Author: Bambi

Twix, shown in the picture above, died at the noble age of 13.

He lived a LONG dog life filled with love and joy; thanks to you Dima who took care of him with such an inspiring care until his last breath. Thanks also to Rana and Jeff as well as Mary, Mounir, and Jad.

As you can see in the picture above, Twix was a bundle of joy, putting a smile on everyone’s faces, not just Dima’s, bu also her family members’ and friends’, including Bambi and her spouse.

He survived the Beirut explosion and enjoyed the peace of Moncton, New Brunswick, until he left our world.

He was fun and SO funny. He also knew his body and age limit very well. He kindly and joyfully greeted guests (humans and deer) and then alternated dog welcoming excitement with napping times, as needed.

Bambi will take this opportunity to thank all those who took care of Twix in the two chapters of his life, Lebanon and Canada, from family members to care providers. She will also name someone who also was there for him in the last moments across the miles. Yes, it is you Gina.

To come back to you Twix, Bambi was honoured to spend Christmas with you (OK with human friends too…!). Thank you again Dima for those unforgettable heart-warming moments and incredible meal. She sadly did not have enough time to see Twix/you since then, but he will always be in her heart. As for you (as well your family in NB and Lebanon), Bambi sends you all, and especially you Dima, a BIG virtual hug with much love ❤️! As you know, we are family too, not just close friends. Your sorrow is naturally her grief too. She looks forward to seeing you soon… “inshallah”; this time with one of us missing… because he is more happily resting in heaven.

How sad to see some individuals or organizations in Ottawa, our charming capital, pushing to make it look more like a banana republic when it comes to freedom of expression, democratic pluralism, and intellectual debate.

Indeed, several NGOs and interests groups, many of which are federally-funded, called for the cancellation of his talk. However, Mr. Rex Murphy informed us, in an article published in the National Post entitled “Goodness, gracious, Ottawa survived Jordan Peterson” of the following happy outcome: Dr. Peterson’s talk was a full house event at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa (https://bit.ly/3wO4TlF). Bravo for the successful public event!

Yes, Bambi described the outcome above as being “happy” because, like the friend who shared this article with her, she strongly believes in the value of freedom of expression. For her, it is very simple: you like to listen to Dr. Peterson, go to his public event(s). You do not like Dr. Peterson’s ideas or even character or whatever else related to him, do not go to his public event(s). However, for God’s sake do not impose your intolerance of different ideas on all of us. Do not make us more and more look like a banana republic than a free, democratic country.

Luckily, even countries at risk of becoming failed states or true banana republics, at least economically speaking, still have freedom of the press. For instance, An Nahar published an article entitled “Where every dollar makes the best gains; in Arabic: حيث يحقق كل دولار أفضل المكاسب. (https://bit.ly/3Yd5w3Q) co-signed by our own Dr. Jordan Peterson. Guess what? The article was professionally written. It did not include highly charged terms, like “a controversial professor”, as the Canadian mainstream media do. It only stated this professor’s name, title, credentials, and titles of books. It is up to people to decide whether they wish to read his text or any of his books. It is not up to the media to direct their thoughts into rejecting or endorsing his thoughts or findings. Why can’t we do the same in Canada anymore?

Luckily, to end on a more joyful note, Canada now has at least two provinces with either a bill (Québec, as shown below) or a promise for a legal action (Alberta; https://bit.ly/3RpMS6E) to protect academic freedom. It is both refreshing and absurd when we need governments to interfere to remind academics of the value of academic freedom and freedom of expression. Nevertheless, it is a move in the right direction, even if applications of bills may not be optimal in the end. Will it be enough and what is next for Canada? Only time will tell, of course. For now, Bambi wants to celebrate the hope for brighter days ahead.

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Supporting Academic Freedom: Bravo to Québec Minister of Higher Education for speaking out against censorship and discrimination in the universities of her province!

A while ago, Bambi translated Ms. Yasmine Ali’s beautiful Egyptian-Arabic song, entitled “Meeting new people, leaving other people” into English, as per the older post shown at the end of this one.

Today, this song was on her mind since this morning. If she may, she would like to share what she thinks is a lovely a cappella performance of it by Lebanese singer Shireen ABusaad.

Each of our relationships can teach us a precious lesson. May your life be enriched with meaningful relationships, whether they last a season or a lifetime.

