Author: Bambi

Bambi would like to begin by thanking her friend Charles for sharing this story.

Who is Rafael Zaki? For those who did not follow his story, he is a Manitoba medical student of Egyptian origins who expressed personal views on his Facebook page that were pro-life and pro-right of owning a gun in the United States.

His university claimed having received complaints about his social media and expelled him from university. It did so because of his “conscientious and religious-based beliefs”, to use his own words, as reported by Mr. Dylan Tyser from the National Post:

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/manitoba-medical-student-expelled-over-pro-gun-and-pro-life-facebook-posts-wins-court-ruling

You can read the details about his story in the article above, if you wish. Bambi will just comment on the following  points:

Abortion is a hot topic in North and South America, contrary to other parts of the world (e.g., Lebanon)., as explained in an earlier post (shown at this end of this one) in which she wrote that in her mind, “the choice of having children or not in life clearly belongs to the woman only… or first and foremost if there is a couple’s partner in the equation”.

This being said, for having grown up during a bloody civil war, Bambi is not fond of weapons. However, she can understand the importance of the topic of legal firearms for a large number of our American neighbours. Mind you, the latter is also important for our Canadian hunters, farmers, trappers, ranchers, target or recreational shooters, as well as collectors.

Keeping this in mind, Mr. Rafael Zaki, whose parents escaped to Canada from Egypt to find safety (being Orthodox Coptic) will now be able to graduate from medical school in 2022. Good for him!

As patients, we can simply avoid consulting him for our future abortions. We can seek the help of another colleague to get an abortion. It is called having a choice in life… and Bambi is pro-choice.

Mr. Zaki (the future Dr. Zaki, if he succeeds the rest of his program) deserves our respect for having had the courage to be true to his personal beliefs. Despite his youth, he did not fall in the trap of repeating what others say just to fit in, out of conformity, that is without a genuine conviction.

Without having read his essay, Bambi finds that Mr. Zaki may have expressed his opinion in a harsh or judgmental way (i.e., using words like murderous, etc.). Regardless and even if it seems odd for a physician-to-be to use such strong words, it is his right as a Canadian citizen to express such an opinion. Perhaps he simply meant to say that he does not even feel comfortable to refer patients to another colleague? And the onus is on the patient to find that physician? Could it be?

Anyhow, it is also Bambi’s right to clearly have an opposite opinion that is for women’s choice (wanting or not wanting children, resorting to an abortion or not, etc.).

Talking about life and death, in Bambi’s mind, she is clearly against death penalty in life to all, even to monsters like the Hitlers or Maos of our world or to other creatures, called human beings, living the Middle East.

The above comment may contrast with recent sentiments expressed by many citizens in Bambi’s birth country, following the surrealistic Beirut port explosion. The people of Lebanon are too fed up of those governing them (even without a government) that they are drawing scenes referring to capital punishment of political leaders on Beirut’s public walls. Of note, capital punishment is theoretically a legal option in Lebanon, even if no execution has been carried out for almost 20 years now (i.e., before the last one(s), many years passed without any execution).

To come back to Mr. Zaki, and of note, the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (SAFS) has supported Mr. Zaki in the past. If you wish, you can read the SAFS President (Dr. Mark Mercer)’s letter about Mr. Rafael Zaki’s case here:

http://safs.ca/issuescases/manitoba-med/SAFS%20letter%20re%20expulsion%20of%20Rafael%20Zaki%20from%20University%20of%20Manitoba.pdf

To conclude this post, today’s court ruling, is the SAFS victory too, not just Mr. Zaki’s victory. Most importantly, it is our collective victory, all of us, in Canada. Each time freedom survives its attacks in our country, we ALL win with it!

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Why is abortion such a big deal in the Americas, North and South? And is our Premier pandering to those voters who have radical views about abortion?

Thank you and bravo Mr. Mark Hachem for tackling “some Arab stereotypes” and, as you added, for sharing “some positive things about Arabs you might not see in mainstream media“.

Since Bambi discovered you, thanks to a friend from PEI and a cousin abroad, she follows your work, from time to time, to entertain herself at the end of a busy day.

Following the video on being Arab, you can watch (or re-watch, if you wish) Mark Hachem on “You know you are dating a Lebanese man when…” .

Enjoy :)!

Mr. George Orwell’s words are thoughtful in all languages.

First, Bambi just read a French translation of one of his quotes, shared by Beirut-based journalist Roula Douglas. Thanks to her:

Second, here are Mr. Orwell’s original words in English:

“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ”

Bambi is not interested in pointing to any political discourse in particular, although it is not hard to guess if we read the latest international and Lebanese headlines.

Keeping Mr. Orwell’s words in mind, impunity is still prevailing in Lebanon, despite national and international investigations or tribunals and regardless of the crime.

