Who is Aafia Siddiqui, Pakistani linked to Texas hostage case?
A British national who held several people hostage at a synagogue in Texas, United States, over the weekend, had demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman imprisoned in America. The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, was killed by the US forces in an hours-long rescue operation. But who is Siddiqui, the convict at the center of the crisis?
Siddiqui, a 49-year-old Pakistani neuroscientist
Siddiqui, 49, a neuroscientist, was born in Sindh province, Pakistan, in 1972. She moved to the United States in her late teens and studied at top American institutions, including Brandeis University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been married twice and has three children. During her studies, she reportedly campaigned on the crises in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Chechnya.
When and why did she gain limelight?
Siddiqui first drew the attention of law enforcement agencies in America during the investigations following the 9/11 attacks of 2001. The US Justice Department had described her as an "al-Qaeda operative and facilitator" at a press conference in May 2004. Four years later, officials allegedly found in her possession notes discussing explosives and several locations in the US that could be potential attack targets.
An attempt to attack US officers in 2008
In 2008, Siddiqui allegedly picked up the M-4 rifle of one of the US Army officers who were interviewing her in Afghanistan, and opened fire at the interrogators. While she missed her targets, she was shot in the abdomen in retaliatory fire.
Siddiqui's punishment: 86 years in prison
Siddiqui was convicted in February 2010 on various charges, including attempting to kill US nationals. She, however, denied all accusations against her. Later the same year, she was sentenced to 86 years in prison, which she has been serving in Federal Medical Center, Carswell, in Texas. Last year, she had sustained injuries after a fellow prison inmate attacked her, court documents say.
She enjoys support in her homeland
Despite her conviction in the US, many in Pakistan continue to voice support for Siddiqui, describing her as a heroine and a victim of anti-Islam sentiments in the West. Several politicians, including Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, have repeatedly called for her release.
