Greetings Family,

This week, reports have emerged about the alleged gang rape of a 14 year old African girl by a group of approximately 19 Asian men at a hair and cosmetics shop in Perry Bar, Birmingham. The young girl was alleged to have been caught by the shopkeeper trying to steal a wig. Reports indicate that she was then locked in the shop whereby she ‘offered herself’ under duress to the shopkeeper in return for him not contacting the police. It is then alleged that he called several of his friends to take part in the mass rape of the young child.

A further tragedy lies in the fact that the young girl involved, said to be an illegal immigrant from Jamaica, is too frightened to go the police, fearing that she and her family may be deported back to Jamaica. As a result, the exact facts of this case can not be substantiated by the police who have acknowledged that an incident has taken place and appealed for information.

This weekend the African community in Birmingham is holding a peaceful ‘campaign for silent victims’ on Saturday 22 October at 12.00pm outside the Beauty Queens Hair Shop in Perry Barr, where the gang rape is said to have taken place. They have called for those of us outside West Midlands who cannot attend the protest to join their national protest by raising awareness of this issue and buying hair and beauty products from African owned business. Ligali supports this campaign to seek justice for the family and to help raise media awareness of this issue and prompt an investigation. We too will be holding a peaceful campaign on Saturday 22nd October at 12pm outside the Dalston Cross supermarket, London, E8. We will be distributing leaflets to all those from our community who are unaware of this alleged tragic incident in Birmingham and supporting the national call for the boycott of all non African hair and beauty shops in the area where the incident took place until justice is done.

We would encourage and welcome those of you who wish to join in this show of solidarity with our fellow community in Birmingham and the young girl and family caught up in this incident. You can also help our raise community and media awareness by photocopying as many copies of the campaign leaflet and distributing it on the day.

Click here or below for campaign leaflet.

http://www.ligali.org/pdf/silent_victims_campaign_leaflet.pdf

In addition, Ligali will be following the lead of Blacknet.co.uk by supporting their campaign to promote African British businesses. If you are aware of any African British hair and beauty organisations that do NOT sell skin lightening products then please send details to africanbusiness@ligali.org and post details on http://www.blackchat.co.uk/theblackforum/forum9/18474.html This information will form part of our forthcoming ‘For Us, Buy Us’ Campaign, which is an initiative aimed at encouraging our community to nationally seek out and promote ethical and Africentric businesses, from restaurants and Book retailers to hairdressers and clothing shops initially focusing on a Saturday focus.

Peace and Revolution

www.ligali.org

Note: Due to the increased activity on our website some people may experience problems accessing it.

*African British is the name now used to describe the community previously mislabeled as Afro-Caribbean, Black British, UK Black, Coloured, Black other and Black. It embraces all British nationals with antecedents originating directly from Africa or indirectly via African diasporic communities, such as those in the Caribbean and South America.

Update:

Ligali:

We have been given the contact details of a Birmingham based organisation that offers counselling and support for under sixteen’s in these types of sensitive and traumatic situations. Due to the sensitive nature of their work they offer a totally confidential service and will not contact the police or any other authority without your explicit consent when and if you decide you are ready. If anyone in contact with the family is reading this then please advise them to contact Ligali direct and we will pass them the organisations details in the strictest confidence.

Police:

West Midlands Police has released a statement which reads;

“The safety and welfare of the victim is of paramount importance, and we are doing everything we can to progress the inquiry and urge her to come forward so that she can be helped. There is unhelpful rumour and speculation over the victim's immigration status. To address this, we have liaised directly with the Home Office who have stated that a criminal police inquiry will take precedence over any subsequent immigration matters and that such immigration matters will be dealt with sympathetically.

The alleged crime is being professionally investigated and has, to date, included forensic testing, house-to-house enquiries, a witness appeal involving a press conference and thousands of leaflets being distributed to the local community.

Officers have also engaged with key community representatives and other partner agencies to determine the most appropriate way to deal with this sensitive matter. Police have also followed up any information provided to them.”

Click here or below to read the full press release.

http://www.ligali.org/pdf/wm_police_press_statement.pdf

Where we stand

Ligali has received many emails and phonecalls of encouragement for our uncompromising support of the African community in Birmingham. Unfortunately, we have also received hate mail from members of the Asian community who have accused us of stereotyping an entire community because we support the strategic proposals set out by our own community. We are not advocating that those of us with Asian friends get rid of them. Nor are we calling for a ‘race’ war (sic). However, we are advocating that those of us with friends and contacts within the Asian business community ask them to use their connections to try and source information that would be helpful in proving or disproving these very serious allegations. This information may be as simple as narrowing down the heritage of the perpetrators to Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi or exposing a conspiracy to stir up trouble based on bad history. We want the truth and we want justice.

