{"id":181,"date":"2019-08-26T00:28:45","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T03:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=181"},"modified":"2019-08-27T16:33:59","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T19:33:59","slug":"where-is-our-critical-sense-in-canada-some-words-of-wisdom-from-roula-azar-douglas-out-of-lebanon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2019\/08\/26\/where-is-our-critical-sense-in-canada-some-words-of-wisdom-from-roula-azar-douglas-out-of-lebanon\/","title":{"rendered":"Where is our critical sense in Canada? Some words of wisdom from Roula Azar-Douglas (out of Lebanon)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Where is our critical sense in Canada? Some words of wisdom from Roula Azar-Douglas (out of Lebanon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Bambi\u2019s introduction:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As Bambi always did since her childhood, she reads ALL the news by ALL journalists to develop her own ideas about what is happening. She reads news analyses by authors she does not agree with, even before reading those she would agree with. This is what Bambi has learned to do during, and after, civil war in her birth country. This is what she will always do, especially in times of what seems like increased thought police, in our (supposedly still) free country. This is what allows her to build an understanding of matters or to challenge her own ideas.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Mr. Richard Martineau\u2019s story:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One Canadian journalist I happen to\nread sometimes is Mr. Richard Martineau from the Journal de Montr\u00e9al<\/em>. Yesterday,\nI read that some readers, likely *triggered* by one of his articles are now\ncirculating a petition asking for his resignation. In other simpler terms: Censoring\nhim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bambi will not get into the details of Mr. Martineau\u2019s controversial article\nbecause this is not the point of this post. His paper is entitled “They\nspeak in the name of whom?<\/em>” and seems to focus on society\u2019s relationship\nwith identity groups\/margins.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His paper starts with the following: They speak in the name of the people they are supposed to represent in as much as I speak for white heterosexual men of 58 years old in Verdun. You know why? Because \u201cTHE women\u201d does not exist. There are only women (meaning no single type). Same for THE blacks, THE Muslims, THE old” (\u00abils parlent autant au nom des gens qu\u2019ils sont cens\u00e9s repr\u00e9senter que je parle au nom des hommes blancs h\u00e9t\u00e9rosexuels de 58 ans n\u00e9s \u00e0 Verdun. Savez-vous pourquoi? Parce que LES femmes n\u2019existent pas. Il y a seulement DES femmes. Idem pour LES Noirs, LES musulmans, LES vieux, etc\u2026\u00bb). (https:\/\/www.journaldemontreal.com\/2019\/08\/18\/ils-parlent-au-nom-de-qui<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Martineau\u2019s article ends by telling the story of his gay friend who does\nnot agree with the label that they wish to stick on him: LGBTQ+: “they want\nto put us all in the same basket. But, me, I am a man who have sex with men. I\nfind talk of non-gendered or pansexual people ridiculous. Their struggle is not\nmine. How can we defend diversity when speaking in one voice?” (\u00abon nous met tous dans le m\u00eame\npanier. Or, moi, je suis un homme qui couche avec des hommes. Les affaires de\npersonnes non genr\u00e9es ou pansexuelles, je trouve \u00e7a ridicule. Leur combat n\u2019est\npas le mien. Comment peut-on d\u00e9fendre la diversit\u00e9 en parlant d\u2019une m\u00eame voix?\u00bb).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are we trying to silence Mr. Martineau? Why can\u2019t people accept that\npeople have the right to their opinion, even if it differs from theirs? People are\nfree to (fully?) agree or disagree with society\u2019s \u201corthodoxies\u201d. Why can\u2019t we\naccept that some people (like the journalist\u2019s gay friend) do not recognize\nthemselves in defined groups?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will give a different example to illustrate my point. Sometimes, Bambi is being asked if she is \u201cChristian Lebanese\u201d (many think she is Muslim because she is Arab). She sometimes replies: I am Lebanese. Yes, I happen to be Christian (although I could have been Muslim, Jewish or whatever else). Why? Because I refuse to see myself only through a spiritual lens or, worse, through a religious-based identity-lens. I have faith in my heart, but this is a personal matter. This is just one aspect of whom I am; it is no one\u2019s business. I am Canadian period. I am Lebanese period. This is how I see myself. I also happen to be a Quebecer. I am also a proud New Brunswicker for over 11 years now (after having lived in\/enjoyed Ontario too). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, a country is larger than us. It is above us all. As Gibran Khalil Gibran\nwrote in the Garden of the Prophet<\/em> in 1934: “Pity the nation\ndivided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation<\/em>“. This beautiful\nquote was meant for Lebanon. Sadly, it now applies to Canada more than ever\u2026\nExtreme views on any issue, including multiculturalism, can easily become a dogma\nor political orthodoxy. This is especially the case if we do not allow ourselves\nto question this vision, which has merits up to a certain point. However, beyond\nthat point, it may lend itself to a tragic reality like the one denounced by Gibran\n(in the Middle East, some identify with their religious fragments or *tribes*\nmore than their country). This is a possible risk even in Canada or in any place\n(no one is immune), especially if we do not have a high enough opinion of our nation\/civilization\/ourselves\nanymore.