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Texas hostage case: Who is Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani convict at the centre of the storm?

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Texas hostage case: Who is Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani convict at the centre of the storm?

British national Malik Faisal Akram was killed Saturday during a confrontation with U.S. federal agents at a synagogue in Fort Worth, Texas, where he kidnapped a rabbi With three other hostages, he was “focused on just one issue” and, according to law enforcement officials, had demanded to see a woman serving a sentence in the United States.

U.S. media reports said Akram was likely referring to Aafia Siddiqui, a highly educated Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted in 2010 on terrorism charges. The federal women’s prison where Siddiqui is located is less than 40 kilometers from where Akram was killed. The Texas Department of Public Safety said he had claimed he and the woman he wanted to meet would “go to Jenna after seeing her.” Siddiqui, once described as “the most wanted woman in the world” and “Mrs al-Qaeda”, has been a motivating figure for Islamists for many years.
In 2014, ISIS separately offered to free journalist James Foley and an American woman – later identified as Kayla Mueller – in exchange for Siddiqui’s freedom. The Taliban and the Haqqani network tried to trade US Army deserter Bowie Bergdahl for her. Siddiqui, 49, was born in Karachi and studied in the US in the 1990s. She was trained at MIT and received her PhD in Neuroscience from Brandeis University in Massachusetts in 2001.

In 2002, she opened a mailbox in the name of Al Qaeda suspect Majid Khan in Pakistan, who is currently at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, according to the FBI.

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In a profile published in 2010, The New York Times reported that Siddiqui was married to her second husband, Ammar al-Baluchi, the 9/11 conspirator and Daniel Pearl’s murderer, Khalid. De Sheikh Mohammed’s nephew, who himself was one of the funders of the 9/11 attacks, was in Pakistan in 2003 and then disappeared for about five years. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ammar al-Baluchi are both being held at the Guantanamo Bay facility.

Complete News Source : The Indian EXPRESS

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Viduthalai Part 2 movie review: Vijay Sethupathi shines in a highly sermonising story

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Viduthalai Part 2 movie review: Vijay Sethupathi shines in a highly sermonising story

Viduthalai Part 2 movie review: Vijay Sethupathi again puts up a class act with the Vetrimaaran film fails to live up to part 1.
Viduthalai Part 2 movie review: Director Vetrimaaran often portrays the underrepresented sections of society, including the poor, working class, and marginalized. His films depict the harsh realities of life, focusing on themes like caste, class divide, corruption, and systemic oppression. And while these form the core themes of his films, his characters stand out for their brilliant emotional depth and complexity. When Viduthalai Part 1 came out in 2023, it not only established Soori as a highly talented actor, but also spoke about the emergence of extremist groups and where they stem from. (Also read: Viduthalai Part 2 Twitter review: Vijay Sethupathi deserves National Award for his performance, say fans)

Viduthalai Part 2, which was released on December 20, takes off from the first part with the clash between the tribals and government forces and revolves around Perumal (Vijay Sethupathi), the leader of the extremist group Makkal Padai (People’s Army). While part 1 was about Kunaresan, this moves beyond him to the main figure in contention.

What is Viduthalai Part 2 about

The police nab Perumal, and we get told this school teacher’s back story and why he became who he is. Shaped by the communist ideology, Perumal fights for what he believes is unjust, and the director has been quite clever in showcasing empathy within the revolutionary movement as well. As the story of Perumal unfolds, there is a heavy infusion of politics and emotionally charged dialogues to make us empathise with Perumal and his fight.

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Director Vetrimaaran has also added many intricate political and social touches to the characterisations. For instance, Perumal’s wife, fellow comrade Mahalakshmi (Manju Warrier), cuts her hair short because she feels long hair would make her more fragile. We are also shown how Karuppan (Ken Karunas) bestows a name on himself. We are also shown the power play between those in power and those who are weak and how one exploits the other at will.

On the whole, Viduthalai Part 2 seems to be an ode to people like Vaathiyar aka Perumal, who stand up for a cause and the downtrodden. Perumal embraces lal salaam and, along with it, renounces many of the toxic values that society holds dear. For instance, he marries Mahalakshmi, who was married before, but he never questions her about it – it’s inconsequential to him.

What Viduthalai Part 2 lacks

While Viduthalai Part 2 has many aspects that one appreciates, it’s not as stellar as Part 1 as it gets very sermonising. In part 1, Soori’s character was beautifully crafted, and one expected to see more of him in part 2, and that was a letdown. Viduthalai Part 2 is all about Vijay Sethupathi and he has carried the film able on his shoulders. Unfortunately, Vetrimaaran, the astute writer, seemed to be missing in this film and that was disappointing. Viduthalai Part 2 carries a strong ideological theme and is another socially relevant film from Vetrimaaran.

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