Who is Malik Faisal Akram? British national had criminal record before Texas standoff
The FBI has identified the Texas synagogue hostage-taker as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British national. On January 15, 2022, Akram was killed after a 10-hour standoff inside the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, where thankfully no one was harmed and all the hostages were freed, but his actions have caused widespread anger. More details have since emerged about Akram, raising questions of how he managed to pull of the standoff.
For one, it has emerged that Akram demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a neuroscientist from Pakistan who is being held in a Texas jail. Known as 'Lady Al Quada', Siddiqui was convicted in 2010 for the assault and attempted murder of a US soldier in Afghanistan. Another big mystery is how Akram purchased the gun since he is not a US national. Furthermore, it has now emerged that he has a long rap sheet back in the UK, which has raised even more questions of how he was able to travel all the way to Texas.
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His criminal record was confirmed by his brother Gulbar, who was liaising with the FBI incident room since the standoff took place. In a statement, Gulbar revealed more about Akram, giving us an insight into the 44-year-old for the first time.
Who is Malik Faisal Akram?
The British national is a resident of Blackburn in the UK, who arrived in the US roughly two weeks prior to his January 15 attack. It is believed he lived in homeless shelters and got a gun from a street dealer after flying into the US. Gulbar said, "my brother was suffering from mental health issues we were confident that he would not harm the hostages." It's unclear at the moment what issues Akram has since Gulbar didn't go into details.
According to reports, he landed at the John F Kennedy airport in New York City on January 2, something which should have been impossible according to Gulbar. "He's known to police. Got a criminal record. How was he allowed to get a visa and acquire a gun?" he reportedly told Sky News. US officials are currently investigating whether or not he was on any watchlist, and there's no word from British police on his criminal record.
During the standoff, Akram referred to Siddiqui as his sister, but at the time there appears to be no connection between the two. John Floyd, board chair for the Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations told The Guardian that Siddiqui's brother Mohammad Siddiqui was not involved. "We want the assailant to know that his actions are wicked and directly undermine those of us who are seeking justice for Dr. Aafia," he added.
It is believed Akram acted alone at this time, and also lied about having bombs in his backpack. "It turns out there apparently were no bombs that we know of," President Joe Biden said in a brief statement from a visit to a food bank in Philadelphia. Based on what he said in the live stream, it is believed Akram is survived by six children, but it's unclear who the mother is. More details are expected to come out in the coming days and weeks, with a team of FBI agents set to travel to the UK and meet with Akram's family. We'll update you if we learn more about his motive and criminal record.