Author: Bambi

When Bambi migrated to Canada in 1990, she was disappointed by only three Canadian realities (and winter is still not among them :)):

1. She naively thought that, in Canada (“sold” abroad as a bilingual country), each citizen speaks both English and French. Not the case. Not realistic also.
2. She had trouble imagining a world (OK precisely its washrooms 🙂 without a “bidet” (see picture). There is even a funny French song for the bidet, shown below.
3. Well, although Montreal is an island, the Saint Lawrence river water around it was not salty obviously. Bambi loves salty waters, like the Mediterranean sea of her childhood or the Atlantic Ocean of her current times.

OK, seriously now, this post is specifically about the first point.

It is one thing to be unilingual (French is harder to learn when we are an anglophone than vice versa). It is a totally different matter to having a disrespectful attitude toward the language of French-speaking people (or with speakers of English or any other language, of course).

Bearing the above in mind, what happened in Montreal recently was an expression of an arrogant attitude, which is surprising when it comes from a clever businessman, leading one of the largest companies of our country, namely Air Canada. At least this man (ironically with a French name, Rousseau) apologized. After the insult, he is now telling us that he will work on learning French. Mind you, this is what our Governor General also told us (by the way, did she find the time to start her courses :)?). At least in her case, she showed more respect than this businessman (https://www.qub.ca/article/le-bureau-du-pm-a-aussi-averti-air-canada-1060030199). Thanks to her. At least, in his case, he expressed his regrets and this wise move must be saluted, even if it does not erase what he said the day before (and how he said it) and no need to go into the details of the wording. It is a question of attitude, not of specific words or lack of them. The main point is that he refused to give a bilingual talk to the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain, although requested by the province’s Commissioner of Official Languages, the office of the Prime Minister François Legault, and the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, new federal Minister of Official Languages (thanks to her!).

Sadly, Mr. Rousseau’s actions speak volumes about some of the widespread attitudes of many across our country. Indeed, the only socially acceptable discriminatory attitude seems to be toward Québeckers. If you do not believe Bambi, do a quick tour of the mainstream English media or just think of the moderator’s horrible and misleading question to Mr. Blanchet in the English federal debate. Ironically, her question was stating how Bill 96 on the French language is racist and discriminatory. One must keep in mind that although Air Canada is a private company, federal laws of bilingualism apply to it. Why can’t its CEO have a minimum of respect for the beautiful language of Molière, especially after 14 years in Montreal?

Luckily, there are defendants of French in Québec who are immigrants or children of immigrants and who chose Québec, precisely because of its language (just like Bambi’s family). They worked hard to learn or master its language and they respect it. Bravo to Mr. Antoine Robitaille who highlighted the Québec politicians, Ms. Ruba Ghazal and Ms. Marwah Rizky, fo their responses to this story (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/11/06/inspirantes-ruba-ghazal-et-marwah-rizqy). It is moving to hear their family stories (their parents took the time to work hard to learn French, including one mother with a disabled child). Mr. Robitaille is right: They are living proof of the success of immigration into a nation that still respect itself, that is its language and values (how refreshing nowadays!).

To conclude this post devoted to the French language, why can’t we be respectful for all the minorities equally? Why should we always seem to have double standards in life? Luckily, for those of us who are not talented in learning languages, we do not have to speak the same language to show the universal attitude of respect. The latter does not need much time and energy to be learned like French. It is widely available for free to those who chose to have the agency to resort to it. By apologizing, Mr. Rousseau showed us that he can be much talented in learning the respect of Québec (and by extension Francophones and Francophiles across Canada and even the world). There is hope in life and, because of that, he deserves the beautiful song below about the French language, as a gift from Bambi… of course in the language of Voltaire and Molière.

CTV News just informed us that “Feds expected to announce plans to raise, re-lower flags for Remembrance Day” (https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/feds-expected-to-announce-plans-to-raise-re-lower-flags-for-remembrance-day-1.5652596).

If this is not a joke, what is it then?

Since when the love of a flag is not for all?

Since when grief is not a heart journey before anything else in life?

So why are they so disrespectful to our flag… and thus to all of us?

Why are our politicians politicizing our flag, like that, and insulting our/their country?

They tell us it is to please Indigenous leaders. So, if that is truly the case, why don’t they also listen to the sharp words of Ms. Melissa Mbarki, “a policy analyst and outreach co-ordinator at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and a member of the Treaty 4 nation in Saskatchewan“. According to her (and Bambi agrees), “the lowered flag is a mockery to all Canadians, including Indigenous people” (https://nationalpost.com/opinion/melissa-mbarki-the-lowered-flag-is-a-mockery-to-all-canadians-including-indigenous-people).

