Author: Bambi

You may wonder why Bambi is offering this song for Liberty of Ms. Nana Mouskouri to Mr. Trudeau et al. Well, she hopes to refresh their memories about the meaning of the beautiful name of their party: “Liberal“.

You may wish to take the time to read the following iPolitics article below, which informs us of our federal government’s proposed bill, which will complement Bill 36. Both are supposedly meant “to crack down on online hate“.

As a reminder, under Bill 36 (if the Senate passes it), citizens can be fined up $50,000 and eventually silenced. Who would be defining hate and deciding on it? Our federal bureaucrats? Wouldn’t that be arbitrary? How fair is that? How logical? How liberal?

Even Lebanon’s Hezbollah did not come up with such bills (yet) to crack down on “online collaboration with the (Israeli) enemy“… Let’s hope our government will not give them such ideas.

Bambi believes that a (truly) liberal approach remains the healthiest approach when it comes to (online) freedom of expression. Let people remain free to express themselves, except for calling for violence or defamation.

Luckily, we already have laws to address the above as well as all the other criminal activities stated to justify this new legal framework on “online hate speech” (i.e., child sexual exploitation, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, incitement to violence, and terrorism).

Mr. Trudeau et al., Bambi is against your proposed Bill 36 as well as your proposed plan to regulate or monitor social-media content. She is saying so, even if she is not on social media herself. She thinks so, even if she has been the target of an online censorship campaign because of her blog.

Enough of authoritarianism please, despite any good intention!

Thank you.

Ottawa proposes plan to regulate social-media content

Bambi’s earlier posts on this topic:

Can Minister Steven Guilbeault stop using both Muslims and Jews to promote Bill 36, which will eventually serve to silence us all… including them?

Democracy: No to censorship, whether by governments, private companies, public institutions, militia organizations, etc.

No to Bill 36 on “online hate speech”: Why is our Federal Minister of Justice, Dr. Lametti, contributing to turning our country into an authoritarian one?

Bambi would like to thank her two sisters, Roula and Rania, who at different moments shared this beautiful song by the talented Egyptian singer Yasmine Ali.

Bambi took the time to quickly translate this uplifting song from Arabic to English from the best of her capacity and with the help of her friend Google (Egyptian Arabic is a different dialect from Lebanese Arabic, that Bambi finds very musical to the ears).

She also found a German translation online, for those who understand this language:

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Yasmine-Ali/Naabel-Nas/translation/german

What a beautiful song and angelic voice. Bravo to Ms. Ali for singing Acapella!

The song is called: “Meeting people“. Below are the quick English translation and the Youtube video of the song. Bambi hopes you will enjoy it :)!

“We meet new people, we leave other people.

Our life can change, or turn upside down, in one second. What can we do?

This one is harming another person, this one is being hurt. This one is living in the past.

And our life conditions are baffling. If we are satisfied, they will deteriorate. Yes, we will be upset.

 And whose life is always safe? No one can guarantee the future days.

The one who is satisfied with his life conditions and differentiates between “halal” (good or allowed in life) and “haram” (unlawful or prohibited).

A question and its answer, we know it, although one day we will forget it, and what do we take with us in the end?

As long as we leave the world and we will leave it, why will we be upset?

A piece of advice, just live and do not let anything disturb your peace of mind.

Take one minute only to look around you and you will see the sun shining brightly.

And then, at the height of the night, you will see the beautiful moon enlightening you.

Other than joy and laughter, do not leave in your features when you will go.

What are you arranging and calculating? What will happen will end up happening to you.

Hope is so close to those who want to see it. You will be optimistic, and life will laugh back to you, in the blink of an eye, and the world will be yours.

Our lives are hours that we paint and beautify with colours.

With one colour, we choose to end life and with another colour we can give our life safety.

Tomorrow your worries will pass; there is nothing that shall not pass.

A life that wants you to be strong; the more you feel empowered, the fullest you will live.

We meet new people, we leave other people.

Our life can change or turn upside down in one second, what can we do?“

Two days ago, Bambi was honoured to join Mr. Kenny Xu on his podcast!