Dealing with the misunderstandings
Some of the abusive and critical emails we have received have unfortunately been based on a basic misunderstanding of Ligali’s intentions and stance on this issue. As such, we will openly address the concerns raised in the emails we have received.

“Firstly, is the story true? Since when are 14-year-olds gang raped? Remember the Africans in Nottingham who grabbed teenagers off the streets to rape them? It was rubbish. How do we know this isn't?”
By email

“Until this story is confirmed however, it is simply irresponsible to broadcast it in the way you have. You are presenting allegations and rumours as probable facts – and calling for indiscriminate action on the basis of them. It is a huge mistake to tar a whole race (Asians are many different communities based on nationality, religion, language, & culture) – with the possible crime of a few individuals. In fact, it’s racism. You are increasing ethnic tensions, which can have disastrous consequences”
By email

“Please establish the FACTS first before circulating such accusatory allegations. If this is confirmed as truth then even Asians will boycott any dealings with such animals. One bad apple does not reflect the society!”
By email

Ligali has repeatedly stated that the facts have not been verified by 'official' sources. One of the reasons for this is the reluctance of the media to cover this issue on their national networks. However, the Police have announced they believe an 'incident' took place requiring sensitivity It would also be irresponsible of us to ignore the wealth of sources informing us that this alleged assault is real just because national media organisations have not reported it.

Earlier this year, media sources such as the BBC, Choice FM, the Guardian, the Sun, the Daily Mail, and even the Voice maliciously propagated stories about the association of African churches with the ritualistic murder of hundreds of missing boys. These groundless allegations from ‘official’ sources were published on the basis of absolutely no evidence. They were later refuted by police sources who confirmed that the media hype had grossly and unhelpfully exaggerated the situation.

In this instance relating to the attack of the young girl in Birmingham, we have received several accounts from trusted sources which are too similar to be a co-incidence. That is actually more information than any of the 'official' sources had with the aforementioned ‘story’.

Before attacking Ligali’s decision to publish information sent to us from over thirty sources, we would ask how many people who have complained to us on this issue have also challenged the broadcasters and newspapers who participated in the malicious and systematic assault on our community? How many have asked why they have failed to cover this tragic story even if it is unconfirmed, despite doing so in numerous cases allegedly involving African perpetrators which have later proven to be false? Do alleged rape crimes against African people not matter?

Finally, it is important to remember that the role of Ligali is to monitor and report the misrepresentation of African people in the media. In this case that misrepresentation was the total absence of representation. In the story on the BBC West Midlands website, the BBC reported on the protest but did not give any substantive details of why the protest took place. In short, it deliberately suppressed the story. The real question for us as an organisation is should we follow their lead, or should we report back to our community with everything we know?

“Does Ligali have any doubts?”

While we may have doubts about the specific details of the incident, there is no doubt in our minds that our chosen course action is the right one.

We are fully aware of the risk of ‘Chinese whispers’ but the only reason we cannot conclusively state this incident as complete fact is because we personally have not spoken to the family and NOT because we don’t believe it or something very close to it actually occurred. There have been variations on the number of individuals said to be involved, the amount of time the young girl was held in the shop and even theories that this is a plot devised by new Eastern European businesses trying to take over Asian territory. All we can do is report what we are told with the appropriate caveats for people to make up their own minds. As a family orientated organisation we believe it far better we end up with egg on our face rather than having to see the pain of a family whose 14 year old had been gang raped having their character attacked and assassinated by the vicious tabloid orientated British media and then finally deported after a bungled investigation. We want justice, but first we want truth with empathy and compassion. Plain and simple.

“On many levels, your reporting is misguided and counter-productive. It would be so much better to report that this crime may have happened, encourage the victim to come forward, encourage anyone with information to go to the police, to campaign for a proper police response, to monitor the case to help ensure these things happen.”
By email

Earlier this year, the media avidly reported the alleged rape of a young girl, said to be aged between 5 and 10 years old, at her home in Basildon, Essex. The young child described the perpetrator as a ‘scruffy black man’. The police issued and Efit of the man and the media appealed for information. Over 300 calls were made to the police from members of the public offering information.

