Yvonne Ridley’s Address in Lahore
Bismallah al Rahman al Raheem.
Brothers and sisters, Assalam alaikum -
I first came to Pakistan seven years ago following the horrific events of 9/11 – I am sure every single one of you can remember that day very well.
It was the dawn of a frightening new era – it was the time when George W Bush said: You are either with me or with the terrorists.
Who here is with George W Bush now? Who here stands shoulder to shoulder with the President of the United States?
He might be gone from The White House soon, but his rotten legacies will live on. And one of those legacies is his never-ending War on Terror.
His War on Terror gave birth to the cages of Cuba – to Guantanamo Bay where hundreds of our brothers were sold like slaves to the Americans.
I wish this obscenity had happened somewhere else, but the stark reality is retired General Pervez Musharraf and his men got rich on the back of this vile trade – he even admitted it in his autobiography.
How could Muslims sink so low as to sell their brothers like parcels of meat?
Because of this an international organisation called Cage Prisoners was launched from London and its work initially focused on the torture and detention of those brothers held in Guantanamo, a boil on the face of humanity.
I became one of the patrons of Cage Prisoners and tried to raise awareness to get justice for our brothers in Islam.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe that sisters would also be swept up in the War on Terror. Never did I ever in my darkest nightmares imagine they would be brutalised, raped and tortured … but they have.
I suppose we should not have been too surprised, after all it seems the US President is totally disinterested in the suffering of others, especially when it comes to Muslims.
Muslim blood is cheap as far as the US military is concerned. The rivers of blood in Iraq and Afghanistan have now been swollen with the blood of innocent Pakistanis.
How did we allow ourselves to sleepwalk into this outrageous state of affairs.
But what still catches my breath is the disinterest expressed by brothers and sisters across the Muslim world to the plight of sisters … and I am talking about all corners of the Muslim world, including here in Pakistan, a country I have grown to love and regard as my second home.
I salute those dear sisters in Lal Masjid who were mocked and ridiculed for trying to close down a brothel – they were mocked and ridiculed for their piety and many of them were martyred as they fought for common decency.
How did we allow that to happen? How did we sink so low?
Newspaper columnists here in Pakistan sneered at their efforts and called their work the Talibanisation of Pakistan.
Anywhere else in the world they would have been praised as feminists and as righteous individuals for trying to close down the sex industry which clearly exploits women.
But it’s not just the heroic sisters from Lal Masjid which brings me here today.
Five years ago when Cage Prisoners first brought the mystery disappearance of Dr Aafia Siddiqui to the attention of the media no one listened?
OK – five years ago few of us believed that the Bush Administration could really sanction the kidnapping of a mother and her three children.
I know because I was one of those doubters but what changed for me was my own journey to Guantanamo earlier this year. For some bizarre reason the Americans agreed to give me and film-maker David Miller unprecedented access to the world’s most notorious prison – and even more amazingly they let us out again.
I am probably one of the few Muslims who flew half way across the world to get to Guantanamo without having to be shackled, shaved and abused.
The experience as brief as it was left me shocked – in fact as I left the maximum security block at Camp Delta one of the young guards asked me how I felt. I told him I was speechless, lost for words. He said proudly: Yup, it’s awesome isn’t it?
And that is basically the sentiment in there from the most basic recruit, through to the medical staff, the psychiatrists, right up to the Rear Admiral. There is nothing temporary about Guantanamo. Do not expect it to be closed down when the new man steps into The White House.
I don’t know who will sit in The White House – barak Obama or John McCain and the US media can’t decide either. They’re waiting for a message from Usama bin Ladin. Can you believe it?
One of the first people I interviewed when I returned home from Guantanamo was brother Moazzam Begg, a British detainee who went through untold atrocities at the hands of the so-called civilised American military.
He was kidnapped in the middle of the night from his home in Islamabad and sold to the Americans for 5,000 dollars.
And while we’ve spoken many times before this latest interview triggered something new inside me.
I had read his book Enemy Combatant and often heard him talk about the screams of a female prisoner in Bagram but in truth, while I would never question Moazzam’s story, I did assume that what he heard was a series of pre-recorded tapes performed by actors as part of the CIA/FBI mental torture program.
So in this latest interview I threw this theory at Moazzam and he responded saying he knew the screams were real because other brothers in Guantanamo talked about it when he arrived there and, more importantly there were eye witness accounts, brothers who had actually seen the woman detainee.
Bagram, he said, was far worse than anything in Guantanamo. Did you know four Arab brothers escaped from Bagram in July 2005? Did you? Well this is something the Americans do not want you to know, but they did and when they fled that hell hole one brother gave an interview to talk about the plight of one prisioner in particular.
