Sepratists Unite

For those Alberta sepratists that come to visit this blog, I have a blog for like minded Ontarians at The Ontarian Sepratist. There is an open forum to add your blog links. Once there are enough of them I'll add the links to it.

The Stretch for Moral Equivalency

Correction: The cost covered by the Police Services to go to Israel was $1900 not $5000.
Correction: The threat of violence was NOT against Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress as originally reported via the media I got the information from, but against the Jewish community (in Ontario or in Canada? - you never know what connection extremists have to sleeper cells in any area of the world).
Addendum: My blog is now being accessed by individuals in these countries: Malaysia, India (Tamil Nadu), Iran and Morocco - the majority of hits are to the July 25th post: 'Will the Real Islam Please Stand-Up' - which is not a problem as long as there is no intention of malice. There was an excellent article in the National Post on page A23 called 'A Chill on Progressive Islam' by Tarak Fatah & Munir Pervaiz that compliments this post on this blog. These are two very brave men and I have the utmost respect for them authoring it.

I’m back briefly to report on a public forum that took place tonight at the Aquarius Theatre as I felt that CH’s reporting was biased and did not show one of the speakers loose all decorum by editing out her screaming.

The Hamilton Police Services Board felt they needed to address the issue publicly due to a complaint launched by the McMaster Chapter of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights and the Hamilton Community Coalition against Racism.

The complaint stemmed from Hamilton Police Chief Brian Mullen visiting Israel along with 30 other Chiefs of Police in Ontario to learn about suicide bombers paid for by Jewish groups and about $5000 out of the City of Hamilton’s public purse and the appearance of bias and the perception that Ontario’s police forces would adopt similar policing tactics used in Israel.

I arrived late to standing room only and could barely hear a young woman speaking on behalf of the Hamilton Steelworkers Area Council explaining Israel’s various human rights abuses and ignored Security Council resolutions. She was heckled because it was obviously political and had to stop.

I managed to get into the room in time to hear Susan Howard-Azzeh, President of the Niagara Palestinian Association and the Co-Chair for the Niagara Coalition for Peace. While she was speaking two others started a power-point presentation showing images of dead Palestinian children.

This was particularly offensive to a number of individuals including myself because it just underscores propaganda that I left the community for. These are the kinds of images that Arab television replay over and over and over again, misusing these images to vilify their enemy (the Israeli government and by attrition, the Jewish people). They are also used to attempt to justify suicide bombing and reach for moral equivalency.

Bernie Morelli, the Chair of the Police Services Board asked Ms. Howard-Azzeh to stop the images as they were not part of the agreed upon rules of presentation. Ms. Howard-Azzeh refused and stated there were not rules outlined. Repeated requests from Ms. Howard-Azzeh were adamantly denied. The Chair became abrupt with her and ordered her off the podium to allow the other 13 speakers a voice.

Again Ms. Howard-Azzeh refused unless she was allowed to show the picture props. She accused the Chair of adverse affect discrimination, as she stated his request was not intentional but she felt the impact of it. At the same time supporters of the Palestinian cause got up to leave protesting on their way out, citing discrimination because they weren’t allowed to show the pictures.

Security approached Ms. Howard-Azzeh at the podium and asked her to leave and she accused him of harassing her and threatening using the microphone to announce this to the audience, refusing to leave the podium.

Mr. Morelli called a break, which gave the media time to tape Ms. Howard-Azzeh and others protesting the Chief’s visit to Israel. When he returned the public forum was cancelled and asked the parties to submit their rebuttals in writing as the previous heckling and turn of the event started to get riled.

While Mr. Morelli was speaking Ms. Howard-Azzeh took the microphone right out of his hand. The room made a collective sigh as she attempted to continue her speech, the images once again starting to run. By the time her supporters tried to calm her down she was screaming. Even though CH’s camera’s were right in her face taping her meltdown they didn’t add that into their 11 p.m. news report.

She continued screaming for about 5 or 10 minutes while the press was getting it’s fill and the rest of the bewildered crowd started to clear out of the auditorium. Her emotions were so high it was hard not to experience similar anxiety. For me the anxiety was from remembering the indoctrination of believing one point of view that I could see clearly in Ms. Howard-Azzeh’s hatred fuming for the audience to take note.

