Showing posts with label human rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human rights. Show all posts
Friday, December 13, 2013
From a little girl who definitely was not brainwashed
Here is an interesting post quoting a little girl not brainwashed... The comments are also interesting.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Not sure how a headscarf affects someone's professionalism.
I remembered recently my first experience of interacting with a veiled woman. It was during one of my 2 labours, in either 1987 or 1988. I cannot remember which one it was.I do know that my experience in the hospital for the birth of my 2 daughters was a mixed bag. Most hospital personnel while competent are generally busy, rushed and abrupt. I'm not saying they were not efficient and did not get the job done, but they did not spend any time treating you like a human being.
In comes a very young nurse, she was in her early 20's, and wearing a white veil. Her features were middle eastern. I was in pain and going through labour, a nurse is a nurse. She was the sweetest, most kindest nurse I have ever met to this day. She wore a beautiful smile, asked me if I could use more pillows, asked me how she could make my labour more comfortable. Offered to massage my back, my feet. Offered to sit for a while, and hold my hand, or even cuddle with me or hold me, if I wanted. Those who know me know I don't care much for being touched by strangers. I had my husband holding my hand most of the labour, but I remember he had gone for a break when she was around. She stayed with me as long as she could, she was calm, peaceful, smiling, pleasant and made me feel good, as good as one can feel when going through the pains of labour!
I remember thinking, that perhaps where she came from, that nursing was more about caring and treating a patient humanly then about just fixing the physical problems.It's also forever gotten me to know that veil or no veil, she was a very sweet woman. Nearly 30 years later I remember her as one of the positive experiences of childbirth.
I never felt her veil was threatening or encouraging me to be Muslim. It was who she was, and how she was comfortable. This did not prevent her from being the best nurse she could be and a really caring person.
This IDIOT Janette Bertrand, can go search for a white French Quebecois doctor if she likes, I'm personally going to chose the one who treats me with the most respect and the most competance.
Just like I'm very satisfied that my male therapist, a psychologist I've been seeing for close to 3 years, is of Israeli origin. He's the first male therapist who did not make me feel uncomfortable. Fact he wasn't born here and came in his late teens does not take away from how much therapy with him has helped me. I was amused when he scheduled an appointment with me which has to be moved because he scheduled it on a Jewish holiday. :) You'd think he's remember!
I love the fact that Montreal is very multicultural and you don't know who you will meet. My driving instructor in the mid 90's was a wonderful Haitian man, who was highly educated in Haiti, but could not find job in his field in Montreal. Instead he taught people how to drive. Not only did I learn how to drive with him, but was delighted by his vast knowledge and stimulating conversations. I'm sure the fact I could have awesome conversations with the man, helped me learn how to drive so much faster.
I love where I work that we chose people based on merit, not on appearance. Currently in my team I have 1 guy who's a mix of French and English of Quebecois origin. I have one guy who was born in the Philippines, very Christian and immigrated in his late teens early 20's. I have another guy who was born in the Caucus region of what used to be the USSR, with a Jewish wife, who has been in the Russian army, and who immigrated in his 30's. I have one guy, Muslim, who is from Algeria, who immigrated with his wife, also in their early 30's I believe. My last guy, is a Vietnamese boat person. From what I know he left Vietnam multiple times by boat and was caught many times before he finally managed to escape for good. Then there's a guy I work in close contact with daily who came from Chili as a child as his family escaped the horrible situation there.
It makes for a highly interesting workplace with a high level of respect among the employees. It is also a great environment for interns, both those who are new immigrants to Canada, and those Quebecois who come from remote regions of Quebec and get their first experience working with an "ethnic diversity", not seen in remote regions of Quebec.
I've seen one year where I had a Haitian student and a very sheltered white student, who'd never met a black before. By the time their 4 months were up, these two youngsters were going on outings together with their girlfriends on week-ends and really enjoying each others company.
