Free Dorje Gurung, Boycott Qatar

I haven't written much about my time in Qatar. Our family was there for three years, ending last spring. We have since moved back to Canada. When it comes to the country and the overall experience, though there were positives, the negatives of living their ended up completely outweighing any good. I left disgusted by the culture and the country, and remain so. This is the first blog post I am making to try to start expressing the Qatar experience for me.

I wish to focus on a sad case that has hit Qatar in the past few days: The plight of Dorje Gurung. Dorje Gurung represents every expat who lives and works in Qatar. He could be ANY of us. By all accounts, he is a decent person who has been swept up in Qatari bullshit politics. I use the word bullshit because, quite frankly it is and I can't think of a more appropriate word.

Dorje Gurung is now in jail, accused of insulting Islam after a dispute with a small group of 12 year old kids at Qatar Academy. He now faces up to seven years in prison after this unpleasant and unfortunate situation which boils down to a few rotten, spoiled children's bullying.

As Doha News reports:

On Monday, April 22, Gurung said he had a sit-down chat with three 12-year-old boys who were making fun of him. Among other things, the seventh graders poked fun at his appearance, calling him “Jackie Chan,” a famous Chinese actor.
On Tuesday, April 23, the mocking again began in earnest while Gurung was in line for lunch. At first, he said the teasing was light-hearted, but then one student put his hand on Gurung’s shoulder and a finger in his nose. At this point, Gurung grew agitated and said remarks to the effect of, how would you like to be stereotyped i.e. called a terrorist?
On Wednesday, April 24, he had a meeting with school management. On Thursday, April 25, he submitted his account of what happened and was told to go home. On Sunday, April 28, he was fired.
Later that week, Gurung was jailed for his remarks. According to his friends, Gurung will remain there at least until his next court hearing, which will be held in two weeks. He still does not have a lawyer, but the Nepalese embassy previously told Doha News that it will investigate the case.

This is a disturbing case which highlights how vulnerable every expat living in the country is. And that is a large figure with well over 80 percent of the population of the country being expats, all at the mercy of any Qatari who has the desire to report you, too often out of revenge or pettiness.

Also highlighted here is the racism that exists in the country that is open, blatant and accepted. Generally speaking, if you are Asian (other than Qatari) you can expect to face racism. No one can escape this racism. This requires a whole new blog post to discuss, being both a cultural and an institutional racism unlike any I have seen in my life.

Add to this vulnerability the fact that gay men face stiff jail sentences. So, add in institutionalized homophobia on top of this and you have a culture that is dangerous and risky for many people.

Here is the problem. Because Qatar is the wealthiest country in the world, has deep pockets and is dying to get any and every major, prestigious university to set up shop in the country. Texas A and M, Carnegie Mellon, Weill Cornell and Virginia Commonwealth are a few of the schools that have been wooed to the country.

None of these Universities have any control or power, basically at the whim of the Qatar government. Yet, the big money has pushed the idea of ethics and human rights out the window. These institutions have turned a blind eye to human rights abuses that include, most predominantly in how thousands upon thousands of migrant workers are treated. They work long hours for little money often in unsafe and extremely hot environments. These people are segregated from society, are not allowed in major malls or tourists sites. They are treated worse than second class citizens, often living in horrible conditions, with next to no rights. It's a disgusting situation that is allowed to exist because of Qatar's laws which puts all power in the hands of employers, and the Qatari government. Unions are banned. And the attitude is "If you don't like it, don't come here." Millions have gone however, desperate to make money for their families back home. And Qatar has exploited this to the fullest. Every university in Qatar is in a building built by this virtual slave labour. Custodial staff and security, which are provided to schools by the Qatar Foundation, also face similar work issues, and the schools have NO control over this. So, terrible human rights violations exist within the institutions themselves.