Talking about crimes or criminal negligence, guess what comes to Bambi’s mind again? The surrealistic Beirut port explosion. Among its 219 victims, you may recall “Lexou” (or Alexandra), the daughter of Mr. Paul Naggear and Ms. Tracy Awad-Naggear from Canada who, “rather than return to Canada, they stayed for a better Lebanon“, according to the Globe and Mail (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-beiruts-port-explosion-killed-their-daughter-but-rather-than-return-to/):

Well, Lexou’s grand-father, Mr. Michel Awad (Tracey’s dad) and her best friend, Ms. Mayssa Jallad, wrote a song after the blast:

Bambi can only imagine one drop of the ocean of sorrow of Mr. Awad who lost his granddaughter. What can she say about Lexou’s parents?! And Isaac Ohlers’ mother and father? Bissan’s and Elias’ parents and all the relatives and friends of the other 200+ victims, younger and older? And what about the 6000+ injured people (some still undergoing surgeries!) and their fellow residents who survived… even if a piece of them died on that doomed August 4, 2020?

Indeed, to use the words of Lexou’s dad tweeted in Arabic: “A year ago, your heart stopped beating and ours stopped with it…“

While waiting for justice, as we (endlessly) wait for Godot, may the music of these two artists help many hearts heal, starting with theirs. Bambi thanks them for sharing their moving English song called “Shout“.

In English:

In French:

In Arabic:

You can also listen to these video messages, along with other media or podcast interviews on this personal website:

I’m Rima, Associate Professor of Health Psychology

You can read or listen, as you wish… Of course, only if you still wish to stay informed.

Good luck to nurse Amy Hamm (and her young family). Luckily, she has the support of her lawyer, Ms. Lisa Bildy, the Interim President at the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. Thanks to journalist Drea Humphrey for interviewing them both.

Whether we agree with Ms. Hamm or not (this is not the issue), and regardless of the county, historical era, topic, point of view, the persons being censored, or those shamelessly silencing others, our societies would be intellectually richer if we ALL remember Voltaire‘s wise words:

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

OR

“Je désapprouve ce que vous dites mais je défendrai jusqu’à la mort votre droit de le dire”.

https://www.rebelnews.com/bc_nurse_accused_of_being_transphobic_after_advocating_for_women_s_rights

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words.

The FB and Instagram links below show you some pictures capturing Maya Nehme’s beautiful paintings!

https://www.facebook.com/mayaartmtl/

@mayanehmeart

Bambi’s post is meant to introduce you to the above and to share the inspiring gesture this Montreal-based artist is doing for Lebanon.

First, here is the item in question:

The item above, which is the gesture to help Lebanon (not the other items) is described by the artist herself as follows:

“Sticker reproduction of my original oil painting of Beirut, Lebanon. The painting is inspired by a photograph captured by photographer Rania Azar Berbery. Facebook: Photography by Rania (@photographybyRania). Instagram: @Raniaberbery”

Disclaimer: The photographer mentioned above is Bambi’s own sister and she is proud of her too :).

More seriously now, Ms. Rania Azar Berbery’s lost many dear friends in the surrealistic Beirut port blast in addition to having had her youngest daughter and spouse both injured. On August 4, 2021, Rania and her spouse who almost lost an eye, her daughters, Bambi’s other sister and her family walked with thousands of their fellow citizens in solidarity with the victims’ families. They all demanded the truth and justice.

Despite a tough year on all fronts, including the economic situation, Ms. Rania Azar Berbery still captures the beauty of her capital. She even inspired Ms. Maya Nehme whose talent, in turn, captured one of these photographs. Bravo Maya and thank you for your generosity!

From the Etsy website shown below, you can read Ms. Maya Nehme’s moving words:

“About Lebanon: As a second generation Canadian with Lebanese origins, I can’t help but share the sadness that the Lebanese people, including my family in Lebanon, are experiencing. People have been doing riots and protesting for basic human rights for years now. In 2020, an explosion hit the heart of Lebanon, leaving over 200 dead, over 6000 injured and 300 000 displaced. It is considered one the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history. It has been a year since this tragic event, and it is still very hard for Lebanon to recover. No one is held accountable and the Lebanese people are left fending for themselves. Unfortunately, it does not stop there. According to the World Bank, the economic and financial crisis in Lebanon is possibly in the top 3 most severe crisis episodes GLOBALLY since the mid-nineteenth century. To help, I’m selling stickers of a painting I made of Beirut, Lebanon. All proceeds will go to Offrejoie. Yes, stickers might not save this country, but any donation is appreciated. I’m also selling the original painting that appears on the sticker. The painting will be up for sale soon, make sure to follow me on social media to not miss out. All proceeds of that one are also donated to the charity above.  The painting printed on the sticker that I made of Beirut is inspired by a photograph taken by an amazing Lebanese photographer, Rania Azar Berbery (Facebook page: @PhotographybyRania; Instagram: @raniaberbery). It was so hard to chose an image to paint, as Lebanon has so many sides to it. I encourage you to check out her page and get to see Lebanon through the lens other than the ones portrayed by the media. You might be surprised! Where your donation is going: https://offrejoie.org/ Follow me on: Instagram: @mayanehmeart Facebook: @mayaartmtl (Maya Nehme Art) If you have any questions, feel free to message me or email me: mayanehmeart [!at] gmail.com. Thank you for your support! -Maya”

The stickers costs CAD$5.45 (€ 4.73 or US$: 4.55). The item will ship to you from Montreal to anywhere in Canada (free of charge) and even to anywhere else around the world:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1037841806/vinyl-sticker-help-lebanon-306×244?ref=pla_sameshop_listing_top-1

To conclude this post, Bambi will first share the following words about OffreJoie (copied/pasted from its own website shared above, available in English, French, and Arabic).

