According to Naharnet (November 11, 2019), the FedSLEB statement goes as follows:
“Last
week, the banking sector witnessed unstable situation that led to unacceptable
working conditions. Colleagues were subjected to insults and even assaults by
depositors, whom we fully understand their concerns. In addition, chaos in a
number of bank branches led to a state of confusion, anxiety and fear among colleagues
who continued to carry out their professional duties despite these stressful
conditions psychologically and even physically.
The
Federation received many requests from colleagues demanding its intervention to
carry out its duties to defend the safety of bankers.
The
Federation announces a general strike and calls on colleagues to stop work from
Tuesday morning on November 12, 2019 until calm returns to the general
conditions needed by the banking sector to resume normal business”.
Thanks to the World Lebanese Cultural Union-Toronto Chapter, Torontonians of Lebanese origins walked today under the rain to support the Lebanese population rising up against a corrupt political system.
Below are some pictures taken from the public Facebook of the association:
Bambi will translate from
French to English as follows:
“They are in
their early twenties, studying political science, engineering or physiology,
and have been living in Montreal for three or four years.
However, in
recent weeks, Albert Mouawad, Hala Zeidan and Joe Abu Malhab have their hearts
and their heads turned to their homeland: Lebanon.
A country that, they hope, is freeing itself from its denominational straightjackets.
As the world celebrates the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the three Montrealers are rolling their sleeves to destroy the walls that have divided the Lebanese for three decades. These are not physical walls made of concrete or brick, but well-established barriers in the political system inherited from the civil war that tore Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. Well established, too, in the minds.
“When the Berlin Wall was shot down, it was the symbol of the union between the two Germanies. We, our generation, are tired of the walls and problems of the previous generation, the one that made the civil war in Lebanon and divided us, “said Albert Mouawad.
These young adults are also tired of a corrupt political caste that siphon Lebanon’s resources without worrying about driving the country out of business.
Ivory tower
We met these three students yesterday in a café in Old Montreal, along with Lamia Charlebois, a public relations consultant, and Aref Salem, councilor in Saint-Laurent, two Lebanese living in Quebec for decades. These three students are part of a nucleus of young Libano-Quebecers who, from a distance, try to lend a helping hand to the revolt of their compatriots.
By demonstrating, of course, but also by spreading information on the protest movement that has shaken Lebanon since October 17th.
The tax increase on the WhatsApp application decreed that day was only the last straw that has spilled over the anger of the Lebanese, they say. A symbolically heavy drop of water: telephone calls cost a fortune in Lebanon. WhatsApp is the only way to escape these fees. By raising this tariff, while the Lebanese are pulling their hair to be able pay the bills for the deficient infrastructure, the leaders showed how isolated they were in their ivory tower. How much they were cut off from people’s daily concerns.
And when all three students talk about their leaders, they have in mind all the political parties, which they also consider inadequate and corrupt.
Sharing the cake
“In appearance, political parties hate each other, but they get along well to share the cake,” denounces Hala Zeidan.
It should be noted that since the end of the civil war, Lebanese democracy has been following the lines of religious divides with ministerial seats and portfolios granted to each of the major denominations – Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims – who have been torn apart for 15 years. years.
As a result, there is no real political opposition in Lebanon, no counter-powers either, deplored Joe Abu Malhab.
Hala is a Shiite Muslim, Joe and Albert are Maronite Christians, but all three want to liberate their country from the straitjacket of religious cleavages.
“I have long believed that since I am Maronite, I could only vote for a Christian party, but why could I not vote for a Muslim?”, said Joe Abu Malhab.
Furthermore, he lamented that the political parties competing for Christian voters “all come from the civil war”.
All Lebanese political parties have “blood on their hands,” said Hala Zeidan and Albert Mouawad. “We have to take the denominational system out of people’s heads,” he pleaded. Before adding that those who now lead Lebanon “are the icons of civil war, or their sons, or their sons-in-law”.
“Political parties all have blood on their hands; I do not want any parties associated with the war, these parties do not represent me, “adds Hala Zeidan.
The specter of civil war still hangs over Lebanon, but the youngest, those born many years after the end of the civil conflict, escape fear.
“Politicians always remind us of the war to threaten us, but we have not known that time and, for the first time, the Lebanese are united, they are not afraid”.
And now what?
It took just 13 days of protests to force the country’s prime minister, Saad Hariri, to leave his post on October 30. This is just the beginning, say the protesters, who want the departure of all their political system.
But where to go from there? Is there not a danger of skidding out of control? Is this popular revolt movement without a leader at risk of being diverted from its momentum?