I'll be honest, I'm a French girl who's mom sent her to English school. In a predominantly Italian neighbourhood. I was teased for being the French kid at school. Then I'd go home and was teased for being the only French kid in my neighbourhood going to English school. I was made to feel I didn't belong anywhere, so as I got older, I began spending time with folks with whom I felt I belonged. Those ended up being new arrivals and the children of immigrants. I remember one year in CEGEP being at a friends place for dinner with our common friends and the dad, a high executive at Alcan commented his house was like the United Nations. Everyone there was from a different background. By then I would proudly announce my (step) dad was from Belgium, so I was the Belge girl there that day.
This is the kind of environment my daughters grew up in. It amused me to no end when my eldest dated a boy in Drummondville in her late teens, and she went there to visit him one week-end. When she came back she messaged me "MOM, did you realize they were all white and french speaking in Drummondville". It amused me that she noticed how homogeneous the population is outside large cities.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the Quebecois, but I prefer those who are like me and open to others. Overall it's sad this whole charter thing, because I find we are nicer and friendlier and more opened to strangers here, then they are out west or in most countries. Typical Quebecois will be weary of strangers and distrusting of new people, but once the ice is broken generally they are willing to accept differences and befriend others. There's a few bad apples and this stupid proposed Charter is making them come out of the woodwork loudly and making seem like the rest of us are for as well...
I'm not. I feel comfortable enough with who I am to not feel at all threatened by hijabs, or large crosses, or yarmulkes or turbans. I live in an area that has not only churches, but mosques, synagogues and Hindu temples. I run into people of all walks of life and I'm comfortable being me in all of that.
I'm off my soapbox for now.
In comes a very young nurse, she was in her early 20's, and wearing a white veil. Her features were middle eastern. I was in pain and going through labour, a nurse is a nurse. She was the sweetest, most kindest nurse I have ever met to this day. She wore a beautiful smile, asked me if I could use more pillows, asked me how she could make my labour more comfortable. Offered to massage my back, my feet. Offered to sit for a while, and hold my hand, or even cuddle with me or hold me, if I wanted. Those who know me know I don't care much for being touched by strangers. I had my husband holding my hand most of the labour, but I remember he had gone for a break when she was around. She stayed with me as long as she could, she was calm, peaceful, smiling, pleasant and made me feel good, as good as one can feel when going through the pains of labour!
I remember thinking, that perhaps where she came from, that nursing was more about caring and treating a patient humanly then about just fixing the physical problems.It's also forever gotten me to know that veil or no veil, she was a very sweet woman. Nearly 30 years later I remember her as one of the positive experiences of childbirth.
I never felt her veil was threatening or encouraging me to be Muslim. It was who she was, and how she was comfortable. This did not prevent her from being the best nurse she could be and a really caring person.
This IDIOT Janette Bertrand, can go search for a white French Quebecois doctor if she likes, I'm personally going to chose the one who treats me with the most respect and the most competance.
Just like I'm very satisfied that my male therapist, a psychologist I've been seeing for close to 3 years, is of Israeli origin. He's the first male therapist who did not make me feel uncomfortable. Fact he wasn't born here and came in his late teens does not take away from how much therapy with him has helped me. I was amused when he scheduled an appointment with me which has to be moved because he scheduled it on a Jewish holiday. :) You'd think he's remember!
I love the fact that Montreal is very multicultural and you don't know who you will meet. My driving instructor in the mid 90's was a wonderful Haitian man, who was highly educated in Haiti, but could not find job in his field in Montreal. Instead he taught people how to drive. Not only did I learn how to drive with him, but was delighted by his vast knowledge and stimulating conversations. I'm sure the fact I could have awesome conversations with the man, helped me learn how to drive so much faster.
I love where I work that we chose people based on merit, not on appearance. Currently in my team I have 1 guy who's a mix of French and English of Quebecois origin. I have one guy who was born in the Philippines, very Christian and immigrated in his late teens early 20's. I have another guy who was born in the Caucus region of what used to be the USSR, with a Jewish wife, who has been in the Russian army, and who immigrated in his 30's. I have one guy, Muslim, who is from Algeria, who immigrated with his wife, also in their early 30's I believe. My last guy, is a Vietnamese boat person. From what I know he left Vietnam multiple times by boat and was caught many times before he finally managed to escape for good. Then there's a guy I work in close contact with daily who came from Chili as a child as his family escaped the horrible situation there.
