First, who is Mr. Alghabra, our Federal Minister of Transportation, who seems to enjoy “Québec bashing” like his boss and like many of the journalists from the rest of Canada:
https://pm.gc.ca/en/cabinet/honourable-omar-alghabra
Bambi has a post on him, see further below. In that post, Bambi found an old Arabic news article in which he used the following words during an interview:
“Unfortunately, the Islamic majority remained silent during the debate about this bill [on the implementation of Sharia law], leaving the room wide open for the minority opposing it, which was more vocal, and thus managed to make this bill fail. This was not meant to be against Muslims, but it is us who were divided and did not how to speak in one voice“.
Bill 21 is precisely about Québec state’s secularism.
Although Mr. Alghabra seems competent and likeable, how can we trust his judgement about Bill 21 when he has expressed support for Islamism (political Islam) in Ontario in the past?
As you can hear toward the end of this interview (i.e. 6:28 minute into it) or read in the title of the CBC article, Mr. Alghabra called Québec’s Bill 21 “state-sanctioned discrimination”. Does this Minister realize the impact of his serious words?
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1906706499508
Why is he shamelessly interfering in Québec’s politics, like our PM and like many of our Canadian columnists?
Enough is enough. It is time to learn to respect Québec now!
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I just listened to the podcast interview conducted by Dr Jordan Peterson…
Sad times…yes
Evil times …definitely
Ideology that becomes zealotry….nothing new
These times are the 1930s after Hitler was appointed…not elected
Oh and yes Hitler was a socialist also….not a right wing dictator…
Mussolini…devout Marxist…
Stalin…murderous socialist tyrant…
It all starts with small pushes….nudges…
Inevitability of gradualness…
Then comes the State of Emergency…
The virus…
Every pent up fury unleashed…all the hatred and resentment floods over the population through fear…directed at an espoused enemy of the people…
Welcome to Nazi Germany of the 1930s
The farm lifestyle will do her some good and be a change of pace for Bambi but she will never be the same after returning to her teaching position, especially when crying out ”Revenons à nos moutons!” before an unruly classroom.
:). Bambi is eager to read her gift “Animal Farm”. Thank you for your kindness and generosity, Fred!
My pleasure. It will more surreal for you now. 🙂 I think my message above this one went in the wrong place. It was supposed to go after Bambi says:
June 18, 2021 at 6:33 PM
Hilarious :). Bambi is laughing now!
🙂 to your comment and Bambi thanks you for being accurate/specific!
It’s because Mr. Omar Alghabra is correct. He should know because he was personally attacked for his heritage by Quebec politicians.
English: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/01/18/bloc-qubcois-attack-on-omar-alghabra-need-to-be-called-out-for-what-it-is-racism.html
French: https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/593364/politique-federale-le-bloc-somme-de-s-excuser-pour-ses-allegations-au-sujet-du-ministre-alghabra
Bambi does not agree with you, Fred, but she will post your comment. The whole point of this post is that Mr. Blanchet raised a question about the choice of appointment of Mr. Algahbra because of his (former) support of the Sharia Law, that is of Islamism as a political/legal system. Never ever did he attack his cultural heritage (Syrian or Saudi or Arab). Bambi was able to find the evidence (in Arabic) showing Mr. Blanchet’s point. The latter talked about this issue in the most respectable terms possible (you do understand French and you can double-check). The sad reality of most of our mainstream media is that truth or reality does not matter anymore, not within the text of articles and surely not in the titles. Bambi is convinced that Mr. Alghabra is competent as our Minister of Transportation and is likeable, even if she denounces his interference with Québec and the choice of his words about Bill 21. If a high profile Minister is saying so, what would the media and the rest of the population would be saying? Mind you, the media are free not to like this bill, but at least it is their duty to describe it, as it is, and not making sound more horrible than what it is.
Thank you Bambi. My concern is about the regular practice of Arab-bashing as carried out mirthfully by Quebec separatists. It is consistent with every other racist attack by separatists on other groups these past 50-60 years. Here is an article in English that clarifies Alghabra’s position over the Bloc’s racist attack on him:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/omar-alghabra-bloc-quebecois-accusations-1.5872482
While Omar Alghabra is the first Syrian-Canadian to be appointed to the federal cabinet, he is not the first Arab cabinet minister in Canada to be attacked for his connections to Arab culture or values by Quebec separatists. A few years ago, then Quebec Premier Couillard was attacked by the Parti Quebecois who insinuated Couillard was a Saudi operative in Quebec government. Indeed, I read French daily and here are the absurd accusations in an article from La Presse : https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-quebecoise/201501/22/01-4837472-couillard-tres-impregne-des-valeurs-saoudiennes-selon-bedard.php
Couillard isn’t even an Arab and he was attacked just for living and working in Saudi Arabia as a professional physician, an M.D. That racist attack occurred fully six years before Alghabra’s appointment to the federal cabinet. Be it in Ottawa, Quebec City or elsewhere, Quebec separatists will attack and alienate anybody who is not like them.
The secularism you speak of is a misnomer as issues of identity and Catholicism in French Canada are poorly discussed in society; there is much confusion over terms like atheist, secular, ecumenical. There was no burning debate in society over secularism (not to be confused with religious accommodations) and the resulting law was copied from France in any case to mimic their contempt of Arabs. Bill 21 is not about secularism; it is about alienating and expelling anyone from Quebec who is not French Catholic. Anybody in Canada can comment on this from any province because we have free speech, as you are doing and enjoying from New Brunswick.