This prisoner was the woman that Moazzam Begg heard scream throughout the night, every night without fail. When the Arab brother saw her he said she had clearly lost her mind. She had been raped, abused and used without mercy by those dogs in Bagram.
Her state was so wretched the male detainees in Bagram went on hunger strike.
Without giving away sources, we soon established that the woman in Bagram was registered in US intelligence documents as Prisoner 650 – I was horrified. I suddenly realised that the screams Moazzam had heard were real.
As you know I was held in Afghanistan by the Taliban for 10 days. They were 10 terrifying days even though I was given the key to lock my own door, even though my captors always knocked and asked permission to enter my room. Whenever I needed to use the bathroom, I only had to ask and I was escorted to the bathroom and a n armed guard remained outside while I washed and showered in complete privacy.
But no such respect and decency was given to Prisoner 650 – no, this sister was brutalised. She had to share the same open toilet as the men and there were no closed doors, or shower curtains when she wanted to wash.
No wonder Moazzam still hears her cries and screams today.
I also began to hear her cries and screams and so I came to Pakistan in July to ask for help.
I turned to Imran Khan, a great politician and a man of integrity - he agreed to organise a press conference, and was so moved by the mission to find Prisoner 650. I begged the media to help demand the release of Prisoner 650.
I pointed out that my story had made headlines and front page news for the entire 10 days of my captivity when I was captured by the Taliban after 9/11 simply because I am a white, western woman.
Back in Britain, Lord Nazir Ahmed answered my call for help. Not only did he submit a series of hard-hitting questions to the British Government, he roused the Pakistan media in London and announced that if Prisoner 650 was not released then he and I would go to the gates of Bagram and demand her release.
It was inevitable that people would assume Prisoner 650 was Dr Siddiqui and the awkward questions started to be asked after more than 100 media turned up at our scrambled press conference. A Cage Prisoner report was handed out giving the wider picture of the disappeared in Pakistan.
Then suddenly Dr Aafia Siddiqui emerged as though a magician had pulled a rabbit out of a hat – she emerged in a dazed and confused state outside the Governor of Gardez’s offices in Afghanistan.
Imagine that … FIVE years after her disappearance in Karachi. And according to the FBI she was carrying in her handbag pieces of bomb-making equipment and photographs of various landmarks in New York City.
What nonsense and how dare the FBI insult our intelligence this way.
Of course the FBI lost much of its credibility when its chief J Edgar Hoover was revealed to be a transvestite who preferred to wear a red dress and be called by the name of Mary.
Hoover, probably one of the most powerful men in America was the originator of dirty tricks campaigns, lies and deceits and his legacy lives on.
Even today it seems FBI Agents live in a fantasy world but instead of mincing around in red frocks they spend their time dressing up the truth with layer after layer of lies.
This was quite evident with the story of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
It is no coincidence that Cage Prisoners had raised the issue of Dr Siddiqui less than two weeks before.
Many of you know Dr Siddiqui’s story – she had been shot by a US soldier at close range after she managed to overpower one of his colleagues and fire a gun twice. This woman is less than 70 pounds. This story is rubbish.
I am told she is in constant pain – a testament to the work of the medical butcher in Bagram air base who calls himself a surgeon.
But you know what makes this even worse – while our sister lies in agony waiting to be tried for nonsense charges in an American court, two of her children, a babe in arms and toddler (at the time of their disappearance), are still missing. Where are they?
And I’ll tell you something else which should make your blood run cold. The Americans have now admitted that the Grey Lady of Bagram does exist.
But Dr Aafia Siddiqui is NOT Prisoner 650, the Grey Lady of Bagram. We still do not know who Prisoner 650 is. We do not know where she is, and we do not know how many other Pakistani women are being held as female enemy combatants – yes, that is what the pentagon calls them: Female Enemy Combatants.
Today I am begging each and every one of you, as your sister in Islam, to help me find Prisoner 650.
If you remain silent I may never find her. But I tell you something now – I can hear her screams and when you go to bed tonight so will you.
Have we all sunk so low that the cries of this sister remain unanswered? The time has come when the people of Pakistan need to restore pride to this great country. You here today can set the agenda. You here today can make a change. You here today can get rid of those rotten politicians and their weasel words.
Those in power only seem great because they try and keep you on your knees. Rise up and bow to no one but Allah. When the people lead, the leaders will follow.
PAKISTAN ZINDERBAAD – AZAADI PAKISTAN
October 29th, 2008 at 4:12 am
By remaining silent and inactive we all become culprits. Struggle must continue againts injustice
October 30th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Shocking, Shame on the face of Champion of Modern Civilization.