I have painted a bleak picture of the situation in Qatar, and yet I feel as though I have barely scratched the surface. It bothers me that so many universities have bypassed ethics to establish themselves in the country. I feel that Qatar should be boycotted, and educational institutions should be reviewing their role in the country, and any new institutions planning to enter Qatar seriously reconsider. I also urge anyone considering going to work in the country to reevaluate their plans and to avoid the risks associated with working in the country.

I plan to write many more blog posts to try and fully explain the situation in the country because there is just so much that I found difficult to deal with there, that I didn't realize was going on until I spent time in the country. Now that I am out, I have the freedom to discuss these issues openly and freely. I hope to be able to do that.

Not Again! Jenny's Bridal Boutique in Saskatoon denies dignity and respect for transgender bride

Oh for GAWD sakes. I can't believe I still have to write about this stuff. How many rants am I going to have to go on about jerks deciding that their products aren't suitable for sale to certain people for ridiculous reasons? This time around, Jenny's Bridal Boutique in Saskatoon decided not to sell a wedding dress to Rohit Singh. Why? She is transgender. Apparently, although Rohit identifies herself as female, the owner of Jenny's Bridal insists that she is a man and can't buy a dress from her precious little bridal shop.

Why must people be like this? A person goes into a shop to by a dress for their wedding...one of the most special days of so many people's lives...and has to face bigotry and lack of respect? Why? Why does it matter WHO is buying the dress. Even if she identified herself as male, why does it matter? Why can someone not go into a store and buy a wedding dress for whatever reason they wish? Makes no sense to me. But, no, this owner had to be a royal jerk and treat the bride in such a mean spirited and undignified way.

Oh, but it is her store and she can sell to whoever she wants, or not sell to whoever she wants. Really? Really people? That is what some of you are arguing? So this is how we conduct business in Canada? Well, guess what, Rohit is going to file a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, which is her right, and I do honestly hope that this complaint is taken seriously. And she has every right to go to the SHRC. She has every right to go public with her story. And I have every right to support her, and every right to speak out solidly and loudly against Jenny Correia and her decision NOT to sell a dress to Rohit.

Her reasoning? Apparently other people in the store would feel uncomfortable because Jenny sees Rohit as a man, not as a woman. Rohit identifies as a woman. What is so hard to understand here? Will other people feel uncomfortable? Well, sadly, there will be those who do not feel comfortable about it. However, instead of pandering to those who can't handle the idea of being around a transgender person when trying on their dresses, Jenny decided to decline service to Rohit, thus keeping transphobia, discrimination and injustice alive and well in Saskatoon.

But, Ms. Jenny seems to make a habit out of booting potential customers from her store, as she did this once before when she told Alyssa Pomfret, a girl shopping for a graduation dress to leave her store because her wheelchair would get the floor dirty. Apparently the wheels were wet. Wow, how low can a person go?

The question is, why would a person like this bother being in business? If you are just going to turn people away anyway, why bother? I know, I know, you think it is your right and you stand by your decisions and blah, blah, blah. Well, what you did was just plain mean and degrading. It's sad to see something like this happen, and it's sad that people still go to your shop and keep it alive, because, really, you don't deserve to have a successful business if you are going to be horrible to people. You deserve to have an empty store with no customers. 

Fighting Manitoba's Bill 18: How Low Can They GO!

Good job to you, the religious leaders and school officials in the province of Manitoba who have decided to oppose Manitoba's Bill 18 which aims at creating safe and fair spaces for ALL students in ALL schools in Manitoba and opposes bullying. What's the problem? Oh, students would be allowed to create a Straight-Gay Student Alliance in any school, eh? Oh NO! That would never do!

Wow, religious leaders and school officials opposing this, you have taken the cake when it comes to missing the point. Trying to prevent kids from being bullied, and being able to form groups where they can bond and create a good place to be apparently is something that YOU see as a threat to your "religious freedom". Lovely, just lovely. So, now, you are the victim, or at least that is how you are portraying yourself. The Manitoba Government comes up with legislation to prevent bullying and you get pissed off because it will actually do it's job, and you can't have that, can you?