“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?“

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The magic and power of love and hope in two beautiful songs

Today, the Government of Québec called for the resignation of the federal representative against Islamophobia. Bravo because her nomination is a joke, to say the least (https://bit.ly/3HntPW3), as per the two posts shown further below.

Now the question that begs itself is the following:

Talking about this Mr. Elghawaby, Mr. Trudeau said that “over the years, she has had the opportunity to consider the impacts of various pieces of legislature on the community — part of what makes her role important. He said Elghawaby was appointed because she knows the Muslim community well and can share their concerns. She is there to speak for the community with the community and build bridges. Her job now is to make sure that she is helping the government and helping everyone move forward in the fight against Islamophobia”.

Since when there is one single Muslim community, Mr. Trudeau? Since when there is one single Jewish community as well?

Ms. Elghawaby may know how to speak our government language well. Hence her political nomination. She surely does not represent the majority of the Canadian Muslims (and specifically women; some are observant and others are not), whether of Arabic ethnolinguistic background or not. Same for Mr. Bernie Farber, he does not represent all the Canadian Jews, for sure.

So, Mr. Trudeau, how can you talk about “bridge building” when Ms. Elghawaby’s words are too divisive and too disrespectful toward the people of Québec and their democratic choices? Do you really think that we are too stupid to this extent to swallow your descriptive words?

In other terms, words have meaning, Mr. Trudeau (at least still in Bambi’s dictionary, even in our collectively insane times). When you allowed yourself to call a political opponent “racist” or your fellow Canadians, who did not get vaccinated, “racist and misogynistic extremists“, how can we believe you now when you tell us that Ms. Elghawaby is a bridge builder?

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Mr. Pierre Poilievre: thank you for your wise words calling for unity, instead of increased divisiveness

Ms. Amira Elghawaby: She called Québeckers “Islamophobic” as she dislikes their secularism and Bill 21. Mr. Trudeau appointed her “Canada’ first representative to fight against Islamophobia”

Bambi has two aunts, maternal and paternal, called “Renée”. Last November, she honoured the first, as shown further below. Today, she wants to devote this post to her maternal aunt Renée who is coping with pain, post-surgery, while celebrating her birthday.

Bambi loves you a lot, dearest “tante” [or aunty] Renée ❤️. She sends you daily positive vibes through her heart’s prayer in addition to warm (and fond) regards across the miles. Of course, she also wants to wish you a Happy/ier Birthday with the song below.

To conclude this post, Bambi will thank you Renée for the inspiration in life from her childhood, through her youth, and into her adult life. For instance, she will always remember what you wrote in her little diary filled with thoughtful notes from loved ones when she was 8 years old. She still has this booklet in a sealed box in her basement called “Memories from Lebanon“. Yes, it travelled sea, ocean, and across three different Canadian provinces. Your inspiring note, written in French, reads as follows: “Be good [Bambi]. Goodness contains the other virtues“.

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Mr. Zaki Nassif: “Lover of flowers” [“Ya Ashikata el Wardi”]

Bambi just learned, from an article published in La Presse (https://bit.ly/3XOZre8) that Canada and the world lost Ms. Viola Léger, this GREAT and highly moving actress from New Brunswick, who interpreted the character of La Sagouine, the masterpiece of Ms. Antonine Maillet; a book Bambi saw last July among her mom’s collection of Canadian books in Beirut. Luckily, this book remained intact when the apartment of Bambi’s parents was heavily damaged in the Beirut port explosion of 2020.

From the website of the Pays de La Sagouine (https://bit.ly/40dLtUA), we can read the following about her impressive career achievements, prizes, and honours: “Ms. Léger was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1989. Her singular talent has earned her many awards and honours: the 1995 New Brunswick Government’s Award of Excellence in the Arts, Order of the New Brunswick -Brunswick in 2007 and four honorary doctorates. She was named Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France in 1991, member of the Order of Francophones of America in 1998 and Knight of the Order of the Pléiade in 2004. From 2001 to 2006, Ms. Léger sat in the Senate, where she emphasized the importance of artists in our society”.

May Ms. Léger rest in peace. May her memory be eternal. If she may, Bambi would like to thank her while extending her heartfelt condolences to her family, to Ms. Antonine Maillet too, to her friends, colleagues, tourists who visited Le Pays de La Sagouine in Bouctouche, local Canadians, and all the lovers of the French language and culture across Canada, North America, in France/Europe, and in the entire “Francophonie” of the world, including Lebanon.

