour; HOW has this HAPPENED to ME??!! AMERICA did it! Well, I’ll show THEM!!

    So she goes all the way back to her roots. American stupidity sucked her in then ruined her purity and her life. Now, remember, she’s not a person who does things by half-measures; she’s an all-or-nothing kind of girl, smart, tough and resolute, and now very pissed off. So she runs into some fellows from home who feel the way she does about America and how screwed up it is and how it deserves rich and pithy punishment for its wrong-headedness, and being still young and attractive and obviously a live one, the boys from home go right along with it. A problem, though, is that the US Feds have had an eye on these guys, because, like everyone else on Earth, they understand that guys like them are sometimes inclined to do stupid, pointy, destructive things, which most women have sense enough not to try. Just a testosterone thing.

    But she doesn’t know this yet, and one of these young, handsome, daring Muslim gents, so steeped in the “right way” and so bold in the face of adversity, looks like the answer to her prayers and her salvation. She can make her miserable American experience a thing of the past and pick up her life again as she was supposed to in the first place. He’s a HERO for ISLAM and DAMN he’s good-looking. She agrees to help him, “Oh, yes, YES, my LOVE!!” She will fight the GOOD FIGHT by his side. He’s thinking, too “DAMN, she’s cute, and SMART, and ONE of OURS! Now MINE!! So what if she’s divorced with three kids–America did that to her, poor little thing.” And they start cooking up ways to pay America back for this one more sin, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Then suddenly, the US Feds, who aren’t always asleep, come by for a friendly chat, and she thinks, “Screw America. ‘Bye, assholes!” and runs.

    But Aafia’s situational awareness isn’t very good, and because she has discounted America for a bunch of idiots, she has underestimated the length of their arms and memories and gets caught. Even though she’s got plenty of fighting spirit she’s not really the warrior type and after all, she’s a girl. Why don’t you bastards just go away? Well, we can’t, because you’ve got problems that affect us that you don’t seem able to solve, but we can, so we’re going to help you whether you like it or not.

    But she doesn’t accept this because in her mind she’s a winner, not a compromiser, and all the way to the courtroom, she remains full of fight and piss and vinegar, never accepting the BIG PICTURE, or our right to exist. “JUDGE??!! You’re a JOKE!! SCREW YOU, and the horse you rode in on.” The judge does not find this attitude endearing. Would you?

    An important thing for all of us to remember in this age of change and unification is that our common humanity MUST be our first touchstone of self as we deal with others from far places and other beliefs. Sub-groupings are merely that–“sub.” Mankind has a chance to finally get our acts together and build the road to Jannah, which we must do and can only do best together. Will you come with us? There is much more to that but I’ve gone on long enough for now.

  9. Hina Safdar Avatar

    The story would be different if she was a US national……..Pakistan government has totally failed in bringing justice to her…..What should we expect from those who are corrupt themselves?

  10. sidra rehman Avatar
    sidra rehman

    well hamid its more than enough to wake up Pakistani’s & shamefull to so called American’s……..

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