It makes for a highly interesting workplace with a high level of respect among the employees. It is also a great environment for interns, both those who are new immigrants to Canada, and those Quebecois who come from remote regions of Quebec and get their first experience working with an "ethnic diversity", not seen in remote regions of Quebec.
I've seen one year where I had a Haitian student and a very sheltered white student, who'd never met a black before. By the time their 4 months were up, these two youngsters were going on outings together with their girlfriends on week-ends and really enjoying each others company.
I'll be honest, I'm a French girl who's mom sent her to English school. In a predominantly Italian neighbourhood. I was teased for being the French kid at school. Then I'd go home and was teased for being the only French kid in my neighbourhood going to English school. I was made to feel I didn't belong anywhere, so as I got older, I began spending time with folks with whom I felt I belonged. Those ended up being new arrivals and the children of immigrants. I remember one year in CEGEP being at a friends place for dinner with our common friends and the dad, a high executive at Alcan commented his house was like the United Nations. Everyone there was from a different background. By then I would proudly announce my (step) dad was from Belgium, so I was the Belge girl there that day.
This is the kind of environment my daughters grew up in. It amused me to no end when my eldest dated a boy in Drummondville in her late teens, and she went there to visit him one week-end. When she came back she messaged me "MOM, did you realize they were all white and french speaking in Drummondville". It amused me that she noticed how homogeneous the population is outside large cities.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the Quebecois, but I prefer those who are like me and open to others. Overall it's sad this whole charter thing, because I find we are nicer and friendlier and more opened to strangers here, then they are out west or in most countries. Typical Quebecois will be weary of strangers and distrusting of new people, but once the ice is broken generally they are willing to accept differences and befriend others. There's a few bad apples and this stupid proposed Charter is making them come out of the woodwork loudly and making seem like the rest of us are for as well...
I'm not. I feel comfortable enough with who I am to not feel at all threatened by hijabs, or large crosses, or yarmulkes or turbans. I live in an area that has not only churches, but mosques, synagogues and Hindu temples. I run into people of all walks of life and I'm comfortable being me in all of that.
I'm off my soapbox for now.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Charter of rights, who's rights?
The charter of rights, which wants no large visible symbols of religion in government employees is just falling short of imposing a dress code on all it's employees. I mean why not. In the past many more jobs had dress codes, then they do now. Let's all force everyone to wear the same thing all the time and make everyone clones!!!
Freedom of choice should be exactly that. Everyone should be free to chose what they can wear. I ran into a veiled women during one of my interviews. The fact she was veiled did not take away from the fact she's a dynamic, intelligent and well informed woman. She has been in Quebec for 2 years and she is visibly disappointed with the proposed charter, but quipped that all the Quebecois she met had no issues with her hijab, that it seems some political agenda!
I asked her a few questions about how things were in her country work wise. She said she was one of very few women who worked in non-traditional field and she was surprised to see that there were not more women here in Quebec working in this field or even studying in the field since it is accessible to women here. She also admitted to me that she far prefers working in a predominantly male environment and in the past had become close friends with a male colleague. I asked the questions more to see how she would fit in my department, but I know that all women who apply for the internship have be learn to be comfortable in a predominantly male environment if they want to succeed in engineering.
Here's the fascinating thing. Before coming to Quebec she did not veil herself. My understanding is that in some more progressive Muslim countries, especially the ones highly influenced by France, being veiled is seen in a negative way and can prevent access to certain jobs. So modern women in some Muslim countries end up choosing their profession over a veil. They come here thinking this is a country with more freedoms so they can be free to both have a career and wear a veil.
How disappointing this proposed Charter must seem for them. This young woman was rather wise, she said, she realizes that the women of Quebec fought hard to acquire their freedom so can can understand some of their fears. Personally, so long as it's a scarf on their head, I have no objection. I see it as a style of dress. Some young women manage to find beautiful ways to wear scarfs and dress modestly and at the same time be quite fashionable.
I mean who are we to tell them not to wear scarves, anymore then telling hassidim women not to cover their heads? Are the charter police going to check for whether a woman is wearing a wig and has a shaved head underneath?
One of the things I love the most about Montreal is the fact it's multicultural. You can meet someone from anywhere in the world, and be enriched by their culture. This is also Canada, where we are a mosaic! Why are we trying to be a melting pot like the US with this charter?