Police sketch of non existent rapist.

Later in the year, the media also gave headline prominence to the story of a group of alleged sex attackers, said to be of African appearance with South African accents, who were said to be involved a number of sexual assaults on young girls in Northampton.

Further police investigation into these incidents revealed that both stories had in fact been completely fabricated. Unfortunately, the media were reluctant to report the truth behind these stories. The African British relationship with the Police is not one based on trust so although we hope and are encouraging calls for the family to come forward and sanction an official investigation, in its absence we believe it is our responsibility to support tactics which are designed to ostracise and expose the alleged perpetrators, particularly in light of the absence of media coverage.

“The case you speak of is sad and disgusting and the evil people concerned should be brought to justice, not the whole Asian community.”
By Email

We are not targeting or blaming the entire Asian business community. We are simply pressuring them to assist our community in finding the perpetrators. Several individuals from the African community have reported to us they have approached local Asian shopkeepers in Perry Barr for information regarding the incident but they are being faced with a wall of silence. Yet ever since the announcement of the proposed boycott, we are starting to see a small level of co-operation between our communities which will hopefully bear fruit.

“What's Asian. Do we mean Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi? If it were one, why blame the others? Who's behind this nonsense?”
By email

We don’t know, primarily because the Asian community has not supported our call for information on specifics about the individuals said to be involved.

Finally, we would like to express our disappointment that many individuals, websites and businesses from the Asian community have preferred to attack our proactivity in supporting our community, rather than attempting to break the wall of silence from within their community that surrounds this attack. Several individuals have shamelessly resorted to racial abuse, demonising African people and even leveling attacks at the young girl involved, the likes of which are too offensive to reproduce. This is unhelpful. Rather than using this as an opportunity to air ingrained racist views towards all African people, we expect and hope that this tide of negativity take a more positive and proactive turn.

For more Asian views on this topic please check the websites;
http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/94
http://barficulture.com/community/current/topic.php/1462/index.html

The ‘Campaign for Silent Victims’ Protest

Dalston cross

Tube:
Victoria
Highbury & Islington + RAIL or BUS 30, 277/N277 from St Pauls Road
Seven Sisters + BUS 76/N76, 149/N149, 243/N243 from High Road

Piccadilly
Finsbury Park + BUS 236/N236 from Station Place

Northern
Angel + BUS 30, 38/N38, 56

Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan
Liverpool Street + BUS 149/N149, 242/N242 from Bishopsgate

Parking:
Elia Mews Car Park 19 minute walk to the South West
Paul Street NCP 19 minute walk to the South West
Macclesfield Road NCP 19 minute walk to the South West

Yesterday the national media made a huge fuss about an argument which occurred between Darcus Howe and Joan Rivers on a BBC Radio show. Unfortunately, whilst Rivers was clearly particularly misinformed about the issue of race and at one point, offensively dismissive about discussing racial issues, Darcus failed to represent the views of the African community, instead revealing his own ineptness, rather than dealing with the matter in an informed way.

Last night, Channel Four’s new station More4 broadcasted what can only be described as the most appalling stereotypical representation of an ignorant belligerent African father ever shown. In the documentary ‘Son of Mine’, Howe was cast in the leading role as a ‘community activist’ for the ‘black rights’ we have today. Howe, who described himself in the documentary as a ‘West Indian black n***o’ happily exploited his issues with his son for the programme showing once again why he does not have the moral integrity, intellectual capacity or community sanctioned authority to speak on any African British related affair.

A recent article in the Guardian offensively suggests that the actions of the 62 year old man nicknamed ‘Donkey’ Howe, father of seven children to four different women is ‘specific to west Indian culture’. Howe responds by stating that ‘I think a father should be there to watch a child grow up…. That’s what being a father is…. But I don’t think he actually has to be there’. Need we say more?

http://www.channel4.com/more4/documentaries/doc-feature.jsp?id=0
http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1592362,00.html

African Code Anouncments

This weekend the same government that refuses to commemorate an African remembrance day, refuses to apologise for its leading role in the enslavement of African people, refuses to support and recognise International African History Month in February, refuses to put African British history in the national curriculum for everyone all year round, mysteriously forgot about its much trumpeted MakePovertyHistory promises and then tells us that we should forever leave our own history in the past, is once again celebrating another European historical military event. This time it is the Battle of Trafalgar.