I managed to get up to the front wanting to ask Ms. Howard-Azzeh how any of this could justify suicide bombing. By this time her family and supporters were trying to calm her down and tell her it wasn’t the best way to go about what she was trying to achieve. I asked one of the Muslim women surrounding her this question and I was told that it was Israel and America that made the suicide bombers.

I wanted to know if she thought it was the C.I.A getting people to strap on suicide belts since I’ve heard enough conspiracy theories that it’s everybody else’s fault. I was told I needed to live there to know who was doing it. I know that there is enough hatred for the Jewish community within the Muslim community in Ontario that their arguments about racism become impotent.

It is much easier to blame than to change and take responsibility for a collective group’s own human rights abuses. This is Canada and not Israel. Israel is in a difficult position because of their placement within the Middle East, surrounded by countries that hate them. They also have to deal with suicide bombers on a daily basis.

In Canada, we don’t have suicide bombers and we don’t want to. But if that were to ever happen, I want my Chief of Police to know what to look for when dealing with suicide bombers and the community that breeds them. It’s happened in Britain, it’s happened in Bali, it happened in America. Britain’s Muslim community is connected to Ontario’s Muslim community more intimately than the press and those speakers care to admit.

Hatred breeds them through biased propaganda and argument, self-imposed segregation of a community’s individuals. Ms. Howard-Azzeh disrespected those with opposing viewpoints that should be taken into consideration in a pluralistic and forum by not respecting the Chair’s requests.

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights has not condemned suicide bombing in the past. In some cases they argue in support of it. You cannot speak of human rights when you cannot condemn the abuses of your own people.

Israel is made the effort to remove settlers from the occupied territories. They want peace. Why did Ms. Howard-Azzeh not acknowledge this? From what I could gather old arguments were used to continue to fan the flame of hate not peace.

As Ms. Howard-Azzeh left she was abusing Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress. She accused him of laughing at the fact that the forum had shut down, as if he had planned it. What I saw was Ms. Howard-Azzeh’s spiral into that indoctrinated hatred I removed myself from years ago. Mr. Farber was probably bewildered like the rest of us at Ms. Howard-Azzeh’s irrational behavior caused by her refusal to respect the Chair’s requests. It has nothing to do with conspiracies like the community likes to find fodder.

I don’t buy anyone’s opinion that the Hamilton Police Services Board wanted to shut down the forum. What I do blame them for is naivete. I could have told them that it would end up in the mess it did. Conspiracy theories are part of the misinformation in an attempt to draw away the fact that what is supported by these groups including unions such as C.U.P.E and the Hamilton Steelworker's Council happen to be supporting global terrorism. Period.

Update September 22: Chief Mullen met with the Palestinian Authority which was not reported the day before by Hamilton Spectator journalist Sharon Boase. Also the sentiments expressed by those supporting the Palestinians is not fringe groups. It is very maintstream and those who voice their contempt at terrorism are in the minority within the Muslim community.

Hamilton Lawyer and Muslim activist Hussein Hamdani reports in another of Ms. Boase's articles that the Canadian community is isolating Muslims which is far from the truth. There are a number of iya's in the Quran that tell Muslims to stay away from non-Muslims, therefore it is religious law (sharia) that gives this rule and good Muslims must follow it.

It is the Muslim community that isolates themselves from Canadians and does not allow differential opinions and is exacerbated by one sided propaganda, either from CAIR or CAIR Canada or other professionals (engineers, doctors) in the community. For example, the London Muslim Mosque forbade any Muslim in the mosque to even say the word 'Israel'.

Update September 22 6:50 pm: CH redeemed themselves with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly with Talk Back at 5:30 tonight. Their guests was Susan Howard-Azzeh and Stewart Bell. Mark and Donna kept the indignant Ms. Howard-Azzeh on track asking her to stick to the questions they asked her after attempting to spew unrelated information to the viewers.

Mark almost got her to admit that she supports suicide bombing fully. I would have let her say it and then she would be in a position of supporting sabotage if anything adverse happened in the area. Not surprising, that her husband was charged for uttering death threats at Bernie Farber.