Thank you, Mr. Xu (or Kenny) for your invitation and for our enriching chat.

Bambi will share this podcast chat with her readers and on her personal blog below.

Before doing so, she would like to first salute your talent, Kenny. As she mentioned in the interview, she is eager to read your new book entitled “An inconvenient minority” (already sold out in Canada!).

For those who do not know it, Mr. Kenny Xu is also the President and Primary Spokesman of “Color us United“. He has challenged Harvard University for discrimination against Asian Americans. In addition to his book mentioned above, he has written numerous articles for City Journal, The Federalist, The Daily Signal, and The Washington Examiner.

I’m Rima, Associate Professor of Health Psychology

What is Bill 21?

In an earlier post, Bambi wrote the following:

“Bill 21 is about Québec’s secularism as a government. It states that public servants representing the state (in position of authorities) will not be wearing any religious symbol. For example, Crown Prosecutors in action BUT not the other lawyers (e.g., defense, etc.).

Bill 21 came after 10 years of public debate in Québec about reasonable accommodations.

Bill 21 is moderate, compared to other bills in secular countries in Europe.

Bill 21 is mainly about public servants in positions of authority, including all the following:

“the President and Vice-Presidents of the National Assembly, administrative justices of the peace, special clerks, clerks, deputy clerks, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, clerks and deputy clerks respecting municipal courts, and bankruptcy registrars, members or commissioners who exercise their functions within the Comité de déontologie policière, the Commission d’accès à l’information, the Commission de la fonction publique, the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec, the Commission des transports du Québec, the Commission municipale du Québec, the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles, the Régie de l’énergie, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, the Régie des marchés agricoles et alimentaires du Québec, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, the Régie du logement, the Financial Markets Administrative Tribunal, the Administrative Tribunal of Québec or the Administrative Labour Tribunal, as well as disciplinary council chairs who exercise their functions within the Bureau des présidents des conseils de discipline, commissioners appointed by the Government under the Act respecting public inquiry commissions, and lawyers or notaries acting for such a commission, arbitrators appointed by the Minister of Labour whose name appears on a list drawn up by that minister in accordance with the Labour Code, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, and persons who exercise the function of lawyer, notary or criminal and penal prosecuting attorney and who are under the authority of a government department, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, the National Assembly, a person appointed or designated by the National Assembly to an office under its authority (or a body referred to in paragraph 3 of the bill), persons who exercise the function of lawyer and are employed by a prosecutor (Code of Penal Procedure), unless the prosecutor are persons acting in criminal or penal matters for such a prosecutor before the courts or with third persons, lawyers or notaries acting before the courts or with third persons in accordance with a legal services contract entered into with a minister, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, the National Assembly, a person appointed or designated by the National Assembly to exercise a function under its authority (or a body referred to in paragraph 3 of the bill), or lawyers acting in criminal or penal matters before the courts or with third persons in accordance with a legal services contract entered into with a prosecutor, peace officers who exercise their functions mainly in Québec; and principals, vice principals and teachers of educational institutions under the jurisdiction of a school board established under the Education Act or of the Commission scolaire du Littoral established by the Act respecting the Commission scolaire du Littoral.”

Bill 21 includes a “grandfather” clause, which allows existing public servants to keep serving.

Bill 21 also has a section on the necessity to have one’s face uncovered whilst receiving public services for safety concerns.”

Is Bill 21 meant for Manitoba?

Bill 21 is not ideal, but Bill 21 is made by Québec for Québec ONLY.

No, it is not for neither Manitoba, nor the rest of Canada.

Can we dislike Bill 21?

Of course!  As Québeckers and/or Canadians, we may dislike Bill 21. For instance, we may think it is a useless or a silly law. We may consider its potential effect as being (systematically) discriminatory toward a particular group (i.e., Muslim observant/veiled female teachers), despite any good intention. Like Bambi, we may also see the contradiction of Québec. On one hand, it came up with this bill. On the other hand, it keeps funding, to a large extent, private religious schools.

