On January 15 (local time), four people, including a rabbi, were held hostage at a synagogue in Texas, US. The hostage-taker demanded the release of the infamous ‘lady al-Qaeda’ Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently lodged in a US prison just 15 miles from the synagogue where the incident happened. The hostage-taker was later neutralized, and the hostages were freed.
Notably, exactly two months prior to the incident, CAIR International (Council on American-Islamic Relations) had sought the release of Siddiqui and held events and rallies in her support.
CAIR identifies itself as Muslim civil rights organisation in the United States which claims to be protecting ‘civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.’
On November 15, the Texas chapter of CAIR and its coalition partners organized a program to seek the release of Aafia Siddiqui. In a Facebook post, they wrote, “Today, our Texas chapter and coalition partners held a press conference at our DC headquarters calling for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist and mother of 3 currently being unjustly held in a Texas prison.”
The group’s Texas chapter has been extensively voicing its support for the convicted terrorist for a long. Every month, CAIR Texas DFW organize multiple online and offline campaigns to show support for Siddiqui and also raise funds for her legal battle against the conviction. Notably, CAIR has provided its Washington DC office for the program seeking the release of Siddiqui on November 15. The office is within walking distance of the Congress.
In a post, CAIR Texas DFW wrote, “We’ll be meeting with Congressional offices to educate them about Dr Aafia and call for her release. Special thanks to CAIR for being a pillar and letting utilize the office, which is walking distance from Congress, as our primary staging and organizing area.”
CAIR’s Hinduphobia nature and love for Rana Ayyub
Another noteworthy aspect of CAIR is its Hinduphobic nature. Just two days after demanding the release of Aafia in November, CAIR launched Hinduphobic propaganda based on a report by alleged journalist Rana Ayyub. In a press release, CAIR demanded the movie theatres not to release Sooryavanshi, a Hindi movie. In the press release, CAIR alleged the movie spreads “disgusting and dangerous” anti-Muslim propaganda inspired by the fascist Hindutva movement.”
Notably, when Rohit Shetty, producer of the movie, was asked a similar question of the movie being ‘Islamophobic’, Shetty had denied the reports. He said, “Jaikant Shikre (in Singham) was a Hindu Marathi. Then a second film came where a Hindu godman was there. Then in Simba, Durva Ranade was a Maharashtrian again. In these three, negative forces were Hindu, why isn’t that a problem?” He further added, “If there is a terrorist who is from Pakistan, what caste will he be?”
CAIR had quoted Rana Ayyub from her Washington Post report in which she had said, “The film makes a point of repeating attacks carried out by Muslims, ignoring the numerous episodes of violence carried out by Hindu radicals.” Ayyub has a long history of propagating anti-Hindu narratives using her credentials. Her book on Gujarat Riots was termed as irrelevant by the Supreme Court during the hearing. The court had said in 2019, “The Book by Rana Ayyub is of no utility. It is based upon surmises, conjectures, and suppositions and has no evidentiary value”.
CAIR also extended support for the extremely Hinduphobic ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva‘ conference.
Who is Aafia Siddiqui
Aafia Siddiqui is a 49-years-old terrorist of Pakistan origin. She is currently serving an 86-year prison sentence for attacking US Army and FBI personnel in Afghanistan. In 2008, she was detained by Afghan authorities. According to the Department of Justice, they had found a number of items in her possession, including handwritten notes that mentioned a mass-casualty attack. There was a list of various locations such as Plum Island, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, and the Brooklyn Bridge in the US, including in the items.
According to DoJ, she was being held in an unsecured manner when she grabbed a rifle from US Army personnel and fired it at the officers interviewing her. An FBI agent and a US Army officer were injured. She was convicted in 2010 and currently serving an 86-year prison sentence. Her supporters from Pakistan believe she is innocent and a victim of the American war on terror.
Apart from CAIR, the Taliban and Islamic State had sought her release in exchange for American and European hostages. One of the notable trade offers was of journalist James Foley who was captured in Syria and later beheaded in August 2014. In July 2014, ISIS offered the release of Kayla Mueller, a 22-year-old woman who was abducted in Syria, in exchange for Siddiqui.
Siddiqui did her graduation and PhD from the US in behavioural neuroscience. Reports suggest she worked as a courier for Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, who was the main accused of the 9/11 attacks. After 9/11, Siddiqui had returned to Pakistan with her first husband and children. When she tried to help Taliban terrorists near the Pakistan-Afghan border, her husband disapproved, leading to their divorce in 2002.
Pakistan has also come forward in her support. In September 2021, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, special Aide to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Interreligious Harmony and the Middle East, had sought early release of Siddiqui on the pretext of an alleged attack on her in prison. Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Masood Khan, also had extended support for Siddiqui.
