The case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is one of the greatest examples of injustice in U.S. history. 

Dr. Aafia is a graduate of MIT, she received her Ph.D. from Brandeis University in Neuroscience. She is a mother who was kidnapped, ripped apart from her children, imprisoned in black sites, shot, given a sham trial, and is now serving an 86-year prison sentence at FMC in Carswell in Fort-Worth, Texas, for a crime she did not commit. 

My name is Faizan Syed, and I am the Executive Director of CAIR-Texas Austin & DFW and the lead organizer of the "Free Aafia" campaign. I work directly with Marwa Elbially, who is the attorney for Dr. Aafia and Nahela Morales, who organizes the #IAmAafia campaign. I want to tell you about our renewed efforts to #FreeAafia and see her reunited with her family. 

The Renewed Campaign to Free Dr. Aafia

In January of 2021, Dallas-based attorney Marwa Elbially of the Elbially Law Practice took on the case of Dr. Aafia. Ms. Elbially began to regularly meet with Dr. Aafia who is imprisoned in a federal prison in Fort Worth, TX. Ms. Elbially contacted me to get assistance in the advocacy and education campaign for Dr. Aafia. 

The Creation of the "Free Aafia" Campaign

These two offices created the "Free Aafia" campaign and www.FreeDrAafia.org website to organize and renew the campaign to free Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Since the creation of this campaign, the coalition has: 

• Rally at FMC Carswell: Helped Organize the Largest Rally for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui outside of FMC Carswell, where she is currently being held. Note, Attorney Elbially later visited Dr. Aafia and showed her photos and videos of the rally, which reinvigorated her spirit. This rally also put pressure on the prison to release Dr. Aafia from solitary confinement after she was viciously attacked by another inmate nearly 60 days earlier.
• Dr. Aafia D.C. Advocacy Days: The campaign organized advocacy Days in Washington D.C. to meet with Congressional offices to educate them about the plight of Dr. Aafia. The Advocacy Days also called on U.S. Congress to release secret documents to determine whether Dr. Aafia was ever in U.S. custody during the five years she went missing.
• #IAmAafia Social Media Campaign: Nahela Morales created and organized the #IAmAafia Campaign. Every Friday, everyone is encouraged to wear yellow, take a photo and video of themselves, and post it on their social media with the hashtag #IAmAafia. This campaign will help educate the general public about Dr. Aafia, especially to a younger audiences.
• Educational Workshops: The campaign has organized and spoken at a host of events to re-educate the general public about the plight of Dr. Aafia. These workshops will continue across the nation until there is a renewed grassroots movement calling for the release of Dr. Aafia.
• News Interviews: Mainstream news outlets around the world are being contacted to cover the story of Dr. Aafia to the general public. The campaign continues to provide resources to news outlets about Dr. Aafia. We hope to clear the smear campaign that was leveled against Dr. Aafia after her rendition to the U.S. and show the extreme level of injustice involved in her case.

We Need to Raise $60,000 to Help Free Dr. Aafia.

We need your help to raise $60,000 to help free Dr. Aafia. We must have the funding necessary to adequately cover legal expenses, hire experts, and continue the national and global advocacy efforts. CAIR-Texas Austin & DFW, a nonprofit 501(c)3, will handle all funds donated and distributed to Dr. Aafia's legal team. Along with hiring independent investigators and doctors. The funds will also be used to organize educational and advocacy work across the U.S. for Dr. Aafia. 

Don't Lose Hope, we Will Free Dr. Aafia, In Shaa Allah.

When Marwa Elbially first met Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, Dr. Aafia's greatest fear was that the world had forgotten about her and that she would never get out of jail and be reunited with her family and children. This dread added to her anguish. Alhamdulilah, since that initial meeting till today, Dr. Aafia's spirit has been raised, and she is more hopeful than ever. We need you, the public, to also remain optimistic. Dr. Aafia not only can be released but will be released, In Shaa Allah. Our team has a strategy and a plan to get her out of prison, and we can only do that with your help. 

How Can I Help?

• Remember Dr. Aafia in Your Duas
• Visit www.FreeDrAafia.org and learn about her case and get involved
• Donate whatever you can and help run an effective campaign that will see Dr. Aafia be free