How is the CBC lying about Bill 21?

This is what the CBC, Manitoba is saying about Bill 21 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-islamic-association-islamophobia-survey-1.6116144):

“In light of the national summit, Vali says the federal government must take a stronger stance against oppression and systemic racism, including condemning Quebec’s Bill 21, which bans the wearing of religious symbols in certain places.”

Clearly, this is a false statement/fact. At this stage, it would be appropriate to talk about propaganda even. The latter is defined as the dissemination of misleading information (e.g., lies, half-truth, rumours) in order to influence public opinion. Another possible definition of propaganda would be techniques of persuasion, including repetitive information, used to promote a doctrine or opinion to achieve a certain political objective. If you do not believe Bambi that the above false statement is not an innocent or unprofessional journalistic mistake, she invites you to search all her archived posts on the characterization of Bill 21 in the media of the rest of Canada. You will see a similar pattern.

For Bambi, such lies are clearly no longer in the range of incompetent journalism. These are mere lies about Québec that are comparable to what citizens used to read in state newspapers under the Soviet Union era or currently in countries like Iran or maybe Syria.

What is Bambi’s conclusion?

Shame on our CBC, which is funded by OUR tax money. Mind you, other mainstream newspapers have been bailed out by our federal government. They all seem to fall in the trap of intellectual mediocrity. Don’t we deserve better journalism, as citizens?

This video shows us a journalist, called Mr. David Menzies (from Rebel News), asking tough yet relevant questions to a Conservative candidate in Thornhill (ON). Check what happens next…

Perhaps this candidate is highly competent (truly chosen by her party for her competence and potential)? If not, perhaps she will still be most competent, despite other political calculations behind her nomination?

Perhaps she truly felt unsafe by the direct questions, especially the last one?

Perhaps she is not the one who called the police, but rather her apparently unprofessional team (to say the least, after watching the video)?

Regardless of all the above, what happened is totally unacceptable!

Indeed, Mr. Menzies was mistreated: he was knocked on the head, he said. In addition, we saw water thrown at him. The police arrested it him like a criminal for 10 hours. Of note, a staff took pictures of his notebook.

He has been accused of using homophobic words (given the sexual orientation of the candidate, if Bambi understood the story well). The politician made a public statement about how she felt unsafe, and her boss (future one?), the Leader of the Conservative Party, Mr. Erin O’Toole tweeted about how his party is the only one fighting for free speech. Is the latter a (bad) joke given this incident?

Luckily Mr. Menzies will get a good legal defence. As usual, he has the support of his caring boss, Mr. Ezra Levant.

Whether you like Rebel News/Mr. Menzies or not, do you find it democratic, civilized, and morally acceptable to treat a journalist like that?

Why are we becoming increasingly intolerant to that extent in Canada?

The first video is serious and it is about Lebanon. Thank you Mr. Mark Hachem (Montreal, QC, Canada) for honouring the birth country of your parents and of Bambi.

The second video is funny. It is entitled “What not to say to an Arab“! If you happen to be too politically correct, just pretend that you live in the Canada of the past 20 years before listening (life was fun then :).

Thank you Mr. Mark Hachem for your talent!

Above is a tweet by Minister Guilbeault (July 23, 2021) that Bambi just saw today.

If our Honourable Minister Guilbeault cares to also address “hate” or arson in real life, not just online (while preserving our “Canadian Heritage” as per his responsibility), can he please denounce the vandalism of churches in Canada (i.e., 48 of them lately, if Bambi did not lose count)? By the way, this suggestion applies to all our public servants, those in power as well as those in the opposition.

Bambi is asking because she is against violence to anyone and to any place of worship, including Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox churches (as well as synagogues, mosques, other temples, etc.).

Thank you.

—

Latest posts of Bambi on the vandalized churches and on Bill 36:

Enough of church burning in Canada!

Democracy: No to censorship, whether by governments, private companies, public institutions, militia organizations, etc.

No to Bill 36 on “online hate speech”: Why is our Federal Minister of Justice, Dr. Lametti, contributing to turning our country into an authoritarian one?