“How We Came To Be Offrejoie was born in the midst of a raging civil war in Lebanon in 1985.  ​ A group of young Red Cross volunteers worked together to help the injured. They started with children’s camps during the conflict by bringing groups of children from different social classes and backgrounds together to accept each members’ differences. Those camps have continued their healing work since 1985, and when those children grew up, they carried the values Love, Respect and Forgiveness that they had learned at the camps and became a movement of young citizens from all the different communities and regions in Lebanon. ​​ What began as a group of enthusiastic volunteers in 1985 has developed into a voluntary movement across Lebanon with a footprint in France in 1986 and a sister group in Iraq established in 2012 to share and promote its vision and experience.​”

Last but not least, Bambi will thank Ms. Maya Nehme again wishing her a successful career. She has the talent. She has entrepreneurship. She also has a big heart!

Dangerous developments from the Middle East…

Here are two media articles by Reuters and L’Orient Today on “Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel trade cross-border fire amid Iran tensions“:

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rocket-sirens-sound-northern-israel-golan-heights-israeli-miltary-says-2021-08-06/

https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1270905/hezbollah-launches-rockets-against-israel-in-retaliation-for-airstrikes.html

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFL) issued a statement today about the VERY worrisome situation:

https://unifil.unmissions.org/unifil-statement-rocket-and-return-fire-6-august-2021

To Hezbollah, Bambi will say that your fellow Lebanese citizens cannot afford another (deadly) crisis. Please do not drag them into war on top of all their crises.

To Israel (and Hezbollah), please listen to UNIFL and cease firing NOW! Do not destroy Lebanon like in 2006.

Please stop… both of you!

Everyone deserves to live in peace (and love too) in Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, the Unites States, etc. So, for a change and to conclude this post on a musical note, let’s imagine a world (i.e. the Middle East) in peace and harmony with the moving Ms. Talia Lahoud…

Bambi just discovered this song, released on August 4, 2021 to commemorate the sad first anniversary of the surrealistic Beirut explosion. It is a beautiful tribute to both France and Lebanon, to their history/heritage, values, and long friendship.

For those who do not know it, Lebanon was a French colony until 1943, year of its “independence”. It is officially a bilingual country (passport, state services, etc.) and it is a proud member of the “Francophonie”. France has always supported Lebanon. The Lebanese people love France. If you do not believe Bambi, well France is called “the tender mother” in Lebanese-Arabic.

Last year, when the Beirut blast happened, no Lebanese politician dared to walk in the streets to comfort the population. No one touched base with the victim’s families… until now, we learned recently!

In contrast, Mr. Emmanuel Macron rushed to Beirut immediately. He was the first to comfort the people of Lebanon. He hugged the traumatized residents on the streets. He listened to their distress. He spoke with them. He even re-visited more than once and tried to help on the internal political front… but it did not work.

Over the past few years, France has organized several fundraising conferences to support the Lebanese people. The latest one was yesterday. It was also attended by Mr. Biden who made a large donation in the name of his country. Thanks to the United States.

Of note, France and the international community have been putting pressure on the corrupt Lebanese leaders for a while, demanding accountability and financial reforms. A week ago, France and the European Union imposed targeted sanctions on the Lebanese politicians.

All the countries of the world, including Bambi’s beloved Canada, generously donated money, human resources, and materials/food to rebuild, to help feed and treat the injured people. More recently, Canada and other countries kindly supported the Lebanese Armed Forces (which cannot afford to feed its soldiers anymore).

Private donors, including Bambi’s generous fellow Canadians, have also supported the people of Lebanon directly. Thanks to each one of them!

As for the Lebanese politicians, it is Bambi’s hope that they will finally realize that their legendary corruption has affected the entire world, not just their own population. Every penny donated by foreign countries comes out of the tax payers’ pocket. Enough of irresponsibility please!

To conclude this post with music, below you can listen to the beautiful song (in French, sub-titled in Arabic).

FYI, the singers are Mr. Chadi Maroun & Ms. Sonia Ghayad. The lyrics are by Mr. Joseph Abou Dames. The music by Mr. Shadi el Bacha. The mixing/mastering by: Mr. Antoine Haddad. The video was produced by Studio 360 media. The choregraphy is created/directed by Ms. Gabriella Mur. The choral is called “Les jeunesse Saint Elie -Antelias”. The song was translated into Arabic by Dr. Joseph Khalil.

Thanks to all of them and bravo!

Bambi just discovered a new joyful (love) song while listening to her internet radio.

The singer is called Hanine and her song is the Lebanese-Arabic version of the French “Bella” by the French singer-songwriter of Congolese origins, Maître Gims.

Below you can listen to Hanine‘s Arabic version of “Bella” and watch scenes from Beirut and its beach. If you wish, you can also watch the beautiful original version of this song.

Enjoy :)!