CH also interviewed her for their 6 pm newscast where she told the reporter it was out of character for her to grab the mic from Mr. Morelli. What isn't true is that she conceded to forgoe the powerpoint presentation, her rationale for grabbing the mic. She had no intention of stopping the powerpoint presentation as it started up again once she just grabbed the mic and continued on her tirade.

It's That Time Again

It's that time again to put blogging aside to get some work done. I have a number of projects to finish that deserve my full attention. I'm encouraging readers to go to the archives to read up on past posts while I'm gone. Somehow I feel that my work is done here, now that Sharia law is no longer an urgent issue. But there are still legal fights ahead.

As for the story Journey into Conversion, I may make that a members only blog on its own. Any further parts to the story will be held off for now, as this is work done for the sake of getting out my story, not because it has to be done.

I want to leave on what I think are positive notes:

Bush has taken responsibility for what the federal government hasn't done in respnse to Katrina. This is the most intelligent and honourable action a leader could do. It shows, well, leadership. I admire this greatly mostly because our own Prime Minister is a weasel when it comes to leadership and responsibility. The same goes for a number of other Canadian politicians, Ministers and bureaucrats. I'll let Dalton McGuinty off the hook for these qualities only because of his recent Sharia decision.

The couple that ran St. Rita's Nursing Home in N.O are charged with 34 counts of negligent homicide. And so they should. This again, would NEVER happen in Ontario - see my posts on Randy Modgridge - why? Mostly because of hatred towards individuals with disabilities in Ontario. Again, I have a lot of respect for American justice. Canadian justice appears it's only about protecting those in power and their bureaucrats, it's not about protecting marginalized individuals.

Condolezza Rice has acknowledged looking at reasons for poverty in the 'Old South'. Admirable. Americans aren't afraid at looking at their problems and addressing them as a nation.

I'm feeling jealous that my own country doesn't behave with honour and responsibility, it makes me want to become an American. Why not? Half my family are Americans anyway...

All the best to my readers during my absense and blog on!

HR

Manufacturing Illness

This is an important book brought to my attention from the Alliance of Human Research Protection. It confirms previous posts to this blog on manufactured illness, supported by the American Psychiatric Association's publication "A Research Agenda for DSM V" . The following is from the AHRP:

Selling Sickness: How the World’s Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients, by Ray Moynihan, an international health journalist, and Alan Cassels, a pharmaceutical policy researcher, is likely to become a best seller because it is compelling, highly readable, and health care budgets are being bankrupted by this industry.

By examining 10 disastrous drug-related cases that have jolted public trust in medicine and hugely tarnished the luster of a once admired industry, the authors lay bare this industry's ingenious marketing strategy.

That strategy has succeeded in hugely increasing demand for drugs--mostly by healthy Americans. The book’s prologue contains the germ that sprang into action validating the authors’ premise: that the pharmaceutical industry (Pharma) is no longer focused on selling cures for disease, but rather on marketing drugs to the worried well. The authors recount the candid comments made by the retiring CEO of Merck:

“Thirty years ago…Merck’s aggressive chief executive Henry Gadsden told Fortune magazine of his distress that the company’s potential markets had been limited to sick people. Suggesting he’d rather Merck to be more like chewing gum maker Wrigleys, Gadsden said it had long been his dream to make drugs for healthy people. Because then, Merck would be able to “sell to everyone.” Three decades on, the late Henry Gadsden’s dream has come true.”

Moynihan and Cassels show how Pharma has used “weapons of mass seduction” to gain public trust and decisive influence over the medical profession, medical practice guidelines, public health policies, and both scientific journals and mass media. It succeeded in gaining control over medical practice and public expenditure through strategic, systematic, and systemic corporate sponsorship. Indeed, this industry has succeeded in shaping our very perceptions of health and sickness to promote “lifestyle” medicines.

Pharma seems to have adopted the marketing strategy of the cosmetic industry, and is creating discontent and anxiety about perceived imperfections; using psychological weapons to prey on people’s fear of sickness, aging, loneliness, death—all calculated to create a demand for its latest pill. This immoral sales strategy disregards the fact that--unlike moisturizers, rouge, and perfume—drugs have risks and adverse side effects that are often catastrophic.