Good work, I'm sure this is exactly what Jesus would want....people representing him fighting AGAINST a bill that helps create a safe environment in schools for everyone, including LGBT kids. Good work in BEING the bully and setting an example in the community of how the problem of bullying is created.

What IS the fucking problem? Oh, you are against gays and lesbians. Right. Because they are an abomination to god or some ridiculous crap like that? And, you don't want the big bad government forcing legislation on you that will restrict your "religious freedom" while they try to protect the rights of CHILDREN! And you can't have groups in YOUR schools that might suggest that kids who are gay or lesbian are, you know, HUMAN! Of course the thing to do is to continue to alienate LGBT kids and let them know in no uncertain terms that they are WRONG and horrible for choosing that lifestyle.

But WAIT! Here's something that you should know: LGBT kids DON'T choose their lifestyle. They are who they are. It isn't a lifestyle...it's a fucking reality! Oh, but, wait, there are many religious CHOICES out there, and you have CHOSEN which religious path to follow....soooooo, YOU are actually the ones who chose your lifestyle. Isn't that interesting? People who actually DID choose their lifestyle wanting protection to discriminate and alienate against people that DIDN'T choose their sexual orientation. Well, isn't that interesting. Fucking idiots!

Sorry, yes, I am unleashing a volley of swears here because this subject absolutely PISSES me off. I can't believe the backlash that Bill 18, which, to steal from the National Post "... is aimed at preventing bullying in schools and promoting equality based on gender, race, sexual orientation and other factors." is actually causing an uproar! And of course, as the NP says, "A section that would require schools to allow gay-straight alliance groups if students wished to establish them has drawn the most criticism." How dare schools that get ANY public money whatsoever have the nerve to talk about their religious freedom when it comes to such an important issue as kids being bullied. Good work, religious leaders who are supposed to be fucking ADULTS in wanting to ensure the "freedom" of their little networks to discriminate and alienate children based on their sexual orientation. Nice job, adults. That's a great message to send to other kids.

Religion in general pisses me off, but this takes the cake I have to say, at least in Canada. It just blows me away how these religious jerks cling so heavily to this notion that "God Hates Fags" without actually saying it out loud, while absolutely ignoring 99 percent of the other things god isn't so keen on. For example, pigs. I wonder how many of those opposed to this bill eat bacon or farmer's sausage? Well, given that much of the opposition we have seen comes from the community of Steinbach where 1,200 people showed up to oppose the legislation are Mennonites, and farmer's sausage is a cultural dish, I would say that there is a whole lot of fucking hypocrisy going on here. If we look at Leviticus, doesn't god specifically say not to eat pigs! What part of this are you fuckers having trouble with exactly? You have no trouble with enforcing the gay thing as you perceive it, but then chow down when it comes to pigs. Ridiculous!

Even as I write this, I seethe with anger and rage. I'm disgusted that this is happening in our province. I'm disgusted that this level of homophobia exists in this province and that people are so against LGBT's that they are actually fighting against legislation to curb bullying. How fucking LOW can you get? I suppose we are going to see in the days and weeks to come just how low these people can actually go.

Sick and sad.

My Much Neglected Blog

I am at the library. I am waiting for something. I am waiting for a page to upload, or to do....something. As I wait, I realize that it has been an awfully long time since I updated this blog which I seldom seem to update anyway.

So, I am now writing a little note....a note that says that I am still here.

And I shall leave it there until I have more to say....

I Spoke Too Soon: Why I No Longer Support Theresa Spence

Time does change things, does it not? Since I wrote my last blog post about the plight of Theresa Spence, much has happened, and my opinions have changed dramatically. I no longer feel supportive of hunger striking Chief Theresa Spence as I once had. There are a good number of reasons which I will attempt to lay out.

