As ‘Struggle Endures,’ Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Perseveres Toward Clemency

In 1990, neurosurgeon Muhammad Salay Siddiqui and Islamic teacher Ismet Siddiqui were proud parents living in Karachi, Pakistan.Their life was comfortable. The Siddiquis were upper-middle class and relatively privileged. They imparted a drive toward academic success in their children, as well as a deep respect for the Quran.Their oldest son, also named Muhammad, was an accomplished student living in Houston studying architecture. Their second child, Fowzia, was pursuing her own education in Neurology closer to home at Dow Medical College in Karachi. And one day in the late spring of that year, their youngest daughter, Aafia, received an acceptance letter from the University of Houston. She would be following not only in her father’s footsteps, but her siblings’ too in continuing on a beaten path to excellence. She packed her bags and boarded a flight to attend school alongside her older brother.Siddiqui began attending UH in the fall of that year. She was described by fellow students as warm, yet confident. But Muslims were not a common sight on a university campus like UH’s, let alone someone as devout as Siddiqui. A deeply religious woman, she was almost equally committed to her goals to bring education reform to Pakistan.& As...