Freedom of choice should be exactly that. Everyone should be free to chose what they can wear. I ran into a veiled women during one of my interviews. The fact she was veiled did not take away from the fact she's a dynamic, intelligent and well informed woman. She has been in Quebec for 2 years and she is visibly disappointed with the proposed charter, but quipped that all the Quebecois she met had no issues with her hijab, that it seems some political agenda!
I asked her a few questions about how things were in her country work wise. She said she was one of very few women who worked in non-traditional field and she was surprised to see that there were not more women here in Quebec working in this field or even studying in the field since it is accessible to women here. She also admitted to me that she far prefers working in a predominantly male environment and in the past had become close friends with a male colleague. I asked the questions more to see how she would fit in my department, but I know that all women who apply for the internship have be learn to be comfortable in a predominantly male environment if they want to succeed in engineering.
Here's the fascinating thing. Before coming to Quebec she did not veil herself. My understanding is that in some more progressive Muslim countries, especially the ones highly influenced by France, being veiled is seen in a negative way and can prevent access to certain jobs. So modern women in some Muslim countries end up choosing their profession over a veil. They come here thinking this is a country with more freedoms so they can be free to both have a career and wear a veil.
How disappointing this proposed Charter must seem for them. This young woman was rather wise, she said, she realizes that the women of Quebec fought hard to acquire their freedom so can can understand some of their fears. Personally, so long as it's a scarf on their head, I have no objection. I see it as a style of dress. Some young women manage to find beautiful ways to wear scarfs and dress modestly and at the same time be quite fashionable.
I mean who are we to tell them not to wear scarves, anymore then telling hassidim women not to cover their heads? Are the charter police going to check for whether a woman is wearing a wig and has a shaved head underneath?
One of the things I love the most about Montreal is the fact it's multicultural. You can meet someone from anywhere in the world, and be enriched by their culture. This is also Canada, where we are a mosaic! Why are we trying to be a melting pot like the US with this charter?
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
Charter of rights my ass!
This new proposed charter for Quebec is for the birds. And ever since it has been proposed, it has had all sorts of negative repercussions. It's given anyone with some racism to feel proud to expose it.
Now with this wonderful charter where no religious symbols should show, except of course the "Traditional' symbols of Catholicism. What about the TRADITIONAL symbols of being native American? Are they going to ban those as well? And talk about 2 faced. No religious symbols, but the cross in the National Assembly, well that's just tradition. And they will use this I'm sure in city hall meetings that start with a prayer. It's tradition.
Never mind that covering ones head can be done for all sorts of reason. For instance, I cover my head if I'm staying outside more then 30 minutes so I don't fry in the sun. I think from now on, I will wear a Muslim looking headscarf. To see how many morons will tell me to go back home. Where I can tell them where to go and how to get there.
I was reading today an article in Lapresse which suggests that since the proposed charter came out, that there has been a significant rise in the attack of veiled women in Montreal and all around Quebec.
These people are MORONS. Do they not realize that without the immigrants to Quebec, there will be no one to pay for their pension? Or anything else for that matter? We need newcomers as our population is steadily decreasing. It's been decades since our birth rate was sufficient to replace the current people here.
Now with this wonderful charter where no religious symbols should show, except of course the "Traditional' symbols of Catholicism. What about the TRADITIONAL symbols of being native American? Are they going to ban those as well? And talk about 2 faced. No religious symbols, but the cross in the National Assembly, well that's just tradition. And they will use this I'm sure in city hall meetings that start with a prayer. It's tradition.
Never mind that covering ones head can be done for all sorts of reason. For instance, I cover my head if I'm staying outside more then 30 minutes so I don't fry in the sun. I think from now on, I will wear a Muslim looking headscarf. To see how many morons will tell me to go back home. Where I can tell them where to go and how to get there.
I was reading today an article in Lapresse which suggests that since the proposed charter came out, that there has been a significant rise in the attack of veiled women in Montreal and all around Quebec.
These people are MORONS. Do they not realize that without the immigrants to Quebec, there will be no one to pay for their pension? Or anything else for that matter? We need newcomers as our population is steadily decreasing. It's been decades since our birth rate was sufficient to replace the current people here.