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Bambi’s earlier posts on the topic:

Mr. Mario Dumont: “Jour du Souvenir: relevez ce drapeau!” [“Remembrance Day, raise this flag!”]

Mr. Trudeau, despite the sorrow in our hearts, can we now raise our Canadian flag again… just like in the Mohawk territory?

Thank you journalist Roula Douglas for re-tweeting this moving picture taken at the destroyed Beirut port.

Bambi’s heart goes to Jessica’s sister/mom while she re-affirms her support to Judge Tarek Bitar. May his investigation (now suspended) continue again… “until the end“, to use his own words (as per the earlier post below).

Regardless of the outcomes of this investigation, this decent and courageous judge is a “hero“, to use Maya’s words (as per the comment to the post below). Indeed, he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize (Bambi is nominating him now in her heart)!

To conclude this post on a musical note, here is Mr. Fadi Bazzi’s timely French song for Beirut following its blast (subtitled in English).

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Beirut port investigation saga: For how long can a judge resist political interference?

Yesterday, Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator of the surrealistic Beirut port explosion of August 4, 2020 reassured the victims’ families that “the pressures and threats will not make him back down from the investigation“.

Judge Bitar Says He Won’t Back Down From The Beirut Port File

Today, we learned from France24, that the courageous Judge Tarek Bitar is once again being “forced to suspend probe“. This is not the first suspension. It is actually the third one! Guess how many lawsuits have been filed against this judge by former ministers thus far? Not 1, not 2, not 3… not even 13. The total is now 15, according to judicial sources and as reported by France24 ( https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211104-beirut-blast-investigator-forced-to-suspend-probe-for-3rd-time).

As a reminder, Lebanon refused to resort to an international investigation, as per the TV5 Monde news video below. With all due respect, one must also recall that, despite any good intention, sometimes verdicts of UN international investigations end being rather useless (i.e. Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the case of the assassination of the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, as per some of Bambi’s older posts).

May God protect Judge Tarek Bitar from those threatening him… In the meantime, thanks to him for his courage in standing up against the forces of the mafia-militia duo of his country. Best wishes to the Lebanese judiciary system that is trying to be as independent as possible. Will justice win in the end? The saga will continue and time will tell.

Until then, here is a short news documentary in French by TV5 Monde entitled “Tarek Bitar, le juge libanais qui dérange“. It is followed by a song (in Arabic) for the victims’ families as well as ALL those impacted by this surrealistic tragedy (the injured, the homeless, the survivors, etc.). Thank you Mr. Omar Kamal for the moving interpretation of Feiruz’s Li Beirut. Note that the video below is part of a concert that took place in Bahrain in 2017; that was prior to the current, yet neither the first nor the last, SAD, diplomatic crisis between the Gulf countries and tiny, bankrupt yet always surviving Lebanon.

To conclude this post on a note of hope, may music always have the last word. May peace prevail within all the nations of the world and among them. May love and prosperity return to the historically welcoming (and beautiful) land of Lebanon.

In the USA, as per the older posts below, a former President of the country has been banned by Twitter. So were so-called anti-Kamala Harris “trolls”.

In Canada, in the past, the competent (and compassionate) Dr. Oren Amitay has been permanently banned from Twitter.

Today, in our country, Dr. Amir Attaran (who has been using an awfully racist/hateful language toward Québec and its Prime Minister for ages) has been banned by Twitter. Why? Because he criticized our federal government’s health policies. He seemed to have written that Mr. Trudeau must be “tarred and feathered” for being late in vaccinating children against the coronavirus, as per first the National Post and now all the other mainstream Canadian media (https://nationalpost.com/news/twitter-bans-ottawa-law-professor-amir-attaran-for-saying-trudeau-should-be-tarred-and-featherd).

First, Bambi has always defended Dr. Amir Attaran’s right to freedom of expression (even if this has not been reciprocal when she was the target of cancel culture). She is saying so and she TOTALLY disagrees with his “woke” insults toward Québec. She is saying so, even if she is not too sure if the vaccination of 5-11 year olds is a wise idea (since this is not an at-risk group and everyone can still transmit the virus). Plus, the technique used is new. This means no long-term data about potential side effects in kids are available yet. Plus, most importantly, in her mind parents should have the final say in deciding whether to vaccinate their young kids or not. Of course, they need full informed consent to be able to do so properly.

Second, Bambi is far from being a fan of Mr. Trudeau’s vision for our country on so many levels. However, she does not use the language of Dr. Attaran (especially that English is neither her first, nor second language… She had to google “tarred and feathered “ ?).

