In Support of Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR DR AYESHA SIDDIQA
June 3, 2007

Interference with the book launch in Islamabad on Friday of the distinguished Pakistani scholar Dr Ayesha Siddiqa's 'Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy' gives us grave concern.

Although Dr Siddiqa was able to use the office of a non-government organization after hotels refused to provide a venue, her phone service has subsequently been repeatedly disrupted as she gave interviews and she has told the Committee to Protect Journalists and others that she feels increasingly isolated and physically threatened. On Saturday, plainclothes "Special Branch" agents visited her home
town Khanqah Sharif near Bahalwapur and questioned her employees about Dr. Siddiqa, her husband and property.

We urge the Pakistan government not to curb academic freedom. At a time when Pakistan faces an internal political crisis and a dangerous regional security situation the need for information and free expression of ideas only increases. Dr. Siddiqa has produced thorough research on important topics that can inform open debate by all Pakistanis, and indeed others around the world. She and her work should be defended, not threatened or suppressed.

The following academics and professionals around the world endorse this statement:

1. Hassan Abbas, Research Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, U.S.A.

2. Tahira Abdullah, researcher, development worker Islamabad, Pakistan
3. Syed Adeeb, journalist & President of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), U.S.A.
4. Nasir Ahmad MD., FRCS.,FACs, Chief of Otolaryngology /Head & Neck Surgery, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, U.S.A.
5. Salman Ahmad, UN Special Representative, New York, U.S.A.
6. Ishtiaq Ahmed, Professor, Department of Political Science, Stockholm University, Sweden
7. Imtiaz Ali, International Knight Fellow, Stanford University, U.S.A.
8. Kamran Asdar Ali, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Middle East Studies
and Asian Studies. University of Texas, Austin
9. Omar Ali MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology, Medical College of Wisconsin, U.S.A.
10. Dr Arif Alvi, Central Vice President, Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan
11. Dr. Awab Alvi, blogger & dentist, Karachi, Pakistan
12. Amin Ansari, CEO IT company, Lahore, Pakistan
13. Omar T. Atiq, MD, FACP, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Medical Director, Arkasas Cancer Institute, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S.A
14. Shaheryar Azhar, moderator, The Forum, 1175 New York, U.S.A.
15. Dr Nuzhat Aziz, researcher & physician, PA, U.S.A.
16. Cassandra Balchin, Director, L.A.W.S. (Legal Awareness, Women & Society), U.K.
17. Akshay Bakaya, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, Paris, France
18. Julia Bard, writer and editor, Member of the National Union of Journalists
London, U.K.
19. Amna Buttar, MD, President, Asian American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights, Middleton, WI, U.S.A.
20. Walter Crump, Commonwealth School, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
21. S.M.A. Ehtisham MD, Bath NY, U.S.A.
22. Drs Khalid Hameed Farooqi, journalist and researcher, Holland
23. Asim Ghani, journalist, Karachi, Pakistan
24. Frederic Grare, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, U.S.A.
25. Shahla Haeri, Director, Women's Studies Program & Associate Professor of Anthropology, Boston University, MA, U.S.A.
26. Zahra Shahid Hussain, educatioinst, political analyst, Karachi, U.S.A.
27. Dr. Zahid Imran, Medical Director Shifa/Serenity CMHC, CEO psychcare of Louisiana, & Secretary American Pakistani Physicians for Justice and Democracy (APPJD), Baton Rouge Louisiana, U.S.A.
28. Zaffar Iqbal, MD & ANAA Board Member, Kingman AZ, U.S.A.
29. Ayesha Jalal, Professor of History, Tufts University, MA, U.S.A.
30. Ruchir Joshi, film maker and writer, New Delhi, India
31. Kalim Irfani, M.D., Pediatrics, Scarsdale, NY, U.S.A.
32. Dr Mahjabeen Islam, Medical Director, Comprehensive Addiction Services & Odyssey Hospice, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.
33. Harsh Kapoor, coordinator, South Asia Citizens Web & 'India Pakistan Arms race and Militarisation Watch', France