Thursday, May 02, 2013
No voice!
It seems that the people of Montreal have lost their voice and their rights.
The May day protests which happen every year world wide, were cut short and 447 people were kettled and arrested last night.
It really sucks. I strongly believe in the right of people to assemble and protest. If we can't even do that, then were will always be at the mercy of those in power.
Pretty soon you'll be arrested for wearing sunglasses walking down Ste-Catherine because it's obscuring part of your face, and you're walking in a crowd, and there is no plan given in advance to the police about your destination.
I'm starting to be embarrassed to say I'm from Montreal. :(
The May day protests which happen every year world wide, were cut short and 447 people were kettled and arrested last night.
It really sucks. I strongly believe in the right of people to assemble and protest. If we can't even do that, then were will always be at the mercy of those in power.
Pretty soon you'll be arrested for wearing sunglasses walking down Ste-Catherine because it's obscuring part of your face, and you're walking in a crowd, and there is no plan given in advance to the police about your destination.
I'm starting to be embarrassed to say I'm from Montreal. :(
Monday, June 06, 2011
Profoundly disturbed by events
The past few days I've felt profoundly disturbed by the bloodshed in Syria. I mean it's been bugging me for a while but today I have so many emotions. I'm not sure why I'm this disturbed. News of regimes that brutally treat their people isn't something new. My husband has been telling me about Syria and his fears for years. It's not like I didn't know.
I'm against torture as a general principle, but when you torture children as young as 13, throw in jail teenagers for expressing a dissenting point of view, and not tell their parents? The worlds youngest prisoner of conscience by all accounts is held in Syria. Then it's the shelling of school buses by tanks, it happened more then once, compounded by the security forces preventing ambulances and help to get to the children. It's hard to get all those images out of my head.
I don't have to see video's. Just the account of witnesses is enough to leave these images in my head. I'm a girl who loves crime shows, murder mysteries. I watch all forms of CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, Bones, Without a Trace, Forensic Files, Cold case [Both the series, and the show made of real solved cold cases] etc. I can watch them and sleep.
But the events in Syria have been affecting me more then from anywhere else. It's the widespread torture I think that bugs me the most right after the killing. I'm sure most of the 1,200 killed were just at the wrong place at the wrong time and not any form of criminal or armed person. Just a regular Ahmad Syrian, who wants a free Syria. Not someone part of an armed gang or the Muslim brotherhood or a Salafist or anything else. Let's not get me started again about the children. I was so angry a few days ago when I ranted, I was almost rabid.
I'm profoundly disturbed partially because in all my interaction with Syrians, be it people who have immigrated to Canada , or people who I met in my short visit to Syria, I've found them to be a wonderful people. Very warm, welcoming and hospitable people. That their own government and/or brothers treat them this way is appalling, revolting, disgusting, infuriating, inhumane, I'm having a hard time to find words, I'm so angry, sad, upset, enraged, the emotions keep going and cycling.
I've blogged before about my Mom-in-law's friends in Homs. They took me sight seeing in Homs, and treated me to a wonderful feast in their home. They insisted that if I ever visit Syria again I must stop in and visit them again. Then in Damascus, other then the guy who took money for non-locals to enter the Umayed mosque who was grumpy, everyone else I interacted with, be they clerks, or waiters, or what have you in the service industry, it was service with a smile. Friendly and personable people in the Souk.
Then there's our two drivers, brothers who drove us between Damascus and Amman. They were sweet. The one who dropped us of in Amman, realized I'd left my passport in his cab and contacted our driver in Amman to arrange a meeting point for me to retrieve it before I even had a chance to notice it was gone!
Honesty like that is hard to come by in this day and age. While it shouldn't need to be mentioned, I'll mention it anyways. Of the people I interacted with in Syria, he appeared to be the most devout Muslim. He was one of the few people who greeted us with As-Salāmu `Alaykum [Peace be upon you.] while I travelled in Syria.
