Hon. Cynthia McKinney Calls for Dr. Aafia's Repatriation

Hon. Cynthia McKinney

Hon. Cynthia McKinney calls for Dr. Aafia's Repatriation

Chicago, Sep 02, 2010
Former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Calls for Dr. Aafia's Repatriation.

The following are excerpts from a speech given by Ms. McKinney at an event sponsored by PANA.

... Our mission is grounded in our deep commitment to human dignity. We are here because we respect the humanity of every person on this planet and we hope, through our good works, to inspire policies from governments that also reflect that respect for human dignity.

...Sadly, today Pakistan faces a similar challenge of almost unimaginable proportions. I have seen the photos, eerily reminiscent of what we saw in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; I have heard the pleas from my friends inside Pakistan...

And it is within this vein that I would like to broach another item requiring our compassionate review: the matter of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui...

...Now, there are reports that Dr. Siddiqui's youngest child was killed at the time of her abduction. No one knows. At any rate, the two children are in Karachi in the loving care of their family members while their mother awaits sentencing, expected to occur on September 23rd in New York City....

...Today, I have sent a message to the White House, State Department, and to the Justice Department asking that Dr. Siddiqui be repatriated to Pakistan so that she can serve her term in prison at home, close to her children. This is something that can be done and I believe that, particularly now, during the high holy days of Ramadan, and at a time when Dr. Siddiqui's long lost returned daughter is sharing her first fast with her family, this is a particularly compassionate thing that our government can do...

I believe that this compassionate act by the Obama Administration would go a long way toward improving U.S.-Pakistan relations. Additionally, a human rights-human dignity-based U.S. foreign policy would certainly improve the safety and security of Americans as we travel around the world...

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