To overcome this problem, industry has turned medicine on its head. Instead of relying on evidence for the presence of a disease, and evidence of a favorable risk/ benefit ratio to justify a medical intervention, doctors are prescribing drugs based on corporate sponsored “public awareness” campaigns that create “illness.”

“[Public] awareness campaigns are turning the worried well into the worried sick. Mild problems are painted as serious disease, so shyness becomes a sign of social anxiety disorder and premenstrual tension a mental illness called premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Everyday sexual difficulties are seen as sexual dysfunctions, the natural change of life is a disease of hormone deficiency called menopause, and distracted office workers now have adult ADD. Just being ‘at risk’ of an illness has become a ‘disease’ in its own right, so healthy middle aged women now have a silent bone disease called osteoporosis, and fit middle-aged men a lifelong condition called high cholesterol.”

More from AHRP

Victory!

There will be NO SHARIA law in Ontario! Compliments to ABFreedom for having an eye to spot the news - hugs & kisses to ya!

See CTV for detials. Perhaps the threat of a legal challenge using the British ban and Quebec Assembly decisions have scared off the Ontario government seeing that both can be used as evidence in a court of law in Ontario. Not to mention their past and present discrimination against women and contempt for the Charter.

Ok...I've gloated long enough...time to take out the 'flipping of the bird' comment

Here is an example of Sharia gone wrong and is not the only rights offense that has gone on in this province - reported from The Globe & Mail

Bloggers Unite!

Yes, it's what you've been hearing about and waiting for it's The Great Canadian Blog Survey

The Canadian Economist has ventured to consider bloggers in Canada. Those of you who are interested in taking the survey can do so here . Help out masters student Aaron Braaten from the University of Alberta (sorry Aaron for the U of Calgary thing) further his career objectives and support Canadian blogging.

Aaron will be all to happy to give you a virtual pat on the head and an acknowledgement of your blog.

Statement on Sharia Use by Minister Bryant

Update: clarification on Mr. Comartin's public statement

On September 8, 2005 Honourable Michael Bryant made this public statement to honour the provinces commitment to the Charter of Rights. They haven't in the past, so what is going to get them to honour it now?

I am going to hold him to his word. As such, I will request the Ontario Human Rights Commission to investigate sex discrimination within the justice system via the Law Society and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

They have not answered to the concerns about lack of legal representation in the CEDAW review whatsoever. I will also ask the OHRC to consider the sexist and paternal public statements made by Joe Comartin in an all candidates meeting from the last election regarding a question asked on Sharia law.

His comment was dismissive and paternalistic blaming opponents of Sharia law as "the over-reaction of women's groups" - encouraging the audience to condone continued constructive discrimination against women in Ontario.
Not only was he giving legal advice, he used his position as a lawyer to make it appear that he understood and new Islamic law. He was clearly speaking from the monetary support he had recieved for his political campaign by a Shiite mosque in Windsor, in which he was invited to address the paternalistic all male participants.

Unfortunately, MP's like this plague politics in all levels of government in Canada.

Terrorists - Made in Canada

I don’t know this guy, but he resided in my hometown. Stewart Bell reports on Jamal Akkal in part one of this National Post series “A student of terror: How a Windsor man was recruited by Hamas”

Muslim Conspiracy Theorists

Update: removal of excessive use of expletives (apologies for my shear frustration) and better clarification.

This is too incredible. I'm ready to come out of hiding for this. From Memri TV (the Middle East TV Monitory Research Institute) - link compliments of LGF.

This is the kind of ridiculousness I left the Muslim community for. Conspiracy theories abound. I had to put up with this BS from educated Muslims. One, an engineer and a member of the Canadian Islamic Congress and a physician - a specialist - were pushing this same shite as Egyptian researcher Zaynab Abd Al-Aziz mentioned in the article.

This physician, who was raised in Britian, should have a psychological evaluation (and anyone who knows me would know that I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially in Ontario). While waiting for a woman associated with what was once was a very moderate Bosnian mosque in London Ontario, before this guy and his father took it over making it fundamental, I had to sit and listen while he spewed the exact same theory at me.

