Attorney smith, salute for fighting for Aafia
A US lawyer for human rights Mr. Clive Stafford Smith came to Pakistan carrying the horrible facts and figures about the case of a destitute daughter of Pakistan Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Unveiling the facts Mr. Smith told the Pakistani press and public about Dr Aafia who has been sentenced for 86 years’ rigorous imprisonment. Dr Smith visited the Federal Centre Carswell where she is confined for the last 20 years on many charges including the terror plots against the US. Reminding the world community, the lawyer Smith revealed that while visiting the prison, Dr Aafia who is a graduate from MIT and later enjoyed a successful academic career at Braideis University was sitting with chains, shackles with broken bones and knocked down teeth. He claims with confidence that the case of Dr Aafia which he has prepared, can be released on compassionate grounds. Anyhow she is being traumatized physically and psychologically for false and fabricated charges by the US courts.
After having implicated Dr Aafia Siddiqui in false and fabricated cases and keeping her in a secret prison for many long years, the US Court of Justice has given the verdict which provided a sarcastic laugh line to the world jurists community. Coming out from the court house even the defence Attorney, Linda Moreno wearing a worn out smile said, “Now I have no faith in American justice system. I completely disagree with this partisan verdict we will go into an appeal against this verdict. She further revealed in her closing statement “The case is about “Fear versus Facts”.
The prosecutor portrayed Dr Aafia as a terrorist, though she was not charged with any terrorism acts but prosecutor charged her as “would be terrorist”. The verdict she said explains the fear versus facts but I say there is no room for fear in the court room. The verdict confirmed that it is impossible for Muslim terrorism suspects to receive a fair trial in USA courts. Is it not a biased behaviour of the court that no Muslim media was allowed to cover the proceedings of the court or snapping up Dr Aafia a torn up Muslim convict? Defence Attorney cleared up that prosecution had proved no physical evidence and their witness testimonies were inconsistent.
Does it not sound ridiculous that verdict charges at her for assaulting 4 US nationals with M 4 riffle and had got a list of terror targets in New York landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Brookly Bridge and the Empire State Building, and instructions how to makes a bomb. The ill-fated Dr Aafia narrating the gory story of her long agonizing arrest in the US said, “I was kidnapped with my three small kids and kept in a secret jail where I suffered unbelievable physical mental and psychological torture by the US soldiers during interrogation, many times I confronted death owing to pains but I think pain is a state of mind either you give into it or not and I chose “Not” the cruel culture of US prospects of justice are not good for any Muslim than how Dr Aafia could receive any genuine justice from it.
Factually she did not practice any terrorism but the Americans doubted that in her inner she had developed the hatred against the US terrorism against the Muslims and now the only alternate with them is to declare her terrorist. Dr Aafia is a Muslim through and through how long she could see and hear the massive killings of her innocent co-Muslims. Being a weaker gender she was not in a position to express her anguish and alarm in practical form but she developed hatred against the US terrorists in her mind. May she had expressed her inner hatred at any place and the US forces like a sniffer dog held her.
The strange fact is this no Pakistani official of Pakistan Embassy was present in the US court on the seat reserved for them. If a female member of one family is kidnapped anywhere in our country the whole of the family, gets together and sits not silent unless they recover the female, but to our great disappointment US has kidnapped a young Fullbright daughter of Pakistan in broad day light, but we are not in a position to snub our Exacting Master (USA). We cannot show even our anger or anguish to US because the United States of America has the power to make and break the Kings in Pakistan. If somewhat is being done in this case by the Government it is all under wrap and under lip, this apathetic action is shameful.
Dr Aafia I have no words at my command to express my grief over your griefs. I believe your religion has provided you the opportunity to peep into your inner self and you must have come across with various pleasant spiritual experiences during your odd moments. You must have meditated on the real purpose of life which had provided you a super human stamina. God does not put burden greater than that one can bear. All nights give way to bright mornings. You are still in the US snare but being a Muslim look forward for a divine interference. You have been declared guilty in Mahattan Federal Court of America but I believe you will be released from the “Supreme Court of the Almighty” Who commands the whole world and who is not vindictive or biased for any one of His creatures. Bravo, Dr Aafia I wish you all the best for all the times to come.
—The writer is senior journalist, based in Germany.
Email: nighatleghari@yahoo.com