“What the people want is very clear,” says Albert Mouawad before listing the major demands of the protesters. The resignation of the entire government, the appointment of a government of experts, the adoption of a new electoral law that sets aside the confessional lines, new elections.
There are three walls to cut down, says Lamia Charlebois: the wall of confessions, the wall of political parties, and the wall of corruption.
Faced with this triple challenge, Lebanese students are not completely protected from their own fears. For instance, they are a bit afraid of the weapons of Hezbollah, the party and armed Shiite movement that militarily controls part of Lebanon.
However, first and foremost, they are filled with optimism. They also feel that the wind of history is blowing on their side. Furthermore, they feel that the walls that have marked all their life could disappear soon”.
Lebanon’s revolt is as “green” as it can get in the circumstances
Above is a documentary by AFP 24 on Beirut protestors’ environmental concerns.
Bambi thinks that Ms. Elizabeth May and our local MLA Megan Mitton would be proud of them.
Sadly, things are getting tougher and tougher on the population. Banks are restricting daily withdrawal of funds. Hospitals are threatening to refuse patients on Friday over a dollar shortage impeding medical imports.
An estimated number of 600 students walked out of the high school of Bambi’s niece in Beirut. Add to this number (from just one high school) all the other students from across the country, yesterday and again today.
Indeed, according to Naharnet Newsdesk (3 hours ago): “Waving Lebanese flags, students and high school pupils massed in front of the education ministry in Beirut to voice their grievances against a political class seen as corrupt and incompetent.
“I challenge any politician or official to send their children to state schools,” one pupil told a local television channel”.
“The economy is in trouble, there is no work, how will we survive in the future?.”
End of the quote from Naharnet.
Let’s also add to the student numbers above, all the continuous daily demonstrations over three weeks now, including a massive women-led protest in Beirut yesterday night, candles in their hands (see the video below, AFP news).
Let’s also not forget the 1-2 (maybe more now?) millions of people who have walked (and re-waked!)/danced (and re-danced) on the streets, since Day 1 of this revolution.
Some blocked roads. Some slept on streets to block them. Some used plants and flowers to block them :). Yet others got more upset and burned tires, especially at the beginning of the uprising.
In addition to all this, there is of course the support from the Lebanese diaspora in their adoptive countries, across the world.
The other day, The Moncton Lebanese Association showed its support (in addition to all the supportive walks in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, etc.).
This coming Saturday, Toronto will walk in solidarity with the Lebanese people who are rising up against corruption. A big thanks to the “World Lebanese Cultural Union- Toronto Chapter“. Peacefully. United under the Lebanese and Canadian flags only.
To come back to Beirut, “is there anything more peaceful and hopeful than a burning candle”, as one protester said in the video below (sub-titled in French)?
So why are the Lebanese political leaders not listening to the population’s demands and aspirations? Why are they so disconnected from their people to that ridiculous extent?
Yesterday night, protesters sat in circles on the streets with candles. Some chanted “revolution”, some prayed for Lebanon. All sang the Lebanese anthem (with its new feminist version— men AND women all for you Lebanon!).
The people of Lebanon simply want a shift in governance: From corruption to accountability, from the “logic” of endless regional conflicts to a mindset of a real rule of law.
No one wants wars or fights. People want both economy and peace, which usually go hand in hand.
Ironically today, both peace and the economy are in danger of collapsing whilst having a historic chance of a “real” change, thanks to the inspiring winds of hope from Lebanon’s uprising against corruption.
To echo words from France 24 (earlier post/video), this is “a moment of truth” for all, including the most powerful of the Lebanese political elite (Bambi did not name them but France 24 did, yes it is the Hezbollah).
Best wishes to Lebanon and… Happy Birthday to Bambi’s mom today (Bambi loves her so much :))!
According to Lebanese students, Lebanon’s “sectarian system has entrenched the country”.
Today, students from across the country walked out of their schools and campuses for sit-ins and marches denouncing corruption.
Journalists as well. A couple even resigned from their positions.
There was also a massive women-led demonstration in Beirut, in addition to sit-ins in front of governmental institutions and the two largest cell phone companies.
It seems that lawyers also demonstrated today asking for a fully independent judicial system.
For those who remember Lebanon’s recent history (i.e., 14-15 years ago), they may be interested, or perhaps also moved like Bambi, to read about her professional journey from New York to Lebanon when the “United Nations set up an investigation into terrorist attacks that killed the country’s Prime Minister and other democratic leaders including the editor of this newspaper”.