He was telling me he had it all documented etc etc etc. The father and son didn't shut up even when I had to ask them to. My response to the good doctor was, why don't you give your copies to your member of parliament or the RCMP or CSIS? He looked at me appalled. He was much happier to propagate it to other Muslims in the community who would believe him because of his position in society.

The same conspiracy theory can be found on white supremacist websites.

What's more ludicrous is that the Canadian Islamic Congress has accused the opponents of Sharia law of using conspiracy theories in attempts to discredit them.

They would know since I know at least one of their members as a conspiracy theorist who propagates it. The C.I.C sponsored an event in Toronto about Islam in the media where an executive from Vision TV walked out and a Muslim children's book author had to tell the Muslims in the audience that Jews do not "own the media" because this conspiracy theory was being propagated widely in the community.

The London Muslim community was also reminded by Svend Robinson in a political meeting that was set up with him to consider their bigotry and conspiracies against the Jewish community.

I myself have had to speak to Riad Saloogee of CAIR-Canada to address the conspiracy theories and bigotry aginst the Jewish community by the Muslims in London. Nothing was done of course, but Mr. Saloogee knew it was a problem.

I've even heard that wahabists like Osama bin Laden were created by the CIA to make Islam look bad. Just incredible, as if Muslims never do anything wrong.

All of this was going on well before 9/11.

That C.I.C conspiracy theorist, an engineer whom I call 'The Most Senior Propagandist', had to be told to stop sending me emails that were bigoted against Hindus and Jews yet supported Hamas and the Taliban. After 9/11 he continued to propagate that Israelis had been behind the WTC destruction. He continued. Finally, I had to tell him I would contact the authorities if he didn't stop. He stopped.

He was a lovely man in person, but became hateful in his emails.

Is FEMA Inept?

FEMA rife with ineptitude and political patronage - CTV reports

I am confident the American media will "have at them like a piniata" to quote an NBC journalist seen on the Jon Daily show. I just wish Canada's media were more like the bull-dogs they are when it comes to government accountability.

The only way the government will be held to account are for Bush and Republican propagandists to stop propagating and accept that their idols and party has responsibilities to accept for their roles. As the Democrat Governor of Lousiana. Having left a religious community that used propaganda on a daily basis, I have no tolerance for those involved in systemic denial.

" In the 24/7, split-screen, blog-drenched, unfiltered America, controlling the image and controlling the language go a long way toward controlling the blame.

[...]

Vice President Dick Cheney made his first trip to the Gulf Coast area Thursday, sleeves rolled up, concern on his face, empathy in his voice.

But a ceremonial visit is not enough. The difficulty so far for the administration has been making the images and words match the reality that people are seeing on their screens." - from the Chicago Tribune


It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to accept ones mistakes, admit them and to act on changes so it doesn't happen again.

Poor America. My heart goes out to all those involved in the rescue efforts and that forcaster who sent the ominous report predicting based on scientific evidence, that what occurred was going to occur. This person or people involved with the National Weather Centre should be given a citation for doing their jobs well. (If I'm incorrect where the report came from, please let me know. I am assuming it from the NWC)

Sharia Law & CEDAW

Protestors around the world gather to protest the implementation of Sharia law in Ontario. Some of the main concerns and promises of the Liberal government are to make sure access to legal services are available to Muslim women so their guaranteed legal rights won't be violated.

Both the Ontairo government and the Ontairo legal system have ignored the impact on women that their decisions have created yet they expect that Sharia won't be a problem when the system is already full of barriers that continues to be a problem for Ontario's women now.

The Government of Ontario and the Law Society of Upper Canada have created these barriers by removing access to legal representation and legal rights since the problems with Legal Aid commenced with the Rae government in 1994. Posts to this blog have documented the problems.

The United Nations has found that Canada continues to discriminate by removing the benefit of protection of laws that women should be enjoying. Women, especially those who are already disadvantaged due to systemic discrimination, continue to experience barriers to their legal rights because they cannot access adequate legal services.

The following items (29 to 32) were brought up by the Committee for the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which Canada is legally obligated to consider under s. 26 of the Charter and because they ratified this international treaty.

The Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario nor the Law Society of Upper Canada have responded to the draft report that was reviewed in January of 2003. Nor has the federal Liberal government or the Canadian Human Rights Commission.]