Although there may have been political motives to the recent releasing a very damning audit report on how money on the Attawapiskat reserve that she is Chief of has been handled, it was still damning. Now, there is a fair amount of issues in the report that predates Spence's time as leader. However, there are still poorly managed funds that most certainly helped in making the housing crisis on her reserve, that she went very public about, considerably worse. In other words, her own people ended up suffering more than they needed to due to financial mismanagement.

It is frustrating to see someone who would go public about what is a serious issue, not take responsibility for at least a portion of the blame, which I believe she has completely avoided. As opposed to saying, "Yes, I screwed up, and I accept the mistakes I made," she has become more defiant, and still has not properly addressed the matter. She did come out of her hiding place in Ottawa just long enough on the morning of the meeting to speak to reporters (accepting no questions) and touched the subject saying that the PM and the media are all lying, and that the money went to taxes and lawyers. Well, yes, but this should be shown on receipts, right? One of the big issues with the audit is the lack of documentation. Just get the frickin' receipts  It would save so much heartache and hassle for everyone involved. And, I must point out that I was disgusted with her hostility and the hostility of her "handlers" who came across as complete assholes at that brief press conference.

There is much criticism from her and supporters that the government has failed her and her reserve. Not being accountable for her expenditures has failed her reserve as well. That means they have been failed on two fronts and she is no better than the Federal Government. So it is no longer Spence vs the Federal Government but Spence and the Federal Government against the people. But she has her diehard supporters who continue to dismiss any and all criticism towards her. Why? I don't get it. Even if I support someone I can admit that there is room for criticism. 

The final straw was when Spence ordered that a Global News reporter who had gone to the reserve to see how the situation may have changed since her very public declaration of a state of emergency at Attawapiskat over housing conditions. As far as I am concerned, this was completely unacceptable and has greatly reduced my trust of her. 

What has bothered me just as much is that so many of her (Spenceites?) supporters applaud her actions. I'm sorry, but after living in the Middle East where media is tightly controlled and freedom of the press is almost non-existent, I have little sympathy for similar actions happening in Canada, whether it be by her OR Stephen Harper. I don't see much difference in her actions or the actions of a dictator who threatens to jail reporters. Would Global do a report that Spence wouldn't like? Possibly! We will never know now.I would like to know what has changed on the reserve. At the same time, I don’t watch Global so in the end I still might have been clued out. 

At the start of her strike there was much anger that her plight wasn't getting enough media attention. It's safe to say that now there is near media saturation. The reality is, when one makes a public splash they are putting themselves out on a limb. There will be support and there will be detractors. Just as much as she deserves her side of the story to be told, she needs to accept criticism and other views as well. There is no reason she should go forth without there being some criticism and analysis. That's what media does. Her actions in trying to control the media and the narrative of the story are unacceptable. Trying to create an atmosphere of fear where reporters can't fully report without getting arrested is unacceptable, childish, counter-productive and hostile. She must be willing to accept that there will be press coverage that she may deem to be negative. If you can't deal with it in an effective matter you shouldn't thrust yourself into the spotlight.

Now, I don't like Stephen Harper. I dislike where he is taking Canada. I do not support many of his policies or how he actually governs. I am disappointed that he won a majority in the last election and how he has seemingly run roughshod over Canada since winning. I wish we could get rid of him. Unfortunately, the Spence story seems to have become a "You are either with Spence or with Harper" issue. Can't we disagree with both or not trust either of them? I believe removing environmental protections (a big catalyst for the beginning of the Idle No More movement which Spence has been associated with) within a giant omnibus budget bill was pretty low. And this came from someone who, until he became PM, was a strong critic of omnibus bills. So, no, I don't trust Harper, for this and many other reasons. But, obviously, as stated, I am having difficulty trusting Spence as well. 

Now, on to Idle No More. Here is what I support: CHANGE! We need it desperately in Canada. The issues when it comes to First Nations has been going on far too long. Too many FN folks are living in poverty, are dogged by addiction, violence and abuse. There have been many horrible injustices done! The boarding school crisis, for example...and that's just one tiny example. There are serious issues that need to be overcome and addressed!