Born in 1961, he is a Canadian politician, academic,
and journalist in the province of Québec. Specifically, he was a Parti Québécois
member of the National Assembly of Québec from 1994 to 2003 and a cabinet
minister in the governments of Bouchard and Laundry.
He is fluent in Spanish, French, and English. He is an
academic trained in political science (B.A., M.A.) and sociology (PhD).
Bambi enjoys reading his articles in the Journal de Montréal.
Disclaimer: Bambi is a proud Canadian. Younger, she
has walked in Montreal for the Canadian unity during the second referendum. And
yet, she is posting this.
Things have degenerated to a great extent in our
beloved Canada (and in our unprofessionally non-critical media) to the point of
making Bambi almost a voter for the Bloc Québécois, had she been a citizen of
Québec (but she is not).
Can you see the irony of all this?
Québec has the courage to be what it is. Québec is one of the most progressive places in the world (in Canada for sure, especially nowadays). Québec is welcoming. Québec is loving. Québecers are the most open-minded and generous people Bambi has ever met, although they are a minority themselves.
At least, they know how to protect their language,
their values, their collectivity (yes nationalism and nationalism is healthy)
whilst being open to the rest of the continent/world.
Why can’t the Canadian media understand that Québecers
have a different culture? Their conceptualization of secularism is different,
not better and not worse. Just different. Plus, it came after 10 years of a public
debate. Bravo to Québec for knowing how to discuss society’s important topics (i.e.,
reasonable accommodations).
Although in the spirit of other countries, namely in
Europe (Switzerland, France, etc.), Québec Bill 21 is moderate, pragmatic, and
as fair as it can be. It would have been of course, better, not to have to
resort to such a bill but this is the reality.
Same for Bill 101 (protecting the French language). It
was needed, even we can criticize its apparently unfair consequences on a few that
do not speak the majority’s language. Québec remains an example to the world, including
Lebanon, on how to protect its beautiful Francophone language/culture.
Anyhow, here is Facal’s article published in the
Journal de Montréal (in French):
Until the
federal election on October 21, the elites of English Canada were careful when
they tackled Québec secularism.
We did not
want to blow on the embers of our nationalism.
The
resurrection of the Bloc removed all restraint.
History
We read the English
Canadian media and we want to throw up: Québec is portrayed as a bunch of
racists who disregard the rights of minorities, especially these “pooorrr”
veiled Muslim women.
Bill 21, to
which one says what it does not say, is only the most recent excuse to reactivate
a collective process, which has been going on for two centuries.
The truth is
that we have no lessons to learn from English Canada.
The settlers from France had, with Indigenous people, relations infinitely less violent than those of the British or the Americans.
In 1807, the voters of Trois-Rivières were the first in the entire British Empire to elect a Jewish MP, Ezekiel Hart, when McGill University was forbidden to Jews.
In the 1838 Declaration of Independence, the patriots proclaimed the equal rights of Indigenous and non-native folks, a pioneering idea for the time.
When my family and I immigrated to Sherbrooke in 1970 from our native Uruguay, we were greeted with fraternity.
We knew how to distinguish incomprehension from racism.
On November 15, 1976, the voters of Papineau elected, under the banner of the PQ, Jean Alfred, of Haitian origin.
Then the Québecers opened their arms to Vietnamese people fleeing in makeshift boats, to Lebanese people chased out by the civil war (P.S from Bambi: She can only agree and will endlessly remain grateful!), as they had once welcomed waves of Italians, Greeks and Portuguese.
When Latin America experienced its wave of dictatorships and civil wars, we welcomed Chileans, Argentineans, Salvadorans, and so on.
In 1980 and 1995, when the sovereignists came up against the massive, monolithic rejection of their project in communities of recent immigration, they swallowed their pill without violence or a spirit of revenge (P.S: Again, Bambi can only agree and admires both civility and democracy, despite her capacity to understand those disappointed).
When fake refugees used Roxham Road to enter our home illegally, no one proposed building a wall or using violence.
Anger
On the contrary, this Canada that has been moralizing us for over two centuries is the same country of the reserves and of residential schools.
It is the internment of Italo-Canadians and Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War.
It is the one in which all the provinces except Québec, all, adopted Bills banning teaching French between 1870 and 1912.
Today, Canada does not care about the assimilation of francophones outside of Québec.
It is Canada that applauded sending of the army to Québec in 1970, the arbitrary imprisonment of innocents, the unilateral imposition of a constitution, and referendum cheating in 1995.
And these people allow themselves to insult us?
Unfortunately, the ability of some Québecers to accept everything is infinite. When two colonized people meet, they speak well of their master.
