Month: September 2024

How can Bambi coldly go to sleep when it is already midnight in Beirut and it is your birthday, dearest Maya? Despite the challenging times, may you have a beautiful day. May the year ahead be filled with love, health, laughter, continuous success, prosperity, and all what you wish for. Yes, the latter and much more for you and for your adorable family. With MUCH love across the miles 💚!!

Many thanks to Dr. Joseph Facal for his thoughtful column in the Journal de Montréal (https://tinyurl.com/ycpw28hu), entitled “L’UQAM savait-elle dans quoi elle s’embarquait?“, which means “Did UQAM know what it was getting into?”

First of all, Dr. Facal is informing us about a forthcoming conference, which looks like anything but scientific. It seems to be stemming from the dangerous (and frankly stupid) marriage between ideologies like wokeism and Islamism (or political Islam).

As a reminder, wokeism is a form of modern sectarianism and Islamism is Islam’s political component. The latter refers to state authoritarianism, which pushes to impose its Islamic principles on societies. Make no mistake, Islamism is not the spiritual component of this otherwise beautiful religion (like all its sister religions). Indeed, Islamism is the ugly side if Islam. It is expanding in Québec, under the public endorsement of political parties like Québec Solidaire (QS).

Second of all, unsurprisingly, Dr. Facal is not asking the university to cancel the event, as written in his earlier column (https://shorturl.at/ScK8z). He is just attracting everyone’s attention to it.

This being said, and in the rest of this post, thanks to her loyal friend Mr. Google Translate, Bambi will leave you with Dr. Facal’s thought-provoking words:

“From September 27 to 29, UQAM will host a gathering of far-left intellectuals and activists entitled “Bandung du Nord,” in reference to the famous 1955 conference.

The event, it is emphasized, will be entirely organized by “non-white people”.

We will work towards “a political alliance between Western decolonial movements” and the fight against “the rise of supremacist nationalism and ultra-liberalism” and “imperialist domination in all its forms”.

WHO

Among the “godfathers” of the event, you will find Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, sentenced to life in prison for complicity in the assassination of American and Israeli diplomats in France, and Mumia Abu Jamal, still imprisoned for the murder of a police officer in Philadelphia.

Among the speakers, several made hateful and inflammatory remarks, such as Houria Bouteldja or Joseph Massad.

The crowdfunding campaign for this event is under the responsibility of Ms. Safa Chebbi.

On the “Indigènes de la République” website, Ms. Chebbi is proud to point out that: “The PYM [Palestinian Youth Movement] […] was the first to politicize the question of faith in the Palestinian struggle in Montreal […] .] During the demonstrations, it was the first time that we heard calls like “Allah Akbar” […] or even pauses during the marches to have a moment of prayer in the streets.”

Politicization of faith? Making Islam a political program, isn’t that the very essence of Islamism?

Chanting “Allah Akbar”? Praying in the streets?

This lady is also on the 2024-2025 board of directors of the League of Rights and Freedoms, of which we see what it has become more than 60 years after its founding and its battles of the past, notably for the right to abortion.

She is also a QS activist. On YouTube, she can be seen speaking at the nomination meeting of QS candidate in Mont-Royal–Outremont, Eve Torres, on May 26, 2018.

And who invites her on stage? Bochra Manaï.

Yes, the same Bochra Manaï, former spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, appointed by Valérie Plante to the newly created position of commissioner for the fight against racism and systemic discrimination.

The mayor had to call her to order as her pro-Palestinian bias was so crude.

After the adoption of Bill 21 on secularism, she declared that Québec had become “a reference for supremacists and extremists around the world.”

MISSION

I could go on for a long time explaining who is who in this Quebec Wokistan.

In short, I continue to think that QS has very troubled relations with Islam.

The event at UQAM has very little to do with the advancement of authentic knowledge, the fundamental mission of a university.

Finally, I fear that the administration did not do its homework before offering its premises to these people”.

With a heavy heart all day long, Bambi is going to sleep with Mr. Raymond Lévesque’s timely song on her mind. Enough of bloodshed, injuries, death, and escalation. Enough of absurd wars and unnecessary suffering. How about living for love instead of violence?

On August 25, 2024, Bambi was honoured to interview Mark D’Souza, MD, about his thought-provoking and elegantly written “Lost and Found” book, as shared further below.

In a few days, namely on the forthcoming Tuesday September 24, at 2:30 PM EDT, she will join Dr. D’Souza at a Facebook Live Event where he will be launching his book, entitled “Lost and Found: How Meaningless Living is Destroying Us and Three Keys to Fix It“.