Despite this, she still wants to believe we are in Canada and Canada is in North America (neither is in the Middle East, nor in some countries of the Far East). This means traditionally a free country, not a dictatorship. In free countries, and even in not-so-free ones (like Lebanon), people are relatively still able to criticize powerful groups and corrupt leaders (when they are not killed for real, not just symbolically from time to time).

So, Twitter, please restore Dr. Attaran’s account immediately (same for Dr. Oren Amitay, if he wishes to use this company’s unreliable services again in his practice). To conclude on a musical note, Mr. George Moustaki’s beautiful song is dedicated by Bambi to all those involved in this post or reading it. It is about freedom (sub-titled in English). Yes, this most precious value in life that is supposed to be for us all, not just for some and not others (depending on the forces in power).

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Bambi’s earlier posts of Twitter and censorship:

Did you know that in February 2019, Twitter “suspended anti-Kamala Harris accounts”?

Mmm, had Mr. Jack Dorsey (Twitter) silenced Ms. Hillary Clinton four years ago after the election results, would you have accepted it? If your answer is no, perhaps you should re-consider your support of the current censorship

Since Twitter is acting like a self-appointed referee cancelling Presidents despite their last tweets calling for peace, why doesn’t it be fair and cancel a new Vice-President’s divisive yet pinned tweet?

In democracies, it it normal to: 1. see the American and almost all Canadian media going into one direction about the US Elections? & 2. have a private company, like Twitter, watching each tweet of its own President (up until January 20th) and adding their own comments?

Thank you Mr. Mario Dumont for your beautiful article that Bambi is honoured to quickly translate into English and post (OK with acknowledgements to her faithful friend, Mr. Google Translate!).

First, here is Mr. Dumont’s article in French: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/11/03/relevez-ce-drapeau, published today in the Journal de Montréal. Second, its translation below:

“I specify that I do not have a Canadian flag on my field. And if I had a mast, I would hoist the fleurdelysé [this is Québec’s beautiful flag] on it straight away. However, I have the utmost respect for what a flag means to a country.

I respect even more what the flag symbolizes for those who courageously served under this flag in the Armed Forces. Pride, duty, sense of country, the flag brings up several feelings.

On the eve of Remembrance Day 2021, Canada finds itself in a curious position. Canadian flags may not be half-masted on November 11 as a sign of respect for Canadians killed in action. Why ? For the simple reason that the flags have been at half mast since the end of May.

Residential schools

Since the horrific discovery of the remains of over 200 children on the grounds of an Aboriginal residential school in Kamloops, the Canadian government has maintained this symbol. The question arose on July 1, Canada Day. The Trudeau government kept the flags at half mast and made this holiday more modest.

This permanent half-masting is a dead end. Yes, the flags had to be lowered at the time to underline the collective sadness and indignation at the horrors of the past. But putting them at half mast permanently ends up going unnoticed and prevents other tragedies from being highlighted [even Canadian deer said so, as per the two earlier posts further below].

This is not to downplay the seriousness of the residential school mess. Children’s lives have been taken. We will remember a stain in Canadian history.

The millions of citizens of Canada want reconciliation, of course. They agree that their government will take steps to ensure reconciliation. But the citizens of Canada do not live in constant shame. Their country is more than this inhuman episode.

Remembrance Day

Six months later, we realize the problem. Once the government makes the half-mast permanent, how do you get out of it? Indigenous representatives now interpret a flag raising not as a return to normalcy, but as an insult.

The Remembrance Day case speaks volumes. Veterans are absolutely right to want to hoist the flags so that they can be lowered at half mast during ceremonies. One tragedy in our history cannot erase another. It would be unacceptable not to be able to make the annual symbolic gesture of half-masting the flag because the flag is permanently kept halfway up.

The Legion of Honor of Canada seeks compromise solutions to commemorate Remembrance Day with dignity. One of the options would be to hoist the flag momentarily and then lower it … permanently.

The history of Canada, like that of all countries, is made up of beautiful and less beautiful chapters. The flag raised means that the people are still standing, not that they are erasing their past.“

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Bambi’s earlier posts on this topic:

Royal Canadian Legion: Why can’t we honour both our veterans/flag and the memory of Indigenous children at the same time?

Mr. Trudeau, despite the sorrow in our hearts, can we now raise our Canadian flag again… just like in the Mohawk territory?