As far as I am concerned, the Indian Act has to go, the Treaties which many are demanding to be respected inherently create inequality and lack of empowerment and have to be ripped up, and there must be self-government or at least far more control handed over the First Nations people over their own affairs. These need addressing! Instead, the day that Aboriginal leaders were to meet with Stephen Harper for the meeting that has been pushed for, and was a key demand of Spence's, there was infighting and up to almost the end it seemed that no one would actually be going! Why? The Governor General, who has absolutely no power in this case, wasn't going to be there. Now, all powers over Native Affairs have been handed over to the Federal Government. The Governor General, the (mostly ceremonial at this point in time) representative of the Queen's presence would be problematic for a number of reasons, such as the Queen not wanting to get involved in the affairs of a sovereign nation! So, his NOT attending is best for everyone involved. The British Empire as we once knew it is dead.

Fortunately, Shawn Atleo, the head of the Assembly of First Nations, did go to the meeting, and for that I am so glad. To me, HE is the center now. He is someone I believe can work with the Federal Government to make the changes that are absolutely needed. He is an intelligent, well-spoken, sensible man who impressed me yesterday like you wouldn't believe. Unfortunately, so many of his own people have turned on him! WHY!???!???!?? Is there something I am missing? Time will tell if he will be able to deliver, but at the moment, I like what he has done.

Unless Idle No More can back sensible people like Shawn Atleo, then my support for the movement will die. My support, my hope, my faith is with Atleo at this moment. He is the man who, by attending yesterday's meeting, showed that he does want to get things done. Good! That's what we ALL need as Canadians. You can't say you won't be idle anymore and then stay idle. I don't want to see Idle No More go the way of Occupy. This is an important movement. We need real change that will improve the lives of natives in this country, and to create a better, fairer relationship that includes more trust, respect and understanding. 

So, my support of Theresa Spence has shifted over to Atleo. Unfortunately, I see Spence working against the best interests of her people, and her decision not to go to a meeting she is starving for as undermining the whole movement. Atleo was brave. In the face of the anger of his own people, he made the right decision to meet with the Prime Minister! Good for him! Some of the best leaders take action not because it's popular, but because they know it is the right thing to do. I believe and I hope this is Atleo's inspiration...to do the right thing. I think he has started off doing the right thing. 

Now, what will tomorrow bring? This seems to be an ever changing story. Who knows. 

Theresa Spence and The Canadian "Spring"?

I don't know how she is doing it, but Chief Theresa Spence has been on a hunger strike now for I believe 8 days. She vows to stay on this strike until Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets with her. The issues? Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure. As this is going on, the Idle No More movement has also kicked in, and the demands by this group seem to go a lot farther than Spence's demands. Spence seems to be focused mostly on living conditions for natives, which is a very fair issue. We all know, or at least should know, that often living conditions can be rather sub standard on some reserves. I mean, there are any number of reasons for this beyond just failures of the Canadian Government. But, regardless it is an important issue and Spence has a right to do what she is doing. I also believe that as a leader within her community, a Chief representing people under the watch of the Canadian Government, she deserves to be paid attention to by PM Harper.

So, here we are, in Canada, in (almost) 2013, and a leader in a community in Canada feels so desperate that she feels she must go on a hunger strike to be heard? This is insane. This should not be. This is Canada! This is a land of freedom, where we negotiate, talk and come to understandings, where we try to work together and work out our problems...at least in theory, at least in my mind. But what gets to me is that Harper doesn't seem to interested in meeting with her. Why?? I don't get it.

After declaring a state of emergency on her Northern Ontario reserve over the fact that several families were living in poor conditions, in sub par housing, she was attacked as being a bad leader who mismanaged finances. Apparently, based on people looking into things...she didn't. All the money she spent on the reserve was used in a way approved by the Canadian Government. That doesn't mean I think that all decisions made on the reserve were perfect, or that a few things didn't fall through the cracks. What it does mean is that she isn't the evil lady that many on the right in Canada and within the Federal Government portrayed her as. So, to say the least, she has a history with the Canadian government.