34. Mohmmad Arshad Khan, Society for Social Justice and Developement Pakistan, Sialkot
35. Waqas Khwaja, Associate Professor and Chair, English Department
Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, U.S.A.
36. Sheema Kermani, dancer & activist, Karachi, Pakistan
37. Zaheer A. Kidvai, Education Technology Consultant, Karachi, Pakistan
38. Sabeen Mahmud, Director PeaceNiche/The Second Floor, Karachi, Pakistan
39. Syeda Masood, Kennedy School of Government ’08, Harvard University, U.S.A.
40. Andy McCord, freelance writer, past fellow of the Fulbright program in Pakistan and India, & of the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities, New York, U.S.A.
41. Anita Mehta, Fellow, The Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study, Harvard University, U.S.A.
42. Dr. Shree Mulay, Professor, Dept of Medicine, McGill University, Director McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women (affiliation indicated for purposes of identification only)
43. Imran Munir, PhD Candidate, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, BC. Canada
44. Zubeida Mustafa, journalist, Karachi, Pakistan
45. Fawzia Naqvi, Vice President, Philanthropic Foundation, New York, U.S.A.
46. Maniza Naqvi, author/development specialist, Washington DC, U.S.A.
47. Akbar Noman, Senior Fellow, Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University
New York, NY, U.S.A.
48. Philip Oldenburg, Independent Scholar, New York, U.S.A.
49. Emran Qureshi, Wertheim Fellow, Labor & Worklife Program at Harvard Law School, U.S.A.
50. Omar Qureshi, History Department, The Brearley School, New York, U.S.A.
51. Jamil Rashid, Professor: Social Sciences, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
52. Jeff Redding, Oscar M. Ruebhausen Fellow in Law, Yale Law School, New Haven, U.S.A.
53. David Rosenberg, teacher and writer, Member of the National Union of teachers
London, U.K.
54. Shahnaz Rouse, Professor of Sociology, Sarah Lawrence College, New York
55. Gita Sahgal, film maker and writer, U.K.
56. Beena Sarwar, journalist & Fellow, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard University, U.S.A.
57. Malik Sarwar, Senior Vice President, Permal Group, NY, U.S.A.
58. Najmi Sarwar, Vice President Citibank, Executive Director Developments In Literacy, New York, U.S.A.
59. Sehba Sarwar, Founding Director, Voices Breaking Boundaries, Houston, U.S.A.
60. Mohsin Sayeed, journalist, Karachi, Pakistan
61. Shaheen Sehbai, media professional, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
62. Dr. Subir Sinha, Department of Development Studies, SOAS, London, U.K.
U.K.
63. Kamran Shafi, journalist, Wah, Pakistan
64. Nandini Sundar, Professor, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics
University of Delhi, India
65. Mohammad Taqi ,MD, Asst. Prof. of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, & President, American Pakistani Physicians for Justice and Democracy (APPJD), U.S.A.
66. John Trumpbour, Research Director, Labor & Worklife Program, Harvard Law School, U.S.A.
67. Siddharth Varadarajan, Associate Editor, The Hindu, New Delhi, India
68. Dr. Rashmi Varma, Department of English, University of Warwick, Coventry,
U.K.
69. Rafia Zakaria J.D, Indiana University, Department of Political Science, U.S.A.
70. Howard Zinn, Professor Emeritus, Boston University, U.S.A.

Endorsements received after June 3, 2007 (in order received):
1. A. H. Nayyar, Executive Director, Developments in Literacy, Islamabad
2. M. Zafar Iqbal, retired banker, U.K. & France
3. Najam M Khawaja; Chairman & CEO TGP Holding, Middle East, CEO Gulf DB and Executive Chairman Tribal DDB, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
4. Allaudin Shaik, Goffs Oak, U.K.
5. Farzana Hassan-Shahid, author "Islam, women and the challenges of today", Mississauga, Ont, Canada
6. Richard B. Barnett, University of Virginia, Charlotte, N.C., U.S.A.
7. Kamala Visweswaran, Associate Professor of Anthropology and South Asian Studies, University of, Texas, Austin, U.S.A.
8. Tariq Banuri, Director, Asia Center, Stockholm Environment Institute, , Bangkok, Thailand (affiliation for identification purposes only; does not imply endorsement by the institute)
9. Robert A. Hueckstedt, University of Virginia, U.S.A.