Hey everyone...

This is a call for assistance, put out by my close friends Aisha Angela Taylor and Bankole Irungu.

Please do what you can to support them and forward this message far and wide.

Thanks,
Ryan James
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

WHO ARE AISHA AND BANKOLE? By Ryan James

Aisha and Bankole are both long-term African-American activists. They have lived in some of the poorest parts of the US and have dedicated their lives to healing their communities and fighting the racist system.

As a school teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia in the mid-90s, Aisha took a strong stand against her white co-workers who routinely abused black children. She fought, and won a lawsuit against the board of education and the U.S. Government in a deeply racist southern town, forcing the board and the government to be accountable.

Bankole was active in the Malcolm X Party for the Republic of New Africa. Among his many contributions, he ran a food co-operative in North Philadelphia, where he distributed healthy, affordable food in a poverty-stricken neighborhood. He has also been an educator for many years,and has fought back against racism in the workplace on a number of occasions.

As a result of their activities, the couple has been targetted by racists in power for a long time. They have suffered phone taps, surveillance, stolen mail, harassment, and alienation. It all fits the description of activities carried out by COINTELPRO - the FBI program that was designed to crush movements like the Black Panther Party and Republic of New Africa. For more information on their case and activities, see  http://www.geocities.com/exiledone2002


The harassment escalated to a point that they had to leave the United States as refugees, to live safely. They fled to Canada in January 1998, and lived in Toronto for three years. I became friends with them during this period, and came to understand how important it is for people to support them. They lived here in Toronto until January 2001, when their refugee claims were denied. At that point the Canadian Government specifically told them that they could not have refugee status. On top of that, they were told "DO NOT RETURN TO THE U.S. WITHOUT PERMISSION" and "Do not attempt to fly over U.S. airspace"....This act by Canada in cooperation with the U.S. has made them stateless. Check out their website to read a copy of THE ACTUAL LETTER which makes these threats.

After being forced out of Canada, they flew to Stockholm, Sweden in search of continued safety. Although they are stateless, they did not file a refugee claim in Sweden. This is because they feel that in general the rights of African-Americans who seek asylum are not respected by western governments, and they have a better chance of remaining safe, telling their story, and gaining asylum if their case is first won in an International Court. As they travel they are in the process of seeking counsel to handle the matter on their behalf.

They are officially stateless after being denied refugee status by Canada but being told by the Canadian Government "DO NOT RETURN TO THE U.S. WITHOUT PERMISSION"...and "Do not attempt to fly over U.S. airspace"...They have a passport, but no country.

In mid-July 2001, their time in Stockholm expired and they travelled to London, England, where they have been living temporarily. All they want is a place to live and work in peace, and they need continued support to do it.

Their stays in Stockholm and London have been made possible by local activists, who stepped up and provided them with practical help. Stockholm's Anti-Fascist Action chapter was particularly supportive. They need the same kind of support from activists around the world, now and well into the future. They WANT to work. But since they are officially "tourists" on paper at this point, they can't. This means they need help with funds,housing, food, and transportation.

These are two people who have fought long and hard against racism and corruption. Anyone who supports African-American peoples' fight for self-determination should contact Aisha and Bankole, and offer whatever help they can. It's time for some international solidarity!

If you know any people or organizations in the UK who may be able to help, please contact them and ask them to get in touch with Aisha and Bankole.
They can be reached at
 soulful_expression@yahoo.com
or  bankole_irungu@hotmail.com


WHAT'S NEW WITH OUR CASE -- by AISHA

Peace and Blessings Everyone!

We are willing that you are all well and continuing to work towards making the world a better place.

We are writing to thank you for your continued support and to make you aware of our urgent needs.

As you may know we have been stateless for almost an entire year now. (January 8th, 2002 is the aniversary) We passed through Sweden earlier this year as visitors and now we are passing through The U.K. We've met a lot of really great friends and we've gotten support. There has also been recent progress on the legal front. In the the U.K. there is a campaign to support us. Hopefully that will expand in the near future, but that's not what we're writing about.

Most importantly, we need your immediate and practical support because some of our basic needs are not being met. Since we have been stateless for almost an entire year now we face a situation where we don't have access to medical care. As you all know we also can not work in any country because technicially we do not have a state. In January we will be required to leave The U.K. and we are asking you to contact as many people as possible to collect donations for the following emergency needs for us so that we can have a better life for ourselves even though we are in exile.