So, why on earth would Harper not meet with her to iron out some of the issues they have had and help to solve issues so that we can all move forward?? It makes no sense to me. It's especially difficult to understand seeing as the Federal Government is the one who is dealing directly with Native leaders in this country. There is no Premier to go to. There is no other local government. There is the Canadian government.

She also represents a growing movement of people that are sick of what has been going on. This is a country that, for whatever reason, has never fully been able to deal adequately with issues pertaining to First Nations peoples and things just seem to be getting worse. We have an unfortunately large percentage of Natives in Canadian jails, one of the highest suicide rates in the world, a generation raising children that are still haunted by the boarding school nightmare, and nothing appears on the surface to be getting resolved. Land claims court cases get backlogged for years and years, deals that have been made in the past have been broken, new development for extracting resources is causing major environmental damage and affecting the lives of Natives probably more than many other people in Canada because it impacts their lands that they use for hunting and fishing...and living on in general. So, there are issues that need to be addressed. Our Prime Minister however doesn't seem very interested in it.

So, now what? How long is this hunger strike going to have to go on before Harper actually has dialogue with Theresa Spence, and starts addressing issues that affect Natives all over Canada. Not only that, but issues, that in the end, impact everyone in Canada, not just Natives. It's just beyond my belief that this is happening. I'm saddened that this is the way it is in Canada. I seldom hear of hunger strikes outside of places that aren't run by dictators or very corrupt regimes, unless I am missing something. How can this be happening in Canada???

All I can say is that I wish Theresa Spence all the best and hope that Harper visits her before it's too late. I hope he understands the consequences that he will face if, for some reason, she is allowed to die. I can imagine riots, road blocks, and violence. Before it gets to that, let's have dialogue. Meet with her, Mr. Harper! It's the right thing to do. 

Sandy Hook: The Tip of an Iceberg of Global Pain.

There was no escaping the news today that 27 people, 20 of them young children, were killed today when a gunman entered a school in Newton, Connecticut.

This news has absolutely shocked the US, Canada, and people in many other countries. And it is horrible. It was a disgusting act that has caused needless destruction and pain. It has people talking about gun control again, it has people praying, it has people saddened, it has people shaken.

But....

I do not mean to take away from the seriousness of today's news or undermine the feelings of people. I do not wish to downplay the feelings of anyone. But, I also feel that we should all be aware of something.

Obviously, I'm not the only one who has brought this up. Much focus has been put on these children. However, in many other places in the world that aren't the US, children died today in just as horrific ways. I look at Syria. I look at areas in Africa that are suffering from drought. There was no shortage of children who died today while being abused and mistreated. There was no shortage of children being trafficked, working in jobs they shouldn't be working in, dying of preventable, treatable diseases, being killed in horrific accidents or being caught in a war zone.

How often do we forget these nameless faceless children? Did they not die in a way that attracted a wide enough television audience? Are the lives of these children worth less than the lives of the children in Newton?

Again, this is no way is meant to be an attack on the people suffering greatly in Newton or anywhere where people are affected. This truly was a terrible tragedy. But today I hear words like "innocent children" or that these children have had their innocence taken away. There are children in the world who lost their innocence at a very early age that suffer greatly that we fail to see. Over and over again the question of "How do I tell my children?" came up. Well, how do people in far away places tell children when their parents are killed in war?

The truth is, there is more pain and suffering in this world than we care to imagine. It's sad and unfortunate. It will always be this way. There will always be pain. There will always be death. There will always be a loss of innocence at any age. All children who suffer anywhere are worthy of the same respect, honour, sympathy and empathy as the children in Newton.

Let's remember all those who suffered today, and be grateful if we were not one of them.