You are all invited to join us live on Facebook if you happen to be available from 2:30 to 3:30 PM Eastern Time. This is your chance to interact with Dr. D’Souza and ask him any question, even if in French if you wish!

As a reminder, these are the words used by Bambi when she endorsed Dr. D’Souza’s inspiring book:

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“Lost and Found”: Bravo Dr. Mark D’Souza for your thought-provoking and elegantly written book, Bambi is honoured to interview you!

First, and below, Ms. Emma Graham from CNBC informs us in 0.48 minutes of the alleged financial crimes charges against Mr. Riad Salameh, former Central Bank Governor of the “Banque du Liban” for over three decades.

Second, if you wish, you can listen to “Ya Natrin“, a brief yet highly powerful piece of a famous Lebanese patriotic song from the times of civil war, which goes likes this: “Revolt for once, revolt” (title). You who were waiting, what are you waiting for? What do you expect from those who stole the sunshine and sold the wind, along with their conscience? From those who stole the country and built houses larger than its squares? You who were waiting, what are you waiting for? Revolt for once. Stand up in those squares and tell them: You have stolen, you have killed, yes you have assassinated the people, the country, and the dream…. And you turned this land into a refuge for the Pharisees (or self-righteous)”.

Third, and as a reminder, the people of Lebanon have been prevented from accessing their savings in their own bank accounts since October 17, 2019. Can you imagine the degree of their chronic stress and the impact of this financial tragedy on their daily lives for almost five years?

Of note, following the historic financial crash in the country, the population went on the streets for several months to express its anger and despair. Alarmingly, as reported in several older archived posts on this blog, there have been many heartbreaking cases of suicide whereas a few depositors resorted to force to demand their own money.

Last but not least, today more than ever, one may wonder whether the Lebanese depositors will ever hold their own funds in their hands or is their money lost forever? Regardless, what is next following this significant legal step involving Mr. Salameh? Will names of other individuals, perhaps among his colleagues or maybe former and current politicians, be revealed during the investigation?

Most importantly, is this truly the beginning of the end of impunity, at least for financial if not political crimes, in the charming yet systemically corrupt Land of the Cedars? If so, this would offer a MUCH needed ray of hope for a re-invented Lebanon of tomorrow where its people will finally be dignified and treated with respect, civility, and fairness.

Many thanks, Mr. Mike Massy, for your beautiful song, which was Bambi’s morning treat.

The lyrics are in Lebanese-Arabic (except for the French words “Ne me quitte pas“, which mean “Please don’t leave“). For your convenience, an English translation (https://shorturl.at/FWl8) follows the YouTube video.

Enjoy everyone!

“Please don’t go away

Stay one more night

Maybe we’ll find the solution

When the night falls

Let’s forget everyone

And stay a little bit late

Until time’s bored

Until the heart misses

Until the mind goes crazy

Until Love humiliates

I won’t let you go

I won’t let you go

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

We must choose

The sun is rising

Time flew us by

And we didn’t understand what happened

Thought come by

Songs and Poems

And News arrive

From Behind the seas

Two small breezes

The fire is reignited

The tress are on fire

The sky and the rivers

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

I know you’ll go away

Run before daylight

Time is reduced

And the weather changed

And the ones before you got away

Maybe if you stay

We will find a solution

And tell everyone

That you’re not going away

But I won’t let

You if you’re leaving

I won’t let you go

I won’t let you go

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

It’s time for the decision

If you are confused after you, we will return to the day

Like little boys, we play in the yards

We run distances and get ahead of the days

And the Day won’t end

And We’ll fake dreams

And believe illusions

Like movies

Fire won’t go down

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Come before you leave

I know your love is lesser

I know your body got bored

Maybe we could stay

Planting Roses

And everybody envying us

And everyone will know

That there are two who found a solution

Tell me that I’m the solution

And I’m not boring

Pick me some flowers

One more time then leave

Please don’t leave

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away

Ne me quitte pas

Don’t go away“.

She does not know about you, but Bambi is sick and tired of both secular and religious ideologies (e.g., woke and Islamism). So imagine when the latter collide in Canada and in the world.

She is fed up of the identity-politics of the Middle East that Ottawa insists on bringing into Québec (https://shorturl.at/nK9Po). Indeed, why is Ms. Amira Elghawaby now recommending hiring more Muslim, Palestinian or Arab Professors in Québec’s CEGEPs and universities? If competent candidates who happen to be Muslim,Palestinian, or Arab of origins get a teaching position based on merit, welcome to them and… “mabrouk” [Congrats] even. Otherwise, no sorry. In other terms, they must compete with the rest of their fellow candidates of all other ethnolinguistic background, including the silent majority of French-Canadians (or Québécois).