To conclude this brief tribute to Ms. Léger, Bambi will end with parts of the “Le recensement” she found on Youtube with the most talented La Sagouine! Thank you for the smiles. Thank you for the laughter and for allowing us to learn and reflect about the meaning of an Acadian heritage, not really American, not really French-Canadian [or “Canadians-Français” as this would be a label more meant for Québekers, as you said :)]. As a reply to this interesting scene, below is a brief yet also hilarious moment from the Elvis Gratton movie, which tries to explain what is a “Canadian français” or “Québécois” to a French tourist on an airplane :).

Bambi does not care in which political family someone is a member of. She only cares about their wise messages or good acts. Today, Mr. Poilievre was that wise Canadian politician, in both languages.

No to increased divisiveness. Yes for respect for all, including Québeckers (+ Jewish Canadians and police, etc.). Yes for unity in our country. Yes also for respecting the voices of the majority of Canadians who happen to be moderate Muslims, whether their ethnolinguistic heritage is Arab or not. They all want to see more harmony and less radicalism in Canada. They left their troubled home birth countries, precisely because of extremism and tribalism. They have never ever imagined that their adoptive country will be in such a mess, which in the end can only serve extremists.

Thank you, Mr. Poilievre. Merci bien. The first video is in English. The second in French. An earlier post about Ms. Amira Elghawaby appears at the end of the current one.

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Ms. Amira Elghawaby: She called Québeckers “Islamophobic” as she dislikes their secularism and Bill 21. Mr. Trudeau appointed her “Canada’ first representative to fight against Islamophobia”

The news around the world are rather sad with continuous wars, shootings, shelling, executions, hyperinflation, and security issues. Sadly, there are several hot places, including an unfolding war tragedy in Ukraine, bloody armed conflicts, shootings, or authoritarian states in the Middle East, and last but not least, nations with a risk of a state collapse, like tiny and bankrupt yet still dignified Lebanon.

While chatting with her parents this morning, Bambi learned that in maybe less than 24 hours, Lebanon’s currency dropped in value by over 10,000 Lebanese Lira (or pounds), with an exchange rate of 63,000 to even 70,000 to the US dollar. How do people manage? This has been going on for years. Today seems like the worst day.

How not to lose one’s sanity in such harsh economic circumstances or in long absurd wars or in any other adversity?! Is there any magical recipe of hope?

Luckily, one can use something called humour to distance oneself emotionally from a continuous tragedy. Maybe another ingredient of the hope recipe, for some at least, is to pray for sunnier days? Another coping strategy may be to let oneself be inspired by meaningful words of artists who write and sing hymns to hope, like our talented Canadian singer/songwriter Nicola Ciccone? Bambi will borrow his words that she will translate for you as follows: “After the tears and the sadness, after the storm, and after distress, a sun always rises”.

Thanks to Ms. Mylène Crête and Mr. Hugo Pilon LaRose, from La Presse, for reminding us of a July 2019 article by M. Amira Elghawaby ( s://bit.ly/3Dma67N), co-signed by Mr. Bernie Farber (both of them are board members of the so-called Canadian Anti-Hate Network). In this article (https://bit.ly/3WIYN0r), she called Québeckers Islamophobic, imagine. So, in a so-called anti-hate network, we are allowed to be hateful against some Canadians, but not others. She wrote: “Unfortunately, the majority of Québecers appear to be swayed not by the rule of law, but by anti-Muslim sentiment“.

If Ms. Elghawaby chooses to be ignorant and mean to Québeckers, we can understand. It is her right to freedom of expression. However, for our Prime Minister to appoint her to the position of Canada’s first representative to fight against Islamophobia tells us about his government’s top priority: legally challenging Québec’s Bill 21 by all means, including political nominations like this one.

Dr. Karim Émile Bitar wears several academic and expert hats. He is an Associate Professor of International Relations at Lebanon’s Université Saint-Joseph (USJ), an Associate Fellow at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP), a Research Associate at Brussels’ Institut Medea, an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for International and Strategic Affairs in Paris (IRIS). He is also a Professor of International Relations and of History of Political Thought at many French Grandes Écoles. He regularly testifies before the Foreign Affairs Committees of the French and European Parliaments. Professor Bitar graduated from prestigious universities in Paris and Canada, including McGill University. In addition to Law, he studied Administration, Economics, and International Relations. He knows what he is talking about when he warns us that: “We are witnessing the complete collapse of our entire judicial system“. Is anyone hearing from the international community and… what is next for Lebanon?!