Aafia Siddiqu, a captured female terrorist, is making buzz as the top search today. She is accused of attempting to poison Jimmy Carter and several other Americans.
But Aafia Siddiqu is making headlines for more reasons than just the planned poisoning. Specifically, Siggiqu is female and an MIT-educated neuroscientists. Yes, a brain doctor.
Aafia Siddiqu was identified as an al-Qaeda associated terrorist in 2003. She was then held (and abused) for years in a Bagram Airbase, according to her lawyers. This week, she was formerly charged for assaulting and attempting to kill American soldiers (and Carter).
We typically expect terrorists to be male, but there’s no reason that the fairer gender shouldn’t be involved.
Although she may be one of the most recent female headliners, Aafia Siddiqu isn’t the first. In the early 1900s, ex-exotic dancer Mari Hari was a famous spy who was executed for espionage in 1917.
But instead of being a stripper who poisons people, Siddiqu is a brain doctor who poisons people. I’m not sure if neuroscience is more or less glamorous than stripping, but both occupations work well as James Bond villain characters.
As a side note, the idea of a brilliant female terrorist brings up an interesting point. A difference between psychopaths and terrorists is that terrorists are often motivated by religion and righteous ideals. Accordingly, it’s more possible to see brilliant brain-doctor terrorists than it is to see the same suspect become a regular criminal.
Female Terrorists
Aafia Siddiqu, MIT Brain Doctor, President Poisoning Plotter
Trend Themes
1. Female Terrorists - The rise of female terrorists provides an opportunity for disruption in counterterrorism strategies.
2. Mit-educated Neuroscientists - The intersection of neuroscience and terrorism highlights the potential for disruptive innovation in the field of security and intelligence.
3. Gender Stereotypes in Terrorism - Challenging gender stereotypes within the context of terrorism presents an opportunity for transformative change in understanding the motivations and actions of terrorists.
Industry Implications
1. Counterterrorism - Developing new strategies and technologies to detect and neutralize female terrorists can revolutionize the field of counterterrorism.
2. Security and Intelligence - The integration of neuroscience into security and intelligence operations can lead to groundbreaking advancements in threat assessment and prevention.
3. Psychology and Criminology - Exploring the underlying motivations and psychological profiles of female terrorists can contribute to disruptive innovation in the field of psychology and criminology.