Support African History Month, support those "for us, buy us".

Insaka
Insaka MFA, one of the organisers of this years Day of African Remembrance is running its successful Nia programme for African youth in Hackney.

The Nia program which launched in the Stonebridge area of Brent, Northwest London last academic year, will be recommencing on Saturday 5th November 2005 @ HCD, 58-62 Beechwood Road, E8 (near Dalston Cross in Hackney). If you would like to participate in the program, please contact Insaka via insaka_mfa@yahoo.co.uk or phone 07904 05 88 73 and speak to Netsanet, as the number of places are limited.

Note: the term African (Wafrika in Swahili) is a name and identity that refers to all people who are visibly of indigenous African ancestry, whether African nationals, African Caribbean, African British, African American etc. - including those who are mixed with African ancestry, connecting us to land and languages while reflecting our diversity and oneness.

What is The Nia Program?
Nia is a Swahili word meaning ‘purpose’. The Nia Program is a FREE program run by Insaka Movement For Africanisation. The aim of the program is to put the concept of Africanisation* into practice, helping to fulfil the cultural, spiritual, moral, material and social needs of our people. The program is for Africans primarily but not exclusively between 15-25 years old. It runs from November – August, one day a week (Saturdays) and has several breaks throughout. The program consists of three complimentary elements: Swahili Language and African Culture Studies, an Ujamaa Enterprise Scheme and Ujima Careers Seminars. Swahili and Ujamaa are mini-courses within themselves, and although we encourage participants to do both, they may do just one or the other. Ujima consists of 4 occupation/career orientated seminars spaced out over the nine months, which participants may partake in. Insaka has also collaborated with Camp Safari to assist participants in travelling to Kenya.

Swahili Language and African Culture Studies
Participants learn the fundamentals of the Kiswahili language, and learn about the African cultures which gave birth to and continue to use it. Insaka has also collaborated with Camp Safari in order to assist participants in travelling to Kenya – where Swahili is the official language - at the end of the program. The African Culture aspect of these studies is designed to illustrate the fact that we are one people, and encourages participants to think about the importance of Ideology and Culture, while reinforcing and instilling community and family values.

Ujamaa Enterprise Scheme
Ujamaa is a Swahili word pronounced ‘oojahmmah’, meaning ‘co-operative economics’. The purpose of this scheme is to assist participants in directing their own community orientated businesses and joint ventures. They learn how to develop ideas, write and activate a project plan, raise capital and manage a business, and are given constant assistance from one of Insaka’s Ujamaa Link Teachers and Ujamaa Business Volunteers.

Ujima Careers Seminars
Ujima is a Swahili word, pronounced ‘oojimmah’, meaning ‘collective work and responsibility’. The majority of participants on The Nia Program will be planning or pursuing future occupations and professions, so Insaka is making arrangements for Africans of various occupations to hold seminars as part of the program. Insaka is also arranging for them to offer work experience, placements and/or apprenticeships to participants in the near future.

Email: insaka_mfa@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.insaka-mfa.org

500 Years Later

500 YEARS LATER ($28.69/£15.99)

500 YEARS LATER, the critically acclaimed documentary by Halaqah Media is a first in history: Seen in Washington D.C. by millions at the Millions More Movement. One of the most powerful insightful documentaries of the century is now yours to own on DVD.

500 YEARS LATER Multi-Award winning documentary filmed in five continents, 500 Years Later engages the authentic retrospective voice, told from the vantage point of those whom history has sought to silence by examining the collective atrocities that uprooted Africans from their culture and homeland.

Click here or below to purchase a copy

http://www.halaqah.com/shop2/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=63

Ghosts of Rwanda
Whether you've seen or missed Hotel Rwanda this film is a must to get a comprehensive understanding of the Rwanda genocide and understand the links between Somalia, Rwanda and Sudan and racism at the United Nations. The film also highlights African heroes such as the Senegalese peacekeeper Captain Mbaye Diagne who repeatedly disobeyed orders and singlehandley saved countless lives by driving into enemy lines.

More info contact etf@100bmol.org.uk

"The 100 Black Men is committed to educating and informing the community about our history, much of which has been sidelined. In an effort to put black history in the mainstream we hire cinemas once a month and show films relevant to the African experience. Children, parents, refugees,schools and community groups are encouraged to attend. No registration required. Admission is first come, first served. Please be on time."