Can I do any thing to in search of the women.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:56 am
The plight of Prisoner 650 if true is indeed sad but in truth, the Taliban and other so called ‘Muslims’ in Saudi Arabia abuse not just individuals but whole populations and generations of women and have done so for hundreds of years.
I would suggest that rather than bash America, efforts be spent to ease the plight of Afghani, Pakistani, Saudi women.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:41 am
yes, I also hear the screams of muslims sisters being raped by the the buthchers of west. It is heartbreaking that our own muslims brothers who are custodians of muslims females became traitors. I pray that the traitors become accountable for their deeds of immorality and become a symbol of contempt, like pharohs. We all should fight collective for the release of inocent prisnors.
November 4th, 2008 at 7:05 am
please note it is difficult to read your site as the eltters are small….dont know if this is a technical it issue.kindly mail me the article and any relevant info to mobin@emm.evaluations.co.za.
shukran,
mobin patel, johannesburg , south africa.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:56 am
m jus a 14 year old student
i really wanna help
guide me to make a difference
i beleive i can make a difference nd inshallah i will
i dont completely support the taliban s
support there agenda but not their ways
m ready to help
nd as 4 dr, affia siddiqui……………………….
there r still a lot of other muslim women captives nd we need to take a step
November 5th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Sister yvonne,
Your are waisting your time and efforts if you believe that you are going to get any help from this impotent nation, I am also one of them. They can not even stand for their own rights, you think they will stand for some one else. These people have seen murders, rapes and injustice done to their own Pakistani people since the establishment of Pakistan you think by your speech they will stand up with you to fight for the right, Never. They are hopeless people. The whole pakistan is on the verge of extinction and these people dont even realize that. There is nothing Islamic about Pakistan or any other so called muslim countries and its people execept for the few who are still slaves of Allah, like the ones you met in Afghanistan. Even in a war like situation they acted like the Prophet said. These are the real men and you will not find them in public places. Trust me sister till the entire muslim ummah repents for the sins they have commited and disobedience they have shown towards Quran and the if they do not follow the Sunnah in totallity they will never get out of this curse that is in deed from Allah and His messenger.
I dont know what made me write this letter may be your efforts cus I dont like writing. I have a message for Imran Khan if you can pass it on to him. I saw this guy on TV informing the nation of all the conspiracies going on against pakistan and all of them have proven right but nobody wants to believe him.” You dont need any one other than Allah, dont waist time with these people they can not help you, they cant help themselves. So get up at night prey Salat tahajudd every day prey for your self and the kind of people you want help from to fulfil your dream and prey for muslim ummah.
Repentence is the key to our prosperity…..
Asallamualaikum
November 19th, 2008 at 10:02 am
InSHAllah everythn will be al-rite.InshAllah v will pray for her.
INSHALLAH EVERYTHN will be gud.InshAllah.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I have tried to make it more readable, hopefully it will help everyone to read.
Let me know if you have any other suggestions.
November 30th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Assalamoalaikum,
dear yvonne ridley,
i want to inform u that my husband Zeeshan Jalil is also included in the “MISSING PERSONS”. he was recentlykidnapped by an unknown agency on 18th october 2008. and is taken to an unknown place. dear sister i have three young children the youngest is of 11 months. dear sister plz help me as a muslim sister. i hopethat u will inshALLAH as a muslim will help me as much as u can. my husband is innocent. help me and contact me as soon as possible.have sympathy plz help me………….
December 11th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Wa alikum salam,
Dear sister Asifa, I am going to add another section for the missing person on this site soon InshAllah, If you can please send us few photos and biography of your husband so that we can raise our voice for him on this site at least. I ll also try to send your message to Amina Masood Janjua as well.
Mail us at draafia@draafia.org
JazakAllah khair
January 4th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Dr Afia case was raised and supported by press and social circle very effectively after Maryam press conference. this forced the cruels to shift her from Bagram to NY. Presently, the matter has cooled down and nothing is going on.
No body filed case against Musharraf, Fasial Saleh (his name does not match his character.)
The matter needs to be readdressed by press.
Solute to Maryam
February 14th, 2009 at 8:19 am
As-saalam-ale-kum
For the last several weeks I have gone through the writings of Yvennie Riddley, and see the reality and laments, sorrow, sufferings of our brothers and sisters as Nazis did with jews. If I can do something It will be great sacrifice in way of Allah for serving humankinds. Allah give Y Riddley more strength, courage, wisdom to fight this menace.
