First Glance: An American Refugee Story

05 january 2007

The Daraja Report is now available as a complete newsletter at www.FolkSense.com. FolkSense.com presents commentary on human rights, international law, social justice, and of course, a bit of poetry. The inspiration for The Daraja Report and for FolkSense.com was a combination of my experiences in the university and in the everyday political reality of the United States. -- In both settings, one soon relaizes that all of the relevant information is not being put forward.
-- As a student I was puzzled by this political fact. As a social scientist advocating human rights, I became a victim of it.

Abstract:

I am a political refugee returned to the US in 2002, after Canada refused to give asylum to me and my child. We are US citizens. We had fled the United States in June 2001 to escape many years of government persecution because of my academic activities as a graduate student and Assistant Professor. That persecution was due entirely to my expression of political opinion in an academic forum. I have no criminal history.

The persecution that we fled included ongoing covert entry into our home; theft and destruction of personal property; placing of chemical and biological substances in our home; and manipulation of our medical care. -- The US government refers to these activities as "quality of life disruption". The program was launched under the auspices of the FBI's "Community Policing" project. It is in fact the successor to the infamous COINTEL program of the 1960's through 1980's.

Although our case was well-documented and would have been accepted as "manifestly well founded" had it come from any other country, Canada refused to protect us. They made us "wait at the border" for two weeks before allowing us to enter the country. Canadian Immigration then confiscated our passports so that we could not continue our flight. -- I have since learned that Canada has an agreement with the US State Department by which it routinely forces persons fleeing the US to return, in direct violation of international human rights law.

Canada formally denied our claim for Refugee Status in a closed hearing in 2002, then conspired with the US government to cause the parental abduction of my child in order to prevent an appeal of that decision in open court, and to conceal the things that had been done to us. Canada is a partner with the US in "Community Policing".

When I learned of the planned abduction I returned to the United States, so that the actual abduction would have to take place on US soil and the US government could not deny its involvement.

My daughter was taken in that planned abduction in Buffalo, New York on September 30, 2002, five days after her ninth birthday. -- The New York court presented a fradulent petition to take my daughter, without notice or hearing, then "dismissed" that petition after she had been taken to another state, New Jersey. -- I have been a single parent since my daughter was an infant. I have not seen her since that time. --

There is a blackout of our case in the United States. US courts and law enforcement, including the FBI, will not investigate or intervene. Because of the political fallout, US human rights groups will not assist us.
US news media, including many of the "progressive" media, are not able and/or willing to publish information that the federal government wishes to keep hidden. -- We are one of the "invisible cases" in the US.

If you wish to help, please contact your Senator or Congressperson. Demand that the US Justice Department and the State Department allow an open hearing of the Daraja case. -- In any event, share what you have read with others. -- National Security does not require child abduction. --

J Daraja; 05 Jan 2007.

*** For a more complete account of our case and other human rights issues, go to www.FolkSense.com. Democracy requires enlightenment.