Lebanon’s residents, 60+ are now receiving their third (booster) dose of Pfizer vaccine after receiving an automated message to register for an appointment (https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/d/news-bulletin-reports/614688/people-aged-60-and-above-to-receive-third-dose-of/en; https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1280090/le-liban-ouvre-la-voie-a-la-troisieme-dose.html). The vaccination registration rate for the first two doses has been of 52.8% (of which 34,1% already got their first dose and 30.1% their second one).

Vaccination is highly encouraged in Lebanon through education. However, it is not mandatory. Bambi is relieved to know that her parents will receive their booster dose tomorrow (as they just turned 60… OK this is meant to make them smile if they are ever reading this post :)).

Sadly for them (and for Bambi), and as shown further below in older posts, they lost many close ones because of the coronavirus. Some of their friends were not as lucky as them. They lost their lives before the development of the vaccines :(. Another loved one chose not to be vaccinated even if he was in a risky age group. Sadly, he died. However, no one ever shamed his family or blamed him for his death, like we sadly are doing in our supposedly more civilized countries. Everyone mourned with his family and keeps asking about his wife who was luckier than him (may she get well soon). May the memory of those who left us/their loved ones be eternal.

As for Lebanon, it is surely a land of contradictions. One one hand, the government is unable to protect its people from ammonium nitrates or from regional forces taking this country in one direction or the other. On the other hand, even without a functional government and without public funds, Lebanese people do receive their vaccines in a timely manner, perhaps even ahead of other wealthier counties. Bravo to all those making this happen. Bravo to the Ministry of Public Health that seems to be operating on its own in its country. Bravo to its good collaboration with all healthcare centres, public and private; all this in awful living conditions (lack of gas, power, etc.).

To conclude this post, it is Bambi’s hope that her birth country will know how to protect its people from large diplomatic crises (especially the current dispute with Gulf countries), not just from tiny viruses.

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Bambi’s earlier posts:

Dearest Khalil Smeira, beloved friend & Professor of French Literature: “Ce n’est qu’un au revoir cher ami de Bambi, ami de son papa… et papa de ses quatre amis”!

Mr. Raymond Tabet, an inspiration to all those who crossed paths with him, including Bambi and her family

Thank you Judge Tarek Bitar…

Our world elites, many of whom flirt with wokeism, are currently meeting at COP26 in Glasgow in the UK.

As a reminder, wokeism is a modern form of sectarianism, which pretends to hold a monopoly on morality. It is like a movement of neo-puritanism that speaks in the name of minorities (including disabled people). It cancels people or censors books, movies, or events when they question its orthodoxies (even by simply bringing some nuances, etc.). It becomes racist and discriminatory, of course in the name of anti-racism and justice.

Now, COP26 is the hub where the world’s elites are meeting to save our planet… yet they are not even able to welcome the Israeli Energy Minister, Ms. Karine Elharra, who is in a wheelchair (https://nationalpost.com/pmn/environment-pmn/cop26-was-inaccessible-for-israeli-minister-in-wheelchair).

How can they pretend to be those who will efficiently solve climate change, if they are not even able to simply ensure a prompt access to a minister to their venue to join her voice to others’ in order to find collective solutions to the problem?

All what this minister wanted was to take part, like her peers, in the joint effort to advance solutions to climate change? Indeed, to use her own words, “I came to COP26 to meet my counterparts in the world and advance our joint struggle against the climate crisis… It’s sad that the United Nations, which promotes accessibility for people with disabilities, in 2021 doesn’t worry about accessibility at its own events.”

According to the National Post article above (based on Reuters), “the British ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, apologized for the mishap“. Nice of him to do so. Let’s hope lessons will be learned for future editions of this UN summit or others, especially when they brag about the so-called “diversity and equity” (https://www.2050.scot/events-listings/equity-and-diversity-at-cop26).

To conclude this post, it is Bambi’s hope that trendy yet empty slogans (like diversity, equity, inclusion or whatever else that may replace this one in the future) will be genuine, that is concrete. Not just empty slogans… or not just “blahblahblah“, to use the words of a famous COP26 participant, Ms. Greta Thunberg :).

Well in Canada, when posing for a picture, even outdoors, they are masked.

However, when they are abroad in a room filled with people from all over the planet, all of them responsibly masked, our Prime Minister and his colleague, Mr. Steven Guilbeault, are the only ones non-masked.

Plus, in Canada, in some municipalities and some provinces, masks are mandatory by law for public servants (https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/mandatory-masks-1.5615728).

However, it seems that this health-measure works only for those public servants who are not at the top of the hierarchy.

Of course, Mr. Trudeau is always more important than laws, ethical rules, and us the little people.

At least, his is true to himself… His attitude/behaviour has a name: elitism (and no it is not much better than populism).