Because she values the quality of the education she received in Québec, Bambi joins her voice to Québec Minister of Higher Education, Ms. Pascale Déry, who asks for Ms. Elghawaby to resign. Even more so, she joins her voice to Mr. Yves-François Blanchet, Leader of the Bloc Québécois demanding the abolishing of Ms. Elghawaby’s position, which is supposedly to fight Islamophobia.

There is a difference between fighting Islamophobia and destroying the merit-based system of hiring in Québec or Canada. PLEASE stop using the Arab, Muslim, or Palestinian characteristics to justify your ideologies or elite positions, and to interfere with Québec’s (or other provinces’) education system.

For God/G-D/Allah’s sake, Bambi begs you not to turn Canada into Lebanon. The latter has been destroyed in the past, and is struggling to keep existing, because of identity politics. Indeed, it is both unwise and dangerous to keep dividing us. When it is not by colour skin, it is by gender. When it is not by gender, it is by vaccine status. If it is not by all the latter, it is by religion.

As a proud Canadian, with Québec in her heart, Bambi migrated from Lebanon in 1990 to move away from religion-based (or other tribal-based) identity politics. She does not want it to follow her to Canada now in 2024!

Founded in 1875, the “Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth” OR “Saint-Joseph University of Beirut” (USJ) “counts 13 Faculties (religious sciences, medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, nursing sciences, engineering, law and political sciences, economics, business administration and management, humanities, sciences, educational sciences, and languages), 18 Schools operating under USJ Faculties”. USJ has campuses in Beirut as well as in three Lebanese regions. It also manages a university hospital centre in Beirut, namely the “Hôtel-Dieu de France“. Of note, in 2019, USJ received the “unconditional accreditation by European educational accreditation institute ACQUIN” (https://shorturl.at/M6zMw).

As reported today in L’Orient Le Jour (https://shorturl.at/D6gIn) and the Ivory Coast media (https://shorturl.at/3ge9Y) , “Saint-Joseph University Ivory Coast” is now launched in Abidjan. Bambi is pleased to learn that Psychology is one of the first programs, which are being offered to students in the 2024-2025 academic year. The other existing programs are Business Administration, Marketing and Advertisement, and Computer Science.

Mabrouk to USJ for expanding in the African continent and all the best to its first students!

She does not know about you, but Bambi’s day has been long and rewarding at many levels. However, it was also a day where she thought a lot about her late mom. At one point, she even felt a strangely strong urge to call her. Maybe she missed her so much that, for a few seconds, her brain forgot that there are no phones in heaven.

It is with the above thought in her mind that she checked her emails upon returning home tonight. To her surprise, along with her delight and honour, there was a personal email from Ms. Leila Milki in her Inbox sharing her new release. Yes, imagine, an email from this highly talented American artist of Lebanese heritage to whom Bambi dedicated several posts shared below. Wow!

For those of you who do not know her, Ms. Milki’s YouTube channel describes her as follows: “Leila Milki is a neoclassical-pop singer, songwriter, and pianist based in LA. She draws from her multicultural Lebanese-American roots to honor the nuanced beauty we find in the spaces between. Her Arabic/English fusions have earned her placements on Disney Jr, the FIFA World Cup, The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and Arab America’s “30 under 30″ awards…while her calming collection of solo-piano improvisations has garnered over 12 million streams and counting”.

To come back to Ms. Milki’s new release, it is dedicated to those we lost and how they remain with us “through our dreams and beyond“. For Bambi, this song feels like a spiritual gift that came to her unexpectedly on this day of both personal and collective remembrance. In turn, she offers this musical gift to her dad et al. as well as to the families of the victims of September 11, 2001. She also offers this soothing song to you, dear readers, to honour your own late loved ones. If she may, she will also dedicate it to the world’s innocent people who are trapped in the middle of armed conflicts or wars.

To conclude this post, Bambi thanks Ms. Milki for her inspiring talent and humanity, in addition to her thoughtfulness for Atlantic Canadian wild life :). She urges her to keep writing lyrics, composing music, and singing. Her angelic voice is much needed to make our world a more beautiful and peaceful place!

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Ms. Leila Milki does “not want to fall in love, just fall asleep”

“The World Can be Ours”: Bravo Ms. Leila Milki for recording Arabic vocals for this World Cup track!

Isn’t Los Angeles-based Leila Milki full of talent? With her angelic voice, she sings for a heartbreak and for Christmas in three languages!

Ms. Leila Milki sings Acapella “Helwa Ya Baladi” of Dalida!

Meet Ms. Leila Milki, an award-winning Lebanese-American artist: She plays the piano, the guitar, and sings in several languages!