There was also the lady at the border on the Syrian side, where I had to get papers stamped to be able to leave Syria and cross into Jordan, who wanted to take a survey on how I'd liked my stay in Syria. I was very grateful to her, as this was a step that I could not do with my husband or our driver since they had to get their papers stamped at the other end of the building, and my spoken Arabic is extremely limited, but my written Arabic is nil.
While she interviewed me, she also herded me to the right counters, to get the right papers, helped me fill them out and by the time hubby came to find me we were just chatting. I mean she didn't need to help me out. She wasn't working for the same agency as the border crossing. She was very nice and friendly. I mostly had nice things to say about my stay. The only negative thing I had to say is that I was surprised by the level of poverty in some areas of Syria.
Syria by far in my opinion has more poverty, then Lebanon, Jordan or the UAE, the middle eastern countries I've traveled to. Though there is poverty in Lebanon and Jordan and the UAE it doesn't appear as bad or as pervasive. Sometimes I think even the homeless in Montreal have it better then some of the poor in the Middle East.
Of course no trip to Syria is complete without a bit of intervention by authorities. When we crossed into Syria from Lebanon, at the Arida crossing, hubby had to pay $10 to a Mukhabarat because he has a Canadian wife. He was just grateful it was $10 and not hours of questioning so he gave it very little thought and paid.
Coming back through Syria at the Jordan-Syrian border crossing, we ended paying the border guard more then the set price for entering. As a Canadian I have to pay a small fee to enter Syria. The price was clearly marked on the sign. However he thought both hubby and I were foreigners and when he realized hubby had a Lebanese passport he decided to charge me 1 1/2 times the indicated price. Hubby had told me not to question anything so I asked him how much much I should give the guy and paid what he asked so we could quickly get on our way.
I guess both border crossings show two things about Syria. One the ones in charge often make their own rules, two, people doing the grunt work are often so poor that the bribes they collect is what helps them make ends meet. I didn't get greed from the guy who charged me more, I got desperation.
All this to say that knowing that Syrians are shooting each other to keep each other oppressed is disturbing. Fact that they aren't limiting their attacks to adults is doubly disturbing. Hopefully the signs of the crumbling regime means Syrians will be free from oppression sooner then later. Fact that they shut down the internet Friday all day shows the regime has gotten desperate and it's hold to power is tentative at best.
Here's a link to a humans right report about the crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian security forces against the people of Daraa. This is just a peek at what is profoundly disturbing me.
Furthermore today, it's been the kidnapping of the Syrian blogger, Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari by some form of Syrian security force, around 6pm Damascus time while she was walking on the street about to meet up with other people. I have also found this to be very disturbing as well.
I realize I don't know Amina from Adam, but somehow reading her blog [I have read every single post she has ever written] I feel she's a friend. I've grown attached to her. I'm not alone, my husband feels the same way. I will be troubled until I hear she is free. I will pray and light candles and tell as many people as I can about her disappearance, it is as much as I can do from my cozy home in Montreal.
I'm against torture as a general principle, but when you torture children as young as 13, throw in jail teenagers for expressing a dissenting point of view, and not tell their parents? The worlds youngest prisoner of conscience by all accounts is held in Syria. Then it's the shelling of school buses by tanks, it happened more then once, compounded by the security forces preventing ambulances and help to get to the children. It's hard to get all those images out of my head.
I don't have to see video's. Just the account of witnesses is enough to leave these images in my head. I'm a girl who loves crime shows, murder mysteries. I watch all forms of CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, Bones, Without a Trace, Forensic Files, Cold case [Both the series, and the show made of real solved cold cases] etc. I can watch them and sleep.
But the events in Syria have been affecting me more then from anywhere else. It's the widespread torture I think that bugs me the most right after the killing. I'm sure most of the 1,200 killed were just at the wrong place at the wrong time and not any form of criminal or armed person. Just a regular Ahmad Syrian, who wants a free Syria. Not someone part of an armed gang or the Muslim brotherhood or a Salafist or anything else. Let's not get me started again about the children. I was so angry a few days ago when I ranted, I was almost rabid.
I'm profoundly disturbed partially because in all my interaction with Syrians, be it people who have immigrated to Canada , or people who I met in my short visit to Syria, I've found them to be a wonderful people. Very warm, welcoming and hospitable people. That their own government and/or brothers treat them this way is appalling, revolting, disgusting, infuriating, inhumane, I'm having a hard time to find words, I'm so angry, sad, upset, enraged, the emotions keep going and cycling.