Emergency Medical Care & Other things including:

Eyeglasses & Contact Lenses (Aisha needs contacts too for medical reasons - one eye is much weaker than the other)
Dental Care
Medical Checkups and Possibly shots if we go to Africa
Funds for travel, expenses and housing in our next country (or countries) of travel

Again, this is an urgent situation and we need your help

I haven't had an eye exam since '98 and I'm having headaches and eyeaches and not seeing well (Aisha)

Bankole has a filling that is falling out and urgently needs to see a dentist

Again, the situation is urgent - please help by depositing your dontation in one of the accounts set up for us. If you would like you can also send us a donation by Western Union. Please give this message to anyone that you know that may be willing to help who doesn't have e-mail as well! If you send by Western Union please e-mail us first with the details of the transaction.

How to donate funds:

The U.S. & Canada:

Please e-mail Ryan James at  ryan_kj@hotmail.com. He will reply within one day and provide you with an address to mail cheques to, and will deposit these cheques directly into Aisha and Bankole's account.

Sweden & Scandinavia

Please deposit your funds in Post Giro Account:

Post Giro
Chiapas 99
1899555-5
PLEASE MARK YOUR DEPOSIT "FOR AISHA & BANKOLE"

The U.K.Account to be set up)


Contact us directly or Vivene Younger  trevon03@yahoo.co.uk

Asante Sana!

Thanks to all of you!!! Peace, Love & Blessings! Any one who has questions can be directed to our website.

Love,
Bankole Irungu &
Aisha Angela Taylor
Stateless African-Americans Banned by the United States

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT AISHA AND BANKOLE

-Writing a letter of support to them at  bankole_irungu@hotmail.com or  soulful_expression@yahoo.com
-Helping them to get a case before an International Court! Write to them if you know an interested lawyer or organization, a supporter will contact you!
-Purchasing a CD and supporting upcoming concerts & events
-Hosting a fundraiser or setting up a fund
-Arranging speaking engagements or a speaking tour
-Coming out to speaking events and workshops

THANK YOU FOR PRACTICAL HELP! IT IS VERY MUCH NEEDED!

A MESSAGE FROM BANKOLE

We are happy to have created a forum on-line to tell you about our experiences in exile as African people from America. Our hope is to inspire you to have integrity, honesty, life, and to love each other. That is our pride and joy. We wish the same for all people. We feel that the key to liberation in the restoration of our people's humanity based on honesty and principles.

Here in Europe, we have been aided by a network of activists in Sweden that took the lifeline tossed by dedicated Canadian supporters during the early part of 2001. As in the US and Canada, in Sweden we have had to take care that we stay as protected as possible from COINTELPRO and its international component Echelon, known to many activists for years, which has become public knowledge. We'll share our lives and experiences, in flight from the US government over nearly four years with you. As you visit our new and expanded website, you will learn about one of the pillars of destabilizing movements for positive social change, FBI COINTELPRO. For challenging this has meant that Aisha and I are literally stateless.

We have successfully, but not without difficulty, been able to educate many on the FBI's Counter Intelligence Program "COINTELPRO". This program affects many people today and has not ended. Putting to rest the the many myths about African (commonly referred to as African- American people) in the United States and our relationship to the US government historically is also a goal of our website and outreach.

By explaining our lives and activism and the resultant targeting by COINTELPRO for our convictions, we aim to provide context for the dawning of a new era-the full internationalization of the movement for Black justice. Critical to your visit, we appeal to you for your support in helping us stay free of COINTELPRO. Please continue read this page to find out how you can help. We cannot return to the US. By helping us, two long-time advocates against oppression, you are aiding those whose lives are and have been impaired by COINTELPRO, and the general millions of African-American people whose lives are ruled by dehumanization. Yesteryear's iron shackles and cuffs that cut through flesh into bone have been replaced by a slavish numbing of minds and souls to African-Americans' plight. Your support is needed!

In stepping up to help us, you are helping a nation. You are allowing them to breathe, to have Human Rights, defeat COINTELPRO, persecution and end the suffocation that many others face who are imprisoned unjustly in the US for political belief. You will also be helping people who are exiled, and currently fleeing COINTELPRO with little or no relief in the streets and countryside of America.