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To come back to Martineau\u2019s article, and as well said by Bambi\u2019s own sister,\nMs. Roula Azar-Douglas who investigates equality between men and women. Please\nhang on to the rest of this post to get to know her ?:\n“Each woman is unique. Same for men, they are diverse too”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Mr. Mathieu Bock-C\u00f4t\u00e9:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As explained by Mr. Mathieu Bock-C\u00f4t\u00e9 (https:\/\/www.journaldemontreal.com\/2019\/08\/24\/au-nom-de-la-tolerance<\/a>), our society\u2019s obsession with (group) identities can become illogical: What does a person with a black skin born in Cuba have in common with someone whose parents where raised in Congo? Why do we insist on putting people in groups? Why do we forget about the role of culture in all this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some insist on seeing one group as the marginalized or victims. Other see another group as the mean offenders… But who did not go trough adversity through his\/her lifetime, in one way or in another, at one point or another? In her personal life, Bambi refuses to play the victim game. Bambi has too much dignity to play this game and hopefully enough compassion in order not to fall into the trap of becoming an abuser (power trip of some sort). Instead, Bambi prefers to either change or leave a situation or to modify her own mindset.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of censorship against Mr. Martineau (or against anyone else), the so-called fight for tolerance turned into an absurd intolerance, calling for a form of professional or public killing\u2026 ironically \u201cin the name of tolerance\u201d, like in the title of Mr. Bock-C\u00f4t\u00e9\u2019s article cited above. We may or we may not agree with a journalist. Why can\u2019t we tolerate his\/her different opinion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One must add that Mr. Mathieu\nBock-C\u00f4t\u00e9 knows what he is talking about. He has ironically published a book entitled\nthe *Empire of the politically correct<\/em>*. Because of that, we also tried\nto silence him a few months ago. Many public figures in Qu\u00e9bec came to defend him,\nincluding other journalists (bravo) and even Mr. Fran\u00e7ois Legault, the Premier\nof Qu\u00e9bec. For me, it is particularly alarming when this suffocating political\ncorrectness is also being observed in a province\/culture where citizens are known\nto be more direct in their communication style (than the rest of Canada). Quebecers\nusually speak their mind and allow others to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Mr. Steve Fortin<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Related to Martineau\u2019s saga, I enjoyed\nreading an article by his colleague Mr. Steve Fortin, denouncing this censorship.\nMr. Fortin often does not agree with Mr. Martineau. Yet, he defended his right\nto freedom of expression (https:\/\/www.journaldequebec.com\/2019\/08\/21\/les-censeurs<\/a>).\nI think of Mr. Fortin even more highly now. In Bambi\u2019s humble opinion, this is how\nit is supposed to be in a so-called free country. Everyone has the right to the\nexpression of his\/her opinion. This is the least. We should all refuse to see others\nbeing silenced in front of our eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Ms. Roula Azar-Douglas\u2019 wisdom:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As promised above, I would like to introduce now some wise words by Roula Azar-Douglas, Bambi\u2019s own sister (I hope you are still reading to discover her ?). Azar-Douglas is a journalist, writer, and a researcher (she is a PhD candidate in Human Sciences, namely in Information Sciences). She was recently interviewed in Lebanon and what a clever interview (the questions as well as the deep yet direct\/simple answers)! The interviewer is a journalist (Ms. Hasna Bou Harfouche) who chose some excerpts from Azar-Douglas\u2019 latest novel entitled \u201cLe jour o\u00f9 le soleil ne s\u2019est pas lev\u00e9<\/em>\u201d (The day the sun did not rise). In this interview, Douglas shared her reflections on multiple identities and life\/death issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is one of the citations from Azar-Douglas\u2019s book chosen by the interviewer\n(the original French precedes Bambi\u2019s free and hopefully not too bad translation):\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abChacun de nous est l\u2019enfant de ses propres exp\u00e9riences,\nde son v\u00e9cu, de cet avant que l\u2019autre ne connait pas. Et il n\u2019est pas toujours\nfacile de se montrer \u00e0 nu et de se d\u00e9barrasser des carapaces construites au fil\ndes ann\u00e9es\u00bb      <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Original quote by Roula Azar-Douglas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each\none of us is the child of his\/her experiences, of the lived experience, of this\nearlier past that the other does not know. And it is not always easy to get\nnaked and to get rid of the (protective) shells built over the years. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My translation,\nRoula Azar-Douglas <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interviewer\u2019s last question to Roula Azar-Douglas\nwas: “As a researcher on the equality between men and women, what is your message\nto the oriental [she means Middle Eastern] man and woman”?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azar-Douglas\nreplied as follows: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This\nis a tough question because when I think of the oriental woman, I wonder who she\nis? There is no single type of an oriental woman. I am an oriental woman. You (pointing\nto the journalist) are an oriental woman. All the women who are watching us are\noriental, whether they are married or single, with children or not, veiled or not.\nSo, with our diversity all of us as oriental women, I will try to find a message\nfor this group of women who are different from one another. This message would\nbe what my life experiences have taught me. It would be perhaps in contradiction\nwith what we have been taught as children, that loving oneself is selfish (versus\nbeing altruistic). I will tell the oriental woman to love herself. Loving oneself\nis the first step to be able to love the other. Loving oneself is the first step\nto defend our rights or to get our rights. I will tell all these ladies, with\nall their diversity, even including those who do not agree with me on some topics:\nLove yourself and work on your own convictions to get what you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the oriental men who are also diverse, I will give a joint message to men and women. Again, this is not a lesson because I do not have any answer. I am a human being who think about matters and try to offer pieces of answers here and there. I will tell him or tell them all work on your critical thinking. Do not have pre-prepared answers to issues or circumstances in the country. Do not take for granted what someone else has told about how things should be. Think for yourself, according to your rational thinking and convictions, using your own brains”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azar-Douglas also talked about the important economic role\nof women in society, etc. (here is the entire interview in Arabic: http:\/\/bit.do\/e5x4B<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roula Azar-Douglas\u2019 published two beautiful novels (the first one, entitled \u00abChez nous c\u2019\u00e9tait le silence\u00bb<\/em> addressed the issue of domestic violence and the last one is a tragic yet beautiful story about death\/dying, which is filled with life, love, and hope. This latter novel is now a finalist in a French-competition called Prix Hors Concours<\/em>. It was recently chosen, among international books, to be taught to students in French high schools that participate in in the Prix Hors Concours<\/em> competition (comparative literature). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roula, to you as my sister, Bambi will allow herself now\nto insert a personal note here: I so much enjoyed beginning my day watching your\ninterview. Bambi is proud of her eldest sister, “ma grande”, as I\nlike to tease you ?.\nI miss you and I miss Rania, my other talented sister. Yes, I may be biased by family\nlove\u2026 but I know how to recognize talent, even in closer ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Bambi\u2019s conclusion:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bambi\nadmires Roula Azar-Douglas\u2019 talent in reaching out to BOTH women and men. No\nwonder why she is highly respected by all, nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\nlives in a society where patriarchy (truly still) exists, despite Lebanon\u2019s\nmodernity in many ways (this is why when I hear the word patriarchy in Canada,\nI smile to myself ?). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, she is also geographically not that far from where there is a *real* “rape culture”, a term also still widely used by many Canadian contemporary feminists. I am referring to ISIS practices in Syria or Iraq\u2026 Mind you, there are also executions committed against gay people in countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan. Where are our Canadian activists, including those readers who ganged up against Mr. Martineau, to also defend their rights to life!? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite all this, Roula Azar-Douglas is a courageous and smart journalist\/activist. She has depth, nuance, and subtlety in all the languages she communicates in. <\/em>She is a feminist in the true sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She advocates\nfor women\u2019s rights without putting men down or turning them off. On the\ncontrary, she extends hands, building bridges and friendly allies in a genuine\nway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nBambi\u2019s mind, most men only want the best for their daughters, sisters,\nmothers, spouses, friends, etc. They aspire for a just equality too, in their\nown ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together,\neveryone can make the world a better place for all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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