I've blogged before about my Mom-in-law's friends in Homs. They took me sight seeing in Homs, and treated me to a wonderful feast in their home. They insisted that if I ever visit Syria again I must stop in and visit them again. Then in Damascus, other then the guy who took money for non-locals to enter the Umayed mosque who was grumpy, everyone else I interacted with, be they clerks, or waiters, or what have you in the service industry, it was service with a smile. Friendly and personable people in the Souk.
Then there's our two drivers, brothers who drove us between Damascus and Amman. They were sweet. The one who dropped us of in Amman, realized I'd left my passport in his cab and contacted our driver in Amman to arrange a meeting point for me to retrieve it before I even had a chance to notice it was gone!
Honesty like that is hard to come by in this day and age. While it shouldn't need to be mentioned, I'll mention it anyways. Of the people I interacted with in Syria, he appeared to be the most devout Muslim. He was one of the few people who greeted us with As-Salāmu `Alaykum [Peace be upon you.] while I travelled in Syria.
There was also the lady at the border on the Syrian side, where I had to get papers stamped to be able to leave Syria and cross into Jordan, who wanted to take a survey on how I'd liked my stay in Syria. I was very grateful to her, as this was a step that I could not do with my husband or our driver since they had to get their papers stamped at the other end of the building, and my spoken Arabic is extremely limited, but my written Arabic is nil.
While she interviewed me, she also herded me to the right counters, to get the right papers, helped me fill them out and by the time hubby came to find me we were just chatting. I mean she didn't need to help me out. She wasn't working for the same agency as the border crossing. She was very nice and friendly. I mostly had nice things to say about my stay. The only negative thing I had to say is that I was surprised by the level of poverty in some areas of Syria.
Syria by far in my opinion has more poverty, then Lebanon, Jordan or the UAE, the middle eastern countries I've traveled to. Though there is poverty in Lebanon and Jordan and the UAE it doesn't appear as bad or as pervasive. Sometimes I think even the homeless in Montreal have it better then some of the poor in the Middle East.
Of course no trip to Syria is complete without a bit of intervention by authorities. When we crossed into Syria from Lebanon, at the Arida crossing, hubby had to pay $10 to a Mukhabarat because he has a Canadian wife. He was just grateful it was $10 and not hours of questioning so he gave it very little thought and paid.
Coming back through Syria at the Jordan-Syrian border crossing, we ended paying the border guard more then the set price for entering. As a Canadian I have to pay a small fee to enter Syria. The price was clearly marked on the sign. However he thought both hubby and I were foreigners and when he realized hubby had a Lebanese passport he decided to charge me 1 1/2 times the indicated price. Hubby had told me not to question anything so I asked him how much much I should give the guy and paid what he asked so we could quickly get on our way.
I guess both border crossings show two things about Syria. One the ones in charge often make their own rules, two, people doing the grunt work are often so poor that the bribes they collect is what helps them make ends meet. I didn't get greed from the guy who charged me more, I got desperation.
All this to say that knowing that Syrians are shooting each other to keep each other oppressed is disturbing. Fact that they aren't limiting their attacks to adults is doubly disturbing. Hopefully the signs of the crumbling regime means Syrians will be free from oppression sooner then later. Fact that they shut down the internet Friday all day shows the regime has gotten desperate and it's hold to power is tentative at best.
Here's a link to a humans right report about the crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian security forces against the people of Daraa. This is just a peek at what is profoundly disturbing me.
Furthermore today, it's been the kidnapping of the Syrian blogger, Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari by some form of Syrian security force, around 6pm Damascus time while she was walking on the street about to meet up with other people. I have also found this to be very disturbing as well.
I realize I don't know Amina from Adam, but somehow reading her blog [I have read every single post she has ever written] I feel she's a friend. I've grown attached to her. I'm not alone, my husband feels the same way. I will be troubled until I hear she is free. I will pray and light candles and tell as many people as I can about her disappearance, it is as much as I can do from my cozy home in Montreal.
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