For background on the contempt of French people for Arabs, I became educated by watching movie from 1966. Here is the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd5Pz8KJeU4
Bambi thanks you Fred for caring for Arabs and Arab-Canadians. Thoughtful of you! However, she cannot help not to smile to the term “Arab-bashing” (we are more used to Québec bashing in Canada :)). Seriously now, it is unfair to the Bloc Québécois (BQ) to accuse it of Arab-bashing; Bambi does not agree.
Again, all what they did was point to the past link of Mr. Alghabra with Islamism as a movement (as explained earlier). Never ever did Mr. Blanchet’s BQ resort to a “racist attack”. Sadly, the CBC article you referenced mixes two different stories together. What the BQ said is legitimate and could be fact-checked (and denied or acknowledged by Mr. Alghabra). There is absolutely nothing wrong in being an Islamist and surely not a former one. Pandering to Islamists, in the mere hope of gaining votes, is a different story (Bambi is talking about political parties, not individuals here).
Bambi will repeat herself: Bravo to Mr. Alghabra for his achievements. A highly educated man who works hard and who is likeable (Bambi likes him even if she strongly disagrees with his comment about Bill 21/interference with Québec affairs).
Now, concerning Mr. Couillard (former Québec Prime Minister), it is a bit funny that you are calling the political attack against him a “racist” event as well (due to the link to Saudi Arabia) :). It is surely a deplorable political point (a cheap shot). Mr. Couillard did not deserve that mean comment by a colleague from the Parti Québécois (not the BQ, mind you). This being said, one must keep in mind the point underlying this comment. In which context was is said? And why? It is surely not to be racist against another fellow Québecker, even if it was clumsy and even close to slander. Bambi reads between the lines that it was to raise a point related to secularism and to push to defend Mr. Raif Badawi still in jail in Saudi Arabia whilst his children are growing up without him in Sherbrooke, Québec.
This being said, Bambi totally disagrees with you that issues related to secularism are poorly discussed in society. Perhaps in the rest of Canada where political correctness prevents open debates and less so in Québec with its 10-year-public debate on reasonable accommodations.
With all due respect, you are wrong in saying that Bill 21 was copied from France (“to mimick their contempt of Arabs”). France’s secularism is much older than recent immigration. Freedom of religion is protected in France, although this country does not keep public records (or official statistics) of religious preferences of its citizens. They are simply not interested in this, being secular. Québec Bill 21 is milder than France’s secular laws. Now, Québec still has its own contradictions like having this law apply in its public schools whilst it funds (to a great extent) private religious schools. This seems odd to Bambi.
However, to say that Bill 21 is meant to alienate and expel from Québec anyone who is not French Catholic is ridiculous. Perhaps you are reading or listening to too much of CBC, Fred. Could it be :)?
To conclude, of course, anyone can comment in Canada because of free expression (or what is left of it…). However, it would be informative for people to educate themselves about Bill 21 directly at the source (http://m.assnat.qc.ca/en/travaux-parlementaires/projets-loi/projet-loi-21-42-1.html) or if they wish, they can read earlier posts by Bambi on the topic :). Reading primary sources of information will help people in building an informed opinion. Sadly, much of what Bambi reads is shockingly misleading. For instance, the most recent reading Bambi did was a recent article in the CTV news: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/second-class-citizenship-advocates-renew-calls-for-federal-review-of-quebec-s-bill-21-in-wake-of-london-ont-attack-1.5470859 .
To conclude, Bambi does not understand why you are bringing up an ad of a movie about France and the battle of Alger whilst talking about Québec’s Bill 21. Where is the link, Fred? Bambi does not understand.
This being said, merci/thank you for taking the time to reply to Bambi… In case you are wondering if she is being paid by the Government of Québec to defend this province, well no :). She just happens to love Québec and justice!
Bambi said ”In case you are wondering if she is being paid by the Government of Québec to defend this province…”
I was beginning to wonder and did LOL at this line. Bambi is a dutiful deer and does have the party line memorized and is able to make many subtle distinctions drawn finer than even a wafer-thin mint to justify a francophone perspective. I guess that’s what Woke children call ‘bias’. 🙂
Re-watched ”The Battle of Algiers” today, the first hour of it anyway and might finish it tomorrow. You truly don’t see the link between French imperialism and its victims in one country versus French imperialism and its victims in any other country? Do you recognize Canada is the result of French colonialism?
Too funny your comment above about Bambi, etc. :).
Good for you for watching the movie (and almost done).
Canada was the result of BOTH British and French colonialism… and French-Canadians were also at the receiving end of British colonialism, one must not forget.
Thanks for funny reply. 🙂
I hereby appoint Bambi the Deer as Quebec Ambassador and Chief Propagandist to Orwell’s Animal Farm. As a deer, Bambi will be well received by the other animals in a ceremony tomorrow where she will get to present her credentials and be shown the layout of Animal Farm including the best spots to find easily digestible shoots, young leaves, fresh grasses, soft twigs, fruit, fungi, lichens and for dessert, a salt lick. ?
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I agree with Bambi-the-Modernist’s comments in previous post, but every time I speak to French-Canadians about it, they are quick to point out they were here *first*.
Hilarious :). Bambi is laughing now!