Original title: The hostage-taking suspect in Texas is a 44-year-old British citizen, the British foreign secretary speaks out
(Observer Network News) On January 15, at least four people were taken hostage in a Texas synagogue. The suspect is demanding the release of his “sister”, Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist who was sentenced to 86 years in prison in 2010 for “attempting to attack U.S. government officials and employees” in Afghanistan.
After an 11-hour standoff, the four hostages were rescued and the suspect died on the spot. On January 16, the FBI released a statement announcing the identity of the suspect: Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen. Matthew DeSarno, the FBI special agent in charge of the case, said there was “no indication” that anyone else was involved in the hijacking.
suspectsMalik Faisal Akram (pictured from the Daily Mail)According to a report by British Sky News on the 16th,The British Foreign Office also confirmed that the suspect is a British national. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted to “stand with America.”
“My heart goes out to the Jewish community, and to all those affected by this appalling act in Texas. We condemn this act of terrorism and anti-Semitism. We stand with America in defense of civil rights and liberties against Those who spread hatred.”
The British “Guardian” said that people familiar with the matter said the suspect was a resident of Blackburn, Lancashire, England. Blackburn is a large industrial town located in the northwest of England, with a local population of about 100,000, of which nearly 30% are of Indian and Pakistani origin.
On the evening of the 16th, according to the British anti-terrorist police, according to the latest investigation, the British police arrested two teenagers in nearby Manchester, and the two are being interrogated.
Location of BlackburnShortly after Akram was identified as the suspect, social media in Blackburn’s local Muslim community uploaded a post purportedly written by his brother Gulbar, but the authenticity could not be confirmed.
According to the post, Akram“Suffering from mental problems”, but the family “believes that he will not harm the hostage.” Akram’s family sat in the investigation room all night, liaising with Akram, the FBI and negotiating experts, the post said.
Gulba, who identified himself as the suspect’s brother, said Akram released the remaining three hostages before “fighting fire and being shot.” “Nothing we said to him, or anything we did, could convince him to surrender.” “We would also like to add that any attack on any human being, whether Jewish, Christian, Muslim, etc., is wrong and will always be condemned. “
It is not known how Akram got to Texas. Sky News said he did not usually live in the United States, but went to the United States from the United Kingdom on January 2. Gulba also questioned,Akram has a criminal record and it is not known how he qualified to enter the United States.
Blackburn’s local Muslim community issued a statement saying it would “cooperate with the investigation”.Previously, on the morning of January 15, a religious ceremony was being held in a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, which was broadcast live online. Akram kidnapped the rabbi (the leader of the Jewish congregation who presides over religious services) and three members of the congregation.
One hostage was released without injury at around 6 pm on the 15th. At about 9 pm on the 15th, after 11 hours of deadlock, the remaining three hostages were rescued and Akram died on the spot, but the FBI did not specify the cause of death. According to news footage, three hostages rushed out of the synagogue, followed by the suspect armed with guns. After seeing the armed men outside the door, the suspect quickly retreated to the church. Dozens of armed men rushed into the church, only to hear a loud bang, followed by rapid gunfire.
Live screenIn an interview with reporters on the 16th, U.S. President Biden called the incident an “act of terrorism” and said that U.S. Attorney General Garland had briefed him.
When a reporter asked about the details of the case, Biden responded that he did not have all the circumstances of the case, but “there is a saying that he bought the weapons on the street. He bought these weapons after landing.”
Biden said: “(The investigation) turned out to be clearly no bomb as we know it. He spent his first night in a homeless shelter. I don’t have all the details yet, so I’m reluctant to go into more details. .”
The link between Akram and Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui remains unclear. Akram asked for Afiyah’s release and also to speak to her. In conversations with negotiators, Akram demanded that Afia be brought to the synagogue so they could die together, CNN said.
Aafia Siddiqui is a Pakistani neuroscientist who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2010, she was sentenced to 86 years in prison for “attempted murder” and “assaults on U.S. government officials and employees in Afghanistan.” He is currently being held at a federal prison in Texas, less than a kilometer from the city of Colleyville, where the hijacking took place.
The Associated Press said Afiya had links to the extremist organization “base”. But her family insisted in an interview with CNN that she was not a terrorist. Her family and supporters said Afia was framed and used as a scapegoat in the “war on terror” after 9/11, The Guardian reported. In 2018, Pakistan’s Senate unanimously passed a resolution to protest the United States and refer to Afia as “the daughter of the nation.”
Although the suspect referred to Afia as a “sister,” investigations revealed that Afia’s brother, Mohammad Siddiqui, was not involved. After the hijacking, Afia’s lawyer also responded that she had “absolutely no involvement” in the hostage-taking incident.
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