Bambi learned from a friend in town that a Change petition is circulating against Mr. Bill Evans, one of our Town Councillors.

Councillor Evans is not appreciated by many citizens because of so many reasons that Bambi is not interested in getting into. On a more family note, Mr. Evans was instrumental in the whole saga against Bambi’s spouse ostensibly for testifying at the Assessment and Planning Appeal Board.

Yet, Bambi is against using psychological manipulation in the form of those Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity training (i.e. Maoist style of sessions) for anyone.

To do this to an elected official is an insult to the population, even to those who did not vote for him.

Enough of power abuse, even to those who resort to it!

https://www.change.org/p/anyone-who-feels-women-are-equal-women-are-not-chattel-councilor-evans?original_footer_petition_id=&grid_position=&pt=

Bambi just learned that Dr. Cory Long is closing his medical practice in Sackville, New Brunswick. In addition to his 1310 patients, Dr. Long has served for many years as and emergency room (ER) physician at our small town’s hospital:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/family-doctor-sackville-closing-practice-1.6109823

Bambi and her spouse had the chance to be treated by and interact with this talented physician at the ER more than once. For example, he saved Bambi’s life once by discovering the source of a severe infection that affected her neck. It was due to a dental abscess. His clever clinical judgment and thorough testing allowed him to reach the good diagnosis. She remains thankful, especially that both his efficacy and care allowed her to keep her travel plans to see her family for the last time in December, 2019 right before the pandemic. Last but but not least, Bambi and her spouse were lucky to benefit from Dr. Long’s competence and humanity in earlier ER encounters related to life and death.

Thank you Dr. Long for your medical talent and compassion! Best wishes in your future milestones! You have taken care of so many of us (a quarter of the population!). Please do take good care too, you and your family.

To conclude this post by honouring your service to Sackvillians, Bambi thought of two songs. The first is by Mr. Michel Sardou and it is called “Médecin de campagne” (“The country’s doctor” in English). Bambi will start with a quick translation of its lyrics. The second song is in French too and it is meant to make you smile :).

“He listens for hours

The beating of his patients’ hearts

He’s a country doctor

This woman so beautiful and so pale

Who says she doesn’t suffer?

What does she not suffer from?

This man who shakes and hesitates

I don’t drink anything anymore you know

He too lies so badly

He too lies so badly

He eats in an old bistro

He breathes for a short time

Then he goes to see Jocelin

In Nonaville he is doing well

His dog is aging and is tired

Nicole lost a lot of weight

He drives on dirt roads

He has seen them all or almost

To be born or to die

Almost all

To be born or to die

Almost all

And when that Tuesday he goes

To deliver Maria’s baby at home

All these days, these nights of running

These difficult and gray hours

Ran away at the first cry

To the tears of this newborn

Those crying, those baby cries

He’s a country doctor

That give meaning to his whole life

He’s a country doctor

The country

He’s a country doctor”.

Yes, it is time for the “Mabrouk” (or Congratulations) song! Long live your love Rania and Rabih! Cheers to your lovely daughters (Bambi’s nieces :))!! You have been together since your early teenage years and Bambi is proud for having been your maid of hounour :)! One of the funniest moments of your wedding party was when your DJ announced that there will be a gift to the best dancers and it was a television. Many of your guests knew about the generosity of the bride’s dad and business in Beirut (i.e., a TV could have been one of the products he sells). It was easy for them to fall for the trap of this joke, especially that Bambi’s dad had just arrived to Montreal from Lebanon. Everyone danced dreaming to win a nice Siemens TV. If Bambi is not mistaken, the winner may have been Chadi, a family friend, who kindly invited her to dance. Anyhow, everyone laughed after seeing the size of the television in question [including Chadi and Bambi :)]!

This being said, here is your “Mabrouk” song, thanks to Mr. Ramy Ayash :).

Following this joyful song, it is time now for the Happy Birthday wishes of the day :). Joumana, have fun on your day. Bambi loves you! Fatma, Bambi misses you, saying: “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück”!

For Fatma:

For Joumana: