By its essence and across its articles (the latest is about a story from NB that happened during the pandemic), this section seems to want us to believe that: All black Canadians are the same. It does not matter
whether they are locals from a rural community in Nova Scotia, immigrants in
Toronto from Jamaica, or Québeckers whose ancestors came from Haiti many
decades ago.
It also wants us to think that all people with a
darker skin, across all cultures and sub-cultures, think the same. How could
this be possible ??
For instance, what does a second or third generation child whose ancestors came
from the Ivory Coast have to do with a refugee from Palestine who happens to be
black?
Should we laugh or cry to our increasingly stupid
times?
This has nothing to do with a genuine concern for respect and justice to each Canadian.
This looks like a societal movement that insists on
dividing our young country into tribes. Today, it is in the name of a global
justice movement of so-called Blacks. Tomorrow about what and whom? Arabs?
Muslims? Other?
How about Canadians who are short or left-handed? Will we ever see this ?? Even if left-handed people like Bambi are often disadvantaged, Bambi would find such divisive lines silly.
More seriously, this movement, if pushed too far, could resemble a certain form of identity socialism. Not any identity politics. It is about one tiny or superficial aspect of someone’s characteristic. We are calling it diversity and we appear to be glorifying it (of course, as long as the person put in this category endorses the movement. If not, we would not care about that individual).
Such movements seem to insist on reducing the person to just a single characteristic. It pretends to speak in its name and in the name of all the persons who may look like this characteristic. For Bambi, this is a form of both neo-colonialism and neo-racism.
Bambi may be wrong but in her non-expert citizen
opinion, the irony is that all this is disguised into a noble anti-racism.
A possible antidote to such movement may be a simple individual
characteristic: our critical sense. This will protect us (and others) from blindly
endorsing movements, political or religious or whatever else. It may be challenging
to critically think (not just repeat clichés) when a whole society, from the
top of its pyramid all the way down seems to be obsessed with the new narrative
(of course, some may be true believers. Others may pretend it, just to be left
alone or to advance in a career, political or other, etc.).
Luckily both young and older members of this or that
group do have a critical sense. They refuse to blindly embark in movements or to
allow others to speak in their name. You would be surprised to see how
unpopular these movements are among immigrants. Not surprising for Bambi
though. Indeed, many of the latter (including herself) left their birth
countries, precisely because of such limited visions of a society. Their
nightmare would be when Canada becomes like their birth countries, instead of
the opposite.
Well, when Bambi visited her birth country in December (story of an older post), she met with a school friend she had not seen for 30 years. The latter recalled when Bambi (delegate of their class) stoop up to militiamen who came to take school kids to applaud to a certain politician in another school (this was during civil war). Bambi told those guys: “We are not sheep and we are not going with you”. Well, the youth of all the schools had to attend in the end. This was not negotiable. Bambi did the following then: She went to hide in the washroom in order not to be forced to go with the crowd, against her will.
Of course, that was an extreme case in extreme times. However, make no mistake, our own times may become increasingly extreme with time (we are already seeing examples of vandalism or censorship here and there). Indeed, no country is immune, especially younger ones and perhaps more easily when people stop believing in their civilization or culture, feel too guilty of injustice in the world, or are too harsh with themselves. Instead of learning from their past, some may literally want to erase history. Instead of feeling proud/patriotic, the latter healthy feelings become unpopular or perceived as being racist, etc. They forget that, in order to respect others, we need to have self-respect.
As promised, Mr. Macron returned to Lebanon 23-24 days after his last visit on August 6, 2020 (which took place just 2 days post-explosion).
Everyone was glued to his/her TV to watch him. Some people hugged him on the street. He is definitely the most famous politician in Beirut :).
Mr. Macron will be coming back to Lebanon in December. Until then, he is putting more pressure on the Lebanese authorities, insisting that they form a government within 15 days only (usually, it takes them an endless time to veto or fight for political power).
Now, surprisingly, they all agreed to nominate a new PM on the eve of Mr. Macron’s visit. His name is Mr. Mustapha Adib. Bambi has never heard of him before and she is not the only one. He seems to have been the political advisor of a former PM who, in turn, nominated him as the Ambassador of Lebanon in Berlin. He was born in Tripoli. He is 48-year-old (his birthday was two days ago). He has a PhD in law and political science. His spouse is French and they have five children (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustapha_Adib_(politician). If Bambi understands the news well, he seems to be supported by France and Iran (+ other countries) whilst the USA is fine with him (it does not want to veto his name, so to speak).
There has been a shocking abuse of the freedom of press during the day of parliamentary consultations to nominate a PM. Specifically, the Lebanese MTV channel (one of the most highly respected mainstream media!) was prevented from covering the day-long event at the Presidential Palace. Can you imagine? The good news is that EVERYONE in Lebanon denounced this censorship (independent MPs like Ms. Paula Yaakoubian, other political figures, the media, the population on social media, etc.)!
Related to freedom, as you can see below, it seems that Hezbollah’s Mr. Nasrallah is asking to boycott Arab channels like Sky News – Arabic and Al Arabiya– Al Hadath. He is even threatenening to prevent them from broadcasting.
The attack on the freedom of the press is VERY worrisome. Bambi is against boycott in life because she believe in the freedom of thoughts and choice.
This being said, to come back to the new PM, Dr. Adib, two thoughts come to Bambi’s mind: All the Lebanese political fractions agree on his nomination, even if he seems to lack the political experience to lead a complex country like tiny, bankrupt, corrupt, and vulnerable Lebanon (on all fronts, namely public health, internal security, and geopolitical risk). Why is that in reality? Is it because he will be a good cover for their corruption OR just useless and this suits them? Who knows? Perhaps he will surprise Lebanon and the world with his magical efficacy, even if that same old corrupt system is still running the show. One thing good that this new PM did was to go talk to the people affected by the explosion on the streets. No Lebanese politician has dared to do this yet (only Mr. Macron and twice thus far!).
Anyhow, time will tell what will happen in Beirut… Until then, may Tamara’s mom and her 199 fellow citizens who lost their lives rest in peace. May the 6500 injured people heal. Best wishes to those left on their own to repair their destroyed homes, businesses, and/or cars.
May Lebanon finally know how to end impunity in order to truly reform itself in all sectors, namely financial (i.e., banking, etc.), political, and legal. It is hard to start or know from where to start the clean-up. However, one thing is sure in life and we know it from key theories of change of behaviours: Intention to change has to precede any plan of action. We also know that the resistance to change can be too powerful in its toxicity. Despite this, a change is overdue. If not, the alternative would be a clear take-over… or eventually civil unrest, especially if key external players come into play (like what happened in Syria). More than ever, Lebanon needs to hang on to its sovereignty in its institutions, borders, and a prosperous vision for the future. Lebanon, and especially the Lebanese people (i.e., their safety and well-being) must come first, that is before any loyalty to external ideologies or regional forces (from Iran, Syria, Russia, to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, or other).
As for Mr. Macron, during his very busy 48-hour-trip to Lebanon, he offered the diva Fairuz the “Legion of Honour”, which is the highest official French honour. Among her famous songs in the Arab world are: Li Beirut as well as Bihabek ya Loubnan. The latter means: “I love you Lebanon“. It is with these cute yet apparently heart-felt words, (pronounced incredibly well) that France President chose to end his last press conference before taking the plane back to Paris. Mr. Macron seems to have continuity in his thoughts. He began his second trip to Lebanon by honouring Fairuz.
In addition to his numerous meetings meant to oversee the work/coordination of volunteers and the 700 helping French soldiers as well as his encounters with the population on the streets, his meetings with politicians/key national figures, and with the singer Fairuz, Mr. Macron took the time to plant a cedar. He did so to celebrate Lebanon’s 100th birthday, as a symbol of hope. Once again, he gave hope to the people of Lebanon. This being sad, some young people decided to take the streets to demonstrate, asking him not to deal with the criminals in power (see further below, video in French).
One thing is sure, the people of Lebanon are far from being naive, even when they seem to want to believe in a saviour (like Mr. Macron). People know the issues of their country too well. Same for Mr. Macron, most likely. Despite this, he seems to be willing to take the risk when it comes to show his support to the Lebanese people. However, even with the purest intentions in the world, can he help Lebanon in reforming to be able to save itself?
Will it accept to reform finally? If so or if at all possible still, why did the Lead Lebanon Negotiator for IMF resign on August 30, 2020? According to Bloomberg, “he is the third ministry official to quit over Lebanon’s response to its financial crises” (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-30/lead-lebanon-negotiator-for-imf-and-eurobond-restructuring-quits). What are the next steps for Lebanon? How will it succeed in re-building the trust with its own people and, one day again, with any investor?
A moving picture taken from Reuters.
A picture released by Fairuz. She is 85-year-old, it seems. In Bambi’s mind, she is ageless. She is wearing a protective mask. He is not. They spent over an hour and 15 minutes together. She offered him the delicious Lebanese coffee, it seems (and likely other goodies :)). Thank you Mr. Macron for your visit and for honouring our amazing Fairuz!
Young Lebanese protesters asking Mr. Macron “not to collaborate with the murderers in power. They want justice. If the (international) justice finds those politicians innocent, be it“. As a reminder, MANY of the actual politicians, including the President of the country, knew about the ammonium nitrate that exploded at the Beirut port (whether purely accidentally or not).
In this clever cartoon by Mr. Yannick Lemay, you can see our strange times:
The decapitated head of Sir MacDonald, the first PM of Canada (vandalism with an ISIS style).
The Montreal police officer with his covid-19 mask put on his eyes instead of his nose and mouth (no, he did not see anything). He is even sleeping and snoring.
Have you ever tried to bring down a heavy historical monument in your life? Even if she has not tried it, Bambi can imagine that you cannot destroy it without equipment and preparation. This police officer (and perhaps with him Montreal’s Mayor) must have been taking a long nap :). Mayor Plante wants us to believe that she woke up after the vandalism and she condemned it, which is good. Maybe? But now what?
Last but not least, radical extremists in Montreal destroyed our country’s history in front of our eyes… ISIS and Taliban style. Today, these extremists are leftists (it may partly explain the silence of most of the political elite or the sympathy of the media; fear may be another factor. Some dared to speak today, like Mr. Trudeau. Bravo to him, it is never too late to stand up for common sense. However, perhaps his good words were not that clearly strong, even if they made more sense than his vague words during the WE investigation). Regardless, Mr. Trudeau is absolutely right on this one: We have to keep a critical eye on all the PM’s work, including his own dad, as he said. Bambi will allow herself to add that this also includes himself as well :). Indeed, one day, we will have his statue or portrait. He can be assured that Bambi will be defending history with the same convictions, as she is now, if his statue or portrait would be attacked. It is about Canada. It is about principles. It is about our heritage (and pride). It is about our self-respect, as a civilization. Why are we doing this to ourselves? Why should we follow trends in the USA (aren’t we truly sovereign?)? Why follow the world’s latest ideologies, without critical sense or choice? Why can’t we be have our own spine, as a country? Is this too much to ask for?
Today, it is about Sir MacDonald’ statue. Tomorrow, it will be about another historical figure. Today, it is by this radical group. Tomorrow, by another (perhaps to the right, perhaps not). Bambi would not be surprised if those thugs would dare to go after Mr. René Lévesque’s symbols, one day. Of course, Québeckers will not take it… If they would, our times would be much stranger.
Funny how people have a selective memory when it comes to Mr. MacDonald. He was not the kindest to French Canadians (in addition to, of course, our Dear First Nations). Yet, we owe respect to our history, and this includes ALL our Prime Ministers, from Sir MacDonald all the way to Mr. Justin Trudeau. Without the former, the latter would not exist. Plus, you and Bambi would have not been able to call Canada home.
From Bambi’s non-expert citizen experience in unstable countries and/or times, violence usually starts against monuments, electoral signs, properties… and if there is no push back, it may increase to the point of targeting real people on day. Why aren’t we pushing back now, before it would be too late?
It is Bambi’s hope that this cartoon’s sleeping police officer will wake up before it is too late and his job becomes more difficult… At the end of the day, despite all the calls to de-fund the police (some literally say abolish it), it is 911 that we will likely all dial when our safety is at risk.
To conclude this post, here is an earlier comment by Bambi to the incident in Montreal:
Like their parents and ancestors, they just love Beirut.
Unlike many of us, they are gifted with a fabulous voice and magical fingers.
Bambi was deeply moved by this beautiful video, “Li Beirut – Cover by Romy Mounzer“. She is happy to share it with you (thank you Marina)!
From 2:53 to 3:09 minutes into this video, you can hear artist and singer/song-writer (+ mom, we learn from her Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/romy_moun/?hl=en) adding English words to the famous Fairuz, Li Beirut, song: “We stand with you, we pray for you, you will rise once again“. Well said, thank you!
Bravo to both Ms. Romy Mounzer (angelic voice!) and Ms. Romy Sukkarieh (moving piano melody!) for sharing your beautiful talents. Both of you are blessed to have supportive and talented families… Well, Bambi is honoured to call herself a family’s friend :).
At the end of this post, if you wish, you can hear again Mayssa’s own dad honouring Beirut on his piano (Mr. Nagi Sukkarieh). Among the comments, you can read Maysa’s own beautiful words to her beloved “baba” [Maysa, Bambi finally had the chance to discover your talent :)].
Following this post, if you wish, you can re-hear/re-watch, Li-Beirut, a beautiful yet moving artistic video about the August 4th port explosion (shared by Ms. Roula Douglas).
In that earlier post, you can read an English translation of this eternal Lebanese song.
1. People in NB asks her: “where are you from?” (she happens to be from Ontario).
&
2. And when she was 16, “One of her
friends gave a toast and called her one of the most beautiful Black girls in
school”.
Whensomeone asks us from where we come from (other dorm, street, village, province/territory, or other country), it is usually meant to engage a friendly conversation. It shows an interest in our story. Sometimes people assume we are originally from X when we actually come from Y. So what? Why do we always need to read every gesture and every word through the lens of racism? Plus, if we reply and take the time to ask the persons about their own stories of where they come from, we become culturally richer.
Plus, even if we encounter true racism in life, so what? Who hasn’t heard a hurtful word? In such situations, we can sometimes resort to humour to educate others, as needed. We can decide to ignore and learn to develop a thick skin. We may perhaps take a wait and see approach to better assess a repetitive situation, etc. Who knows? We could also decide to share our feelings with the person in question, if the latter is a friend we care about, etc.
Bambi is saying all this while recalling personal stories of what could be racism or just negative comments in life. For instance, one story she can think of occurred when she was 16 herself, like Ms. Thomas’ incident with her friend. One guy, at her school in Beirut, used to tease her by calling odd names. Once, he called her “the municipality’s broom” (because of her curly hair). She sarcastically replied, calling him the name of the largest wild animal she knew of at that time (it was not a moose, although much bigger than a deer ?). Well, this boy is a middle-aged man now. Interestingly, he still recalls this school story. A few years ago, he asked a friend about that small girl with lots of hair who called him animal. He wanted to know what happened to her because the last school year ended abruptly. Her friend told him that Bambi also survived war and lives in Canada. It is thoughtful of him to be concerned. Well, it is Bambi’s turn today to wish/pray that he survived the Beirut explosion, along with his family.
To come back to the CBC
article, the irony is Ms. Thomas’ own contradiction in two of her statements on
racism:
“That I couldn’t be just beautiful or attractive,” she
wrote. “That I was only beautiful because I was black. Again,
the colour of my skin put me on a different standard.”
In contrast, earlier in
the text, she said:
“One of my favourite quotes from an activist is, being Black in 2020
is being stressed about the pandemic, worried about your health and your
well-being, and then going on and watching another person of colour being
murdered on TV,” Thomas said.
“You have all of that, and you still have racism.”
On one hand, Ms. Thomas is telling us that watching another person of colour
murdered on TV is the ultimate stressor in the life of an already stressed “Black
in 2020”. On the other hand, when a friend tells her she is “the most beautiful
black girl in school”, she tells us that the latter is the utmost experience
of racism.
What about the comment of her friend about her beauty? By slightly working on her attitude, could she perhaps start seeing that this comment may have been meant to be kind, despite its clumsiness?
And what about if the person murdered on TV happened to be from another ethnolinguistic
background, this would not be distressing too?
As for the CBC’s journalist, are these the worst examples of racism he could find in our province ?? If so, thank you for reassuring Bambi, once again, that New Brunswickers are far from being racist. Indeed, Canadians are among the nicest people in the world (even if a handful of individuals here and there may be truly racist, toxic even, or literally criminals).
Further below, you will see a screenshot
of the original text, that appeared in the Naharnet.
Bambi’s comments are in bold.
———
Nasrallah to Israel: Your soldiers
will eventually appear on the roads.
What does that mean, Mr.
Nasrallah? Are they hiding? Bambi read that sometimes they use dummies to trick
you. Can you just stop both of you!! This is not a game. You may feel stuck and
their PM may be in election mode. WE DO NOT WANT WAR. People want to live in security
and in peace. Is this too much to ask for?!
Nasrallah: We are not in a hurry to
respond to Israel.
We do not care about neither you nor Israel. Just stop playing with fire! Your country does not need more tragedies!!
Nasrallah: We did not respond to the
Israeli shelling days ago because that was what the Israelis wanted.
No comment. Who cares?
Nasrallah: The Israelis know that we
are not seeking an achievement in the media.
No comment. Who cares? Why are
you saying so and to whom?
Nasrallah: Let the Israelis understand
that whenever they kill one of our mujahideen, we will kill one of their
soldiers.
When will you stop playing risk
like that? When will you behave like a normal Lebanese fellow citizen? When
will write or read a book? When will you just pray or, at least, take a
vacation from war? When will you let the Middle East live in peace?
Nasrallah: Everything that has
happened since our brother’s martyrdom is part of the punishment.
No comment.
Nasrallah: Whenever Israel suspects
any movement, it starts bombing the vicinity of its positions, and this
reflects panic.
We do not care about neither
your interpretation of Israel’s tactic nor their own strategy. We want you both
to stop!
Nasrallah: Israel, on its own,
mobilized its forces and upped its measures on the Lebanese and Syrian
borders… It is now sending remote control vehicles carrying dummies to give
us targets to hit.
No clue if this the truth or not. Bambi reads all international media, including those from your own organization as well as Israeli and Iranian media (some of the latter are too funny to read). Your version is different. In all honesty, she does not care about neither you nor Israel nor Iran. She is sick and tired of all of you!
Nasrallah on Israel’s killing of Hizbullah
member in Syria: We’re committed to an equation and our objective is not
revenge but punishment and to establish a balance of deterrence.
Give your fellow Lebanese
people a break, Mr. Nasrallah. A break from wars, revenges (whether your call
them punishment or not), sorrow… ENOUGH for God’s sake. Yes, God… since you
call your organization “the party of God”, as if God needed a militia.
Nasrallah described the Hizbullah-AMAL
clash in the southern town of Loubieh as regrettable and isolated.
Stop using young people. Enough
stupidity and sadness.
Nasrallah: We stress the depth of the relation
between Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement.
Thugs from different groups do
cooperate sometimes.
Nasrallah: We must be cautious because
there is an attempt to reproduce Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
Mr. Nasrallah, stop lying to people. Stop it, please. Anyhow,
Bambi does not care about neither you nor Daesh. Actually, she cannot stand
neither you nor Daesh. Two sides of the same coin of Islamism (not Islam not
Muslims… the latter being the first victims of this radicalism).
Now, this being said, she will pause here thinking of all the young Lebanese people from your own organization whom you took to war behind the back of your own government. MANY died sadly. May they rest in peace…
Nasrallah: Claims that Hizbullah is
linked to the ammonium nitrate are lies.
Once again, your statement of matters as being the truth
does not make them necessarily THE truth. Lebanese people want an international
investigation!
Nasrallah: We call on the Lebanese
Army to declare the results of the probe.
Who are you to call on the
Lebanese Army to declare anything? Shouldn’t this come from the Lebanese
authorities… or the masks are truly uncovered and the emperor naked then? How
ugly he is… OUF.
Nasrallah: I call on authorities to
declare whether there were any missiles or weapons at the port.
No comment… except that everyone knows who controls the port and who smuggles what at borders, etc.
Nasrallah: I call on authorities to
declare the results of the technical probe.
No comment.
Nasrallah: We stress that the judiciary
should firmly follow up on the port blast. The blood of martyrs should not go
in vain.
DO NOT CALL THE VICTIMS MARTYRS, Mr. Nasrallah. They did not choose to die. They are the victims of the Lebanese authorities’ criminal negligence (you are responsible for their misery as well if not even more so, Mr. Nasrallah).
The Lebanese people want an international investigation. Your “chum”, Lebanon’s president (= you then) does not want one. How can the Lebanese people trust the investigation you are referring to? Look what happened to them with the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon… This is not promising for the current investigation.
Nasrallah: Compensations should be
paid to the people so that they can return to their homes.
Which homes, Mr. Nasrallah? What about those in their homes who have it destroyed and who keep discovering more broken items each day, like Bambi’s parents?
Why would people believe the
authorities on this issue, if they lie to them on so many other issues,
including their stolen savings and ammonium nitrate?
Nasrallah: Had the presidents of Iran
or Syria called for a new political contract in Lebanon, would [would] have
happened? There is a problem in the Lebanese political culture.
To use your logic, the
Presidents of Iran and Syria do not have to call for anything. They have a puppet
that executes their wills. They can use their saliva for other matters.
Luckily Lebanon has friends in
the international community, including France and Canada, etc.
You know very well how small
your country is. When you are a small vulnerable entity, your interests are
better served by being plus or minus at equal distance with all. This is easy
to achieve when we put Lebanon FIRST.
Nasrallah: Years ago, I mentioned a
constituent assembly to improve the Taef Accord and we remember the reactions
that occurred.
Bambi does not recall this part of history. She has left
the country in 1990. She just reads and understands that Taef Accord was never
implemented as it should. So who knows? Perhaps you have a point here. Lebanon
does not respect neither its constitution nor the Taef Accord nor its own
people!
Nasrallah: The French president called
for a new political contract in Lebanon during his recent visit… We are open
to any calm discussions in this regard, but we have a condition, that the
discussions should enjoy the consensus of all components.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Your last sentence says it all…
Nasrallah: Who says that the Lebanese
people want a neutral, technocrat or political government?
What does this sentence mean, Mr. Nasrallah? To whom are you addressing it specifically, to Mr. Macron re-visiting Lebanon tomorrow or to the majority of the Lebanese people who cannot stand your hegemony on their lives anymore? Are you saying this to all those who lost loved ones or those who are still sleeping in destroyed homes without glasses? Are you saying it to ALL of those who are sick and tired of wars and unrest? Why are you making fun of people’s demands, young and seniors, secular and spiritual, etc.?
Nasrallah: We can claim that we are
the biggest political party in Lebanon with the biggest number of supporters,
but we do not claim that we represent the entire Lebanese people.
Ha!Ha!Ha! You barely represent yourself, along with a few
illuminated supporters or those who benefit from you in one way or the other.
Nasrallah: Are protests and street
presence the criterion for reflecting popular demands? Shall we organize a
referendum?
Oh, now you are an expert of democracy, Mr. Nasrallah? You forgot your real mission: Terrorizing people? Shame on you ?.
Nasrallah: International calls for
meeting the demands of the Lebanese people are excellent.
Are you being hypocritical here, Mr. Nasrallah? Or just
stating the obvious. Are we talking like the President of Lebanon now? Why are
you saying all this and who is your audience?
Nasrallah: We will cooperate to pull
the country out of any governmental vacuum.
Vacuum or not, government or caretaker government, you are
behind the scenes.
Sorry to be impolite: Same old “shit” still.
Nasrallah: We hope parliamentary blocs will be able to name a
premier-designate tomorrow.
What difference does it/will it make, Mr. Nasrallah?
Nasrallah: Claims that Hizbullah is
impeding reforms are lies.
Ha!Ha!Ha! Just by you
saying it proves that it is true.
Nasrallah: We are pinning hope on the
coming hours. We need a government that can achieve reforms.
Lebanon needs a government free
of all its corrupt people from the era of war. “All of them means all of them”
is the clever slogan of the people’s revolt (remember, you and your puppets,
like the President et al., are also part of them).
Now to be more realistic,
Lebanon cannot get rid of anyone right now. It has to wait for elections. These
need to happen as soon as realistically possible.
Nasrallah on Netanyahu’s stance
rejecting the sale of F-35s to the UAE: Israel does not trust the UAE or any
other nation in the region.
No clue what you are talking about.
None of Bambi’s business.
Nasrallah on UAE-Israeli deal: Any
such agreement is treason.
In Québec, they say to a young kid too curious about others:
“Répète après moi: De quoi je me mêle?” Bambi will say the same to you,
Mr. Nasrallah. Repeat after her: “This is none of my business. This is none
of my business… etc.” ?.
Nasrallah: We condemn all attempts to
acknowledge Israel and all forms of normalization with this enemy. We renew our
condemnation of the stance of the officials in the UAE.
What is between two other sovereign countries is neither
your business nor Iran’s business. It is their choice (if they really have the
choice with Iran next door). The latter’s expertise being war by proxy.
Nasrallah: The same as we triumphed
over the past years, the same as those in Yemen, Syria and Iran have triumphed,
we believe that there will be coming victories in the future.
Are you telling us that there will be wars? Are you
threatening here?
Nasrallah: The U.S. is interfering in
Iraq and imposing a siege on Iran.
Is Iran interfering in Iraq, Mr. Nasrallah? Are your organization
members there too? Bambi has read about an Iraqi’s Hezbollah, of course also funded
by the poor Iranian people’s taxes.
It is sad that, no matter the strategy of the USA, the Iranian people seem to pay the price, not their horrible regime. Once the latter pays a price (or negotiates with the USA), Lebanon will be free of your grasp on it.
Nasrallah: The U.S. is imposing an
unjust siege on Syria and occupying Syrian territory. The U.S. backs tyrant
regimes in our region, such as in Bahrain.
Ha!Ha!Ha! Bambi does not follow all the details of the
Syrian war… but you seem to have forgotten that you back Iran and Syria’s
Bachar el Assad.
Nasrallah: There is a U.S. aggression
against our region, manifested in the U.S. policies towards occupied Palestine
and the war in Yemen.
The USA have bigger concerns than
your Middle East.
Nasrallah: The U.S. administration
wants to practice hegemony and impose governments on peoples.
It is not because you are saying it as a truth that it is the truth (or the whole truth).
Nasrallah: We in Hizbullah, in the
Islamic resistance in Lebanon, stress our firm commitment to rejecting this
usurping entity (Israel), even if the entire world acknowledges its existence.
We will continue to stand by anyone who fights it.
Mr. Nasrallah, regardless of the
topic (here it is about Israel), you do not speak for all Muslims in Lebanon
and surely for not ALL Lebanese (18 different religions and many who are
atheists). Just keep this in mind. What do you mean by “we will continue to
stand by anyone who fights it?” Are you reassuring your fellow Lebanese citizens
that you will keep betraying their aspirations and country’s interests by
putting Iran first?
Is your message meant for the Lebanese
or for the international community, especially at the eve of Mr. Macron’s re-visit
to Beirut?
Are you playing bad cop/good cop
with Mr. Aoun (Lebanon’s President). He is showing his good cop side (secular
country needed, he is saying) and you, as usual, the bad one. You are using terms
like “Islamic resistance”. Not just Muslim, Islamic. Not just Lebanese, not
civil, not human… Islamic. How would you and the President of Lebanon reconcile
these two visions of your country?
Thoughts?
By the way, when will you stop
taking your country hostage of your narrow-minded yet megalomanic vision (or
rather Iran’s vision and you are the tool)?
Nasrallah: I will tackle the regional
situation, the Lebanese situation and the situation on the border.
OK, all ears (or rather eyes).
Nasrallah: This year, the Ashura day
is sadder, because the squares are empty due to coronavirus.
With all due respect to all religious celebrations in life, Ashura is not Bambi’s favourite one. Actually, and in all honesty, she dislikes this medically dangerous celebration. Thanks to covid-19 (or your excuse of using the pandemic), there would be fewer cases of infections due to Ashura’s self-imposed injuries in Lebanon this year.
In the article below, we lean that a Canadian politician (“Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay” whom Bambi has never heard of before) apologizes for tweet linking Freeland with billionaire Soros“. If you have the time, you can read the CBC article below:
Bambi just watched the deleted video on the Twitter account of Mr. Ezra Levant (Rebel News). She listened to it twice. There is nothing in it :).
Bambi’s post is neither about Ms. Findlay nor about about Ms. Freeland (she does not care about neither of them, in all honesty and with all due respect). Her post is neither about the Liberals not about the Conservatives. She cares more about Canada than about two parties of the Establishment, which are both much alike in many ways (namely political correctness).
This post is rather about political correctness itself as this is the elephant in the room here. This is what is making people apologize for expressing an opinion, whether rooted in science or just in a personal or political opinion. What kind of world are we living in? We cannot even say anything about any matter anymore.
For instance, the CBC article reads the following:
“The U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy organization, says in a 2018 blog post that Soros “has become a lightning rod for conservative and right-wing groups who object to his funding of liberal causes.”
“In far-right circles worldwide, Soros’ philanthropy often is recast as fodder for outsized conspiracy theories, including claims that he masterminds specific global plots or manipulates particular events to further his goals,” the ADL’s post reads.
“Many of those conspiracy theories employ longstanding anti-Semitic myths, particularly the notion that rich and powerful Jews work behind the scenes, plotting to control countries and manipulate global events.“
Well, here is what Bambi’s favourite Canadian “jew-boy” 🙂 said. He generously gave her the permission to share:
“Mr. Soros seems to have built his empire by modelling himself on an anti-Semite perception of a Jew.”
As you can see in the video shared at the end of this post, so-called anti-racist demonstrators walked in the streets of Montreal, asking to defund the police. At one point, they destroyed the statue of Sir John Alexander Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada (1867–1873, 1878–1891).
Apparently, Mayor Valérie Plante acted VERY well, although AFTER the vandalism. Bravo to her for having tweeted, stating that vandalism is unacceptable and that the police will be investigating.
The question that begs itself though is the following: Why didn’t the police (or herself if she is the one giving the orders to the police) stop those radical freaks before they destroyed this historical monument? Bambi is saying so, regardless of whom the latter represents. In that case, it is Canada’s first PM, which is not any symbol to say the least.
Today it is about Sir MacDonald. Tomorrow, it will be about someone or something else. Usually radicals keep acting more violently if there is no push back.
In Bambi’s non-expert citizen opinion, there are two possible
answers to her own question above: (1) Mayor Plante/the police are afraid of radicals
OR (2) Mayor Plante/the police endorse this act. Which one is it?
Can someone explain to Bambi how can an incredibly violent
(and silly) act of vandalism of a historical monument advance civil rights or justice
in our world?
To conclude this post, Bambi cannot help not to notice
the contradiction in the news from around the world these days: The people of
Lebanon are struggling to preserve their country, and with it their own lives
and culture. In contrast, the people of Canada are increasingly diving into civilizational
weariness and self-destruction.
Of course, radical thugs are likely serving the interests
of larger players in our world, whether they know it or not. The big losers
here are: (1) Democracy in our beloved country and (2) critical sense, once
again.
This story makes Bambi think of the Taliban and ISIS
who are experts in the destruction of historical monuments too.
Instead of destroying a historical monument, why don’t
we add next to it a plaque explaining controversies? We could thus distinguish between
the good or bad political decisions of this or that historical figure.
In 100 or 200 years from now, we will surely have a
new reading about our current events. Will we again destroy any more recent historical
monument then because of newer societal trends/values?
If we keep destroying parts of our history over and
over, we will lose our memory.
The first source is journalist Roula Douglas who cleverly called Lebanon “an embryo of 100 years” (in reference to the country’s 100 anniversary in its modern form).
Lebanon is indeed an embryo because it sadly seems so far away from being a mature and sustainable country. Worse. It is unclear yet if it would be compatible with life…Thus, it is 100-year-old yet unborn.
It is also an embryo because the promise of life is too fragile. Indeed, even a fully desired hope of life (i.e. a desired pregnancy) can spontaneously end during gestation, usually in the first trimester. Nothing can stop nature when it knows what it’s doing, deciding whether it would be compatible with life or not. Yet, an embryo, although VERY far from being a grown-up human being, it is definitely the most precious life project (your/our/someone’s child-to-be).
You can imagine then how much the “Lebanese embryo” is precious to a nation aspiring for security, peace, love, democracy, and prosperity. It is also precious to Lebanon’s friends in the world. Thanks for all their support!
This being said, the second source of this post’s title comes from one of the masterpieces of Mr. Gibran Khalil Gibran. It is also the title of ‘All I Longed To See’ – For The Beirut Emergency Appeal. Thank you Mary for sharing this beautiful song (in English) with Bambi this morning. What a moving talent!
In their own words… you can read:
“On August 20, the London-based team behind BROKEN WINGS, a musical based on iconic Lebanese writer Khalil Gibran’s novel of the same name, joined forces with members of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra in Beirut. We filmed a performance of ‘All I Longed To See’. The song is a love letter to Beirut and Lebanon, and the show’s opening number”.
To conclude this post, please let Bambi share with you the mindset of the people of Lebanon right now, you can watch this short video (from an anonymous source). On the music of the Lebanese national anthem, we can read the following in Arabic: “Lebanon is 100 years now. It is sick, tired, and agonizing… but we can revive it again. We can heal it from its health problems. We can heal all its wounds. Yes, we can treat it with our voices. Its salvation comes from our revolt. This Tuesday on September the 1st, 2020 at 4 PM, let’s all meet at the Martyrs’ Square in downtown Beirut. A new Lebanon will be born again, #Anger of Great Lebanon, # I am a red line.”
Nothing more to add… just this heart from Bambi to each one of you. Be safe please!
Bambi does not know if she should laugh or cry to an article published in the National Post, signed by Ms. Ayesha Ghaffar and entitled “‘Is it in my head?’ International students recall covert racism and gaslighting in Canada”?
And we can read under the title: “Analysis:
Young adults from around the world come to Canada to pursue their dreams. Once
here, their self-esteem is often shattered”.
“Canadians are perhaps uncomfortable
acknowledging the racism that is deeply embedded in their society. But if a
nation is unwilling to accept it has an issue with explicit racism,
the question arises: when, if ever, will it recognize covert forms of racism?”
Bambi does not know from where Ms. Ghaffar’s parents (or herself) came from. Is it from a Muslim or Arab country? Well, if so, Bambi can perhaps offer her a a little paid vacation there to de-stress from all the racism of Canada ?, both “explicit” and “covert”, to use her own words. Upon her return home, during her mandatory 14-day quarantine, perhaps she can think more critically and honestly about the issue of racism. She can also compare Canada to the rest of the world… Mmm, unless she would consider that Canada is racist for asking her to self-isolate ?.
To give you an example from the article above, the author reports an international student saying that Canadians are racist because they tell her that she has a “funny” accent. WOW, how mean. How dare them be that racist? Someone once told Bambi that people are racist (i.e., micro-aggressive) in her town in NB because they ask her where she comes from?. Can you imagine how sad and narrow-minded our society has become? Just because someone is interested in your story or your journey, we call them racist. Actually, Bambi finds it so cute when local people from her town asks her spouse (when they hear his accent, see his look, or perhaps guess well that they do not know his grand-father): “Are you from far away”? They immediately look at Bambi and ask her: “Are you from very far away”? Well, they are so clever because indeed he is from far and she is from much further away.
Please give us a break and stop imposing radical views on our society through organizations obsessed with de-funding our police services and funded by God knows whom to invade our brains and destroy our civilization (e.g., BLM and the like, etc.). Despite our issues, Canadians are among the kindest people in the world. Yes, there may be racist folks here and there (you or Bambi may be one of them, so what?) but the VAST majority are not only respectful but also adorable.
When will our mainstream media return to publishing
clever and constructive articles? She does not know about you but Bambi misses
reading those.
