Month: September 2025

Following Algeria’s old ban, now it is Turkey that is cancelling Mr. Enrico Macias’ concert (https://tinyurl.com/pzpf2r27; https://tinyurl.com/5rdcvpm). This country is claiming that it is to prevent anti-Israel’s demonstrations near his concert. In reality, it could be because he denounced the Hamas’ attacks for having triggered the last cruel Israel-Hamas war. Or was it also because of Israel’s recent public recognition of the Armenian Genocide?

Of note, Mr. Macias has always sang for universal topics like love, friendship, joy, beautiful cities like Beirut, and most significantly for peace. Whether he personally likes Israel or not is irrelevant here. What is more important is his music, which moves the hearts of his numerous fans in Istanbul, in the Middle East, in France, and around the entire world.

It is Mr. Macias’ right to be Arab, Jewish, and Zionist all at once. Why does Turkey seem to be using him to punish its neighbour? Instead of scapegoating him, Mr. Enrico Macias should be honoured worldwide for his incredible legacy to both the world of music and to Goodness in our deeply troubled world. As his beautiful song goes, children from all countries deserve peace, love, and music. All countries include Israel as well as Palestine, along with all nations.

“Chorus:
Children from all countries
Hold out your bruised hands
Sow love
And then give life
Children from all countries
And of all colours
You have in your hearts
Our happiness
It’s in your hands that tomorrow our earth
Is going to be entrusted to go out from the night
And our hope to see the light again
Is in your eyes which awaken to life
Dry your tears, throw out your guns
Make of this world a paradise
Chorus
You have to think of our fathers’ past
And of promises which they never have kept
The truth is to love without any borders
And give every day a bit more
For wisdom and wealth
Have just one address: paradise
Chorus
And on the day when love on the Earth
Becomes king, you can rest
When our prayers are covered in joy
You can have your eternity
And every laughs of your kingdom
Will make a paradise
Chorus”.

Bambi stands in solidarity with Mr. Evan Solomon and with B’nai Brith Canada, which “condemns vandalism targeting Jewish MP’s office” (https://tinyurl.com/5n7szrhr). Enough criminal offence in Canada. Enough intimidation. Enough violence.

As reported in the Journal de Québec (https://tinyurl.com/rtwb26bj), Québec seems to be getting ready to table a bill banning public prayers. Indeed, in a recent statement, Mr. Legault expressed the following thoughts: “The increase in street prayers is a serious and sensitive issue in Québec. Last December, our government expressed its unease with this increasingly prevalent phenomenon, especially in Montreal… This fall, we will therefore introduce a bill to strengthen secularism in Québec, notably by banning street prayers” (https://tinyurl.com/rtwb26bj). Will this forthcoming bill resemble what France resorted to in 2011, Bambi wonders (https://shorturl.at/Mg7G8)?

Instead of a potentially controversial new bill, why doesn’t the Government of Québec ban blocking streets, or public intimidation, whether done while praying, dancing/singing, or even silently? Without being a legal expert of Québec civil code, municipal by-laws, and/or federal criminal law, regardless of the protection of freedom of assembly or right to pray, there must be an existing legal framework to work with. Why isn’t being used now in Montreal to prevent some citizens from physically blocking streets, sidewalks, or disrupting traffic. Why isn’t this legal framework enough?

This being said, of course observant people, including Islamists—yes the latter as well, not just Muslims, or other types of believers—are theoretically free to pray anytime or anywhere they wish to. However, why don’t they choose to pray in places of worship, in private homes, or in their hearts?

In other terms, why should a deeply private act of connection with one’s God be exposed to, and even imposed on, the entire world? Despite any passionate drive to pray, whether truly spontaneous or pre-planned, like in a political demonstration, one must not be too self-centred to the extent of disturbing other fellow citizens with one’s own religious behaviour.