Mauri Saalakhan holds the microphone for Imam Abdullah Faaruuq, at a rally held in Washington DC on March 30, 2015 to demand answers from the Federal Bureau of Prisons about the health of Aafia Siddiqui. Photo by Muslim Link.
Since the beginning of this year, Mauri Saalakhan has been traversing the east coast, talking about a "most important" protest in front of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington DC on behalf of Aafia Siddiqui.
On March 30, 2015, his efforts and energy resulted in a rally of about two dozen people, half of which were journalists and co-sponsor representatives.
For those who attended Saalakhan's past rallys for Aafia Siddqui, the low turnout was no surprise. Advocating for a woman for whose release the Taliban and the Islamic State reportedly offered to exchange prisoners is not a popular role.
Siddiqui, 41, is the Pakistani born, American educated neuroscientist who disappeared along with her three young children in Pakistan on March 30, 2003. She reappeared in a weakened and metally compromised state on the streets of Ghazni, Afghanistan in July of 2008. Her supporters and indepenent researchers and journalists say there is ample evidence Siddiqui was held and tortured at the Bagram prison complex for five years. The notorious detention center was controlled by the United States at that time.
Siddiqui was tried in New York for attempting to "murder US personnel" and convicted. A federal judge sentenced her to 86 years without the possibility of parole.
Mauri Saalakhan is her most vocal and active supporter in the United States. He is also her most lonely.
Saalakhan goes from city to city, masjid to masjid, and convention to convention with posters and banners calling for "Justice for Aafia" and "12 Years Too Long", but the organizations who respond are few. The outspoken Saalakhan names names, chastising the nation's large Islamic organizations for what he says is unconscionable silence.
At the MArch 30 rally, Saalakhan stood in front of a large banner that said "free Aafia Siddiqui". Addressing the small gathering which was mostly non-Pakistani, he started with a background on the case, and mentioned that former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark called Aafia's case "the worst case of injustice he had ever seen."
Saalakhan said the purpose of the rally was to demand the Federal Bureau of Prisons allow an "independent medical team" including Aafia's sister Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui to examine Aafia's physical and mental health. Aafia's family has had very little contact with her, and activists say the Bureau of Prisons is very uncooperative and is withholding information about Siddiqui.
Imam Abdullah Faaruuq, the leader of the Masijd for Praising Allah in Roxbury, Massachusettes, traveled down to the Washington DC area for the rally. Faaruuq, who knew Aafia personally when she was a young Islamic activist in the Boston area, gave a talk at the Prince George's Muslim Association (PGMA) entitled "The Aafia I Knew" the evening before the rally.
"I call upon Allah, that He gives the United States government a message, because they aren't listening," said Imam Faaruuq. Calling Aafia's case an example of "inhumanity", the Imam -- who also read a statement from Imam Siraj Wahaj and the leadership of the Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA).
Attorney Steve Downs and Dr. Maha Hilal, both representing the National Coalition to Protect Civil Liberties, and representatives from the Majlis Ash-Shura of New York City also spoke at the rally.
Dr. Hilal, whose research includes human rights abuses in America's "War on Terror", said Aafia Siddiqui's case is setting a precedent for Muslim cases and everyone needs to push back. "There are Muslim organizations right up the street, why are they not here? I'm calling on the Muslims in this city to join this work to free Aafia Siddiqui," said Hilal.
As Mauri Saalakhan prepared to address the street corner in the nation's capital, two non-Muslim young ladies who appeared to be college students stopped by at the rally, picked up some literature, and sat on the sidewalk to listen.
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