Why is Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, dubbed the ‘Most Oppressed Muslim Woman,’ Denied Religious Comfort by US Bureau of Prisons?

Jakarta, pendawainvestigasi.com – Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, often referred to as the “Most Oppressed Muslim Woman in the World,” has been subjected to unimaginable hardships, none more harrowing than her abduction by the CIA in 2003.

Along with her three young children, she was taken into a terrifying ordeal that included CIA rendition and torture. There is no case quite like hers, with the world watching as a mother’s worst fears unfolded.

The tragedy begins with the loss of her youngest son, Suleman, just six months old. During the abduction, he was dropped on his head, and the CIA has never revealed his fate to Aafia.

Although it is believed he died that day in Karachi, the pain of not knowing if he’s still alive lingers with his mother. Would it be better to know the truth or to hold on to the hope that he survived for two decades?

The torment continued for Aafia’s other children, Mariam and Ahmed. Mariam, aged 3, was forcibly taken to Afghanistan, where she was given a new identity and placed in the home of a white Christian American family.

It was only through the intervention of former President Hamid Karzai that she was eventually reunited with her family. Meanwhile, her brother Ahmed, just six years old, was imprisoned in Kabul, forced to adopt a new identity and threatened with death if he spoke the truth. Both children, US citizens, were subjected to a horrific violation of their rights by the CIA—an agency sworn to uphold the Constitution.

As for Aafia, after enduring five years of torture at Bagram Airbase, she was transferred to a federal women’s prison in Fort Worth, Texas, where she is serving what is essentially a life sentence. Despite doubts surrounding her conviction, the human rights abuses she endured are undeniable.

This article is not about questioning her guilt but about remembering those in distress—a common thread in many faiths. The Quran instructs us to aid those in need, including captives, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) teaches that we must care for others as we do for ourselves.

This shared belief unites those advocating for Aafia, calling for justice and compassion for a woman whose suffering has yet to be acknowledged by the world.

This story highlights the profound tragedy faced by Aafia Siddiqui and her children, and it is a call for humanity and justice that cannot be ignored. (Nps)