Thanks
Allah Hafiz
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I would suggest that rather than bash America, efforts be spent to ease the plight of Afghani, Pakistani, Saudi women. Great comment. Thank you
March 7th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
salam brotehr and sister,,
i dont no what is happening nw a days wiht me ,but i cant stop my tears while i m sleeping ,,i m reading differnt historical books,,actulay i realy want to someting for muslim world,,Mis miryum u are great lady ,,i read ur book,
and Mr umar dont be hopeless,,,every nation face probelm,,we are not impotent nation,,
May Allh give us strength, courage, wisdom to fight this menace.taliabn did some mistake ,but they are over borthers they have a faith ,,,
Alah hafiz
May 11th, 2009 at 12:58 am
According to the poster girl of terrorism, Riddley:
“I wish this obscenity had happened somewhere else, but the stark reality is retired General Pervez Musharraf and his men got rich on the back of this vile trade – he even admitted it in his autobiography.”
I ask you to cite me the precise page number where Musharraf has said that he and his men got rich “on the back of this vile trade” – namely, “hundreds of our brothers were sold like slaves to the Americans.”
Let me ask, does being a religious Muslim mean telling lies as and when you like?
Musharraf has stated clearly that it was never his policy to handover any Pakistani citizen to the U.S. In his autobiography, he talked about foreign terrorists who were captured red handed in Pakistan and foreigners suspected of terrorism. After interrogation, Pakistan contacted the countries of these individuals, be it Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, etc, and asked these countries to take back their citizens. If the countries refused, only then did Pakistan submit these terrorists to the U.S. What is wrong with that?
As for the Pakistanis who did end up in Guantanamo Bay, Pakistan did not hand them to the U.S. These are individuals who on their own went for jihad in Afghanistan and ended up being captured by the Americans.
Worse, Ridley praises the “dear sisters” of the Lal Masjid! An open praise and glorification of terrorism! Has she forgotten their dandas and guns, the killings carried out by the lal masjid thugs, the looting of shops, the burning of video shops, the unreasonable demands which even forced the Imam of Kaaba to speak against them? Ridley mentions:
“I salute those dear sisters in Lal Masjid who were mocked and ridiculed for trying to close down a brothel ”
Extremists such as Ridley are ignorant about Islamic sharia laws and procedures. In Islamic law, no tom, dick or harry can take the law into his own hands. Even if you know someone is engaged in prostitution, you can only make a complaint to the authorities. You can do no more; certainly you cannot take the law into your own hands and be a vigilante. The lal masjid folks, even if they were right about the allegations, went about it by violating principles of Islamic law, by taking the law into their own hands. They essentially dragged the accused out, humiliated them publically, then tortured them in their den and forced them to admit their guilt under threat. What awesome Muslims! This is not how Islamic law works!
In addition to the above, Ridley even lies:
“many of them were martyred as they fought for common decency.”
No brainwashed woman of the lal masjid was killed. This is an outright lie to malign Pakistan. As the Quran says, produce your evidence if you are truthful.
Notice the next absurd comment by Ridley:
“Anywhere else in the world they would have been praised as feminists and as righteous individuals for trying to close down the sex industry which clearly exploits women.”
Has she become brain-dead already? She sure has. You are an idiot if you think that dragging someone in the open street by their hair, punching and slapping them, taking them to your private prison, beating them up, and threatening them with death if they do not admit to being guilty are deeds which would be “praised” by feminists and “righteous” individuals!!
June 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Millions of us are watching the character of those who claim to be our ‘friends’, and we pray to God for the safe release of this sister and many others in Indian jails, in Kashmir and God knows where…but the truth is that while their bodies are hurt, their spirits are the eventual beneficiaries in the hereafter. while those who are cruel to God’s creation need to remind themselves that hell must be made for a purpose.
July 13th, 2009 at 5:11 am
where iz tha teachings of islam?why our culture iz going 2 b finished? how can a muslim see such a cruality? why our leadrs r making muslims insultiv?i need the ans of my questions 4m presidnt zardari sb
July 13th, 2009 at 5:14 am
aoa
plz muslims b unitd nd try 2 do somthng 4 dr. its a request.
August 1st, 2009 at 7:11 am
I appreciate your concerns and questions brother, but everyone should ask these questions to themselves first. These leaders are greedy and lust is their life not to take care of their people.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:35 am
I agree with most of what is stated above.
Yvonne has gone a bit silent since Oct 2008.
I came across this Blog today, 20th Aug 2009 and appreciate it.
I cannot type well.
BARRISTER SYYED IQBAL JAFREE OF SLARPORE