Items of Concern by the United Nations are below. Full text of the Report can be viewed here.

29. While noting recent efforts at gender-based impact analysis of legislation, programmes and other measures at the federal and some provincial levels, the Committee is concerned that such efforts are not mandatory for all levels and bodies of the various jurisdictions.

30. The Committee recommends that the State party consider making gender-based impact analysis mandatory for all legal and programme efforts at the federal level and, through its respective Consultative Continuing Committees of Officials, at the provincial and territorial levels.

31. While appreciating the fact that funds are available under the Court Challenges Programme for test cases under the equality guarantee in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Committee is concerned that the Programme applies only to federal laws and programmes. The Committee is also concerned that federal legal aid funds in civil and family law and for legal matters related to poverty issues, in contrast to legal aid for criminal cases, are channelled to the provinces and territories at their discretion. That, in practice, turns out to have a disproportionately restrictive impact on women seeking legal redress as compared to men.

32. The Committee urges the State party to find ways for making funds available for equality test cases under all jurisdictions and for ensuring that sufficient legal aid is available to women under all jurisdictions when seeking redress in issues of civil and family law and in those relating to poverty issues.

9 Things I Hate About Everyone

I didn't write this...just lovingly sent in an email and I thought it too funny not to post : )

9 Things I Hate About Everyone

1. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is pal, where the fuck is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?

2. People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the tv remote because they refuse to walk to the tv and change the channel manually.

3. When people say "Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too". Damn right! What good is a cake if you can't eat it?

4. When people say "it's always the last place you look". Of course it is.Why the fuck would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Gonna Kick their ass!

5. When people say while watching a film "did you see that?". No Loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the fucking floor.

6. People who ask "Can I ask you a question?".... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?

7. When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it.

8. When people say "life is short". What the fuck?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever fucking does!! What can you do that's longer?

9. When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks "Has the bus come yet?". If the bus came would I be standing here, dumass?

SEND TO EVERYONE YOU CAN OR ELSE!!!!!!!!

Some Interesting Happenings...

Well, I made it back to Hamilton in one piece. I have to apologize to anyone who made comments and there was no response from me. I wasn't ignoring anyone just I didn't have access when the comments came in. Now that I've sifted over 250 emails I thought I just send this general response. Thanks for everyone's comments.

I'm encouraging comments even from those who don't agree with me (which is often). I can't guarantee that I won't be hurt if they are personally insulting but that is the nature of being so openly opinionated on public blogs. All I ask is that you try to be nice and attempt to be constructive. We all learn best from other's expericences and facts that counter other facts. It helps to clarify misunderstandings and lets us know that our world is not isolated from others.

I've enabled the anonymous comments in case some want to post but feel hindered from doing so if they have to identify themselves.

Just for the record, I'm not affiliated with any political party. This is important for me because I believe that party's create 'group think' and rhetoric as I feel t hinders my true political opinions and does not help those in the broader community. If I were to go into politics I would be an independent. Therfore, my opinions range from what is being called 'left' to 'center' to 'right'. I'd prefer to call myself a 'broad spectrum' politico.

Now that I've gotten a large human rights rebuttal out of the way, I'd like to get back to writing Part VIII of 'Journey into Conversion'.

The emails I have not been able to read have indicated some interesting occurences.

1) Something is happening to my mail. I was to recieve a letter from the Crown Attorney's Office and it was twice sent back to them. They indicated they have not had such a problem sending letters to a member of the public, ever.

2) I have not recieved a letter from the Law Society of Upper Canada that I was told was coming. That was over a month ago. I suspect there is a similar problem.

3) A letter from the Human Rights Commission went missing and I was sent someone else's confidential response from the Commission.

4) Others letters from the City of Hamilton have also gone missing. They say they sent a number of them out but I did not recieve them and they have also wondered why I wasn't getting my mail.

5) I had a similar problem with the mail from my landlord.

I get back to everyone and let them know what is up with all this...

Yours truly,
HR

Tropical Storm Maria

Update September 8: Maria is now a tropical storm but Ophelia is heading to Florida. I wonder how they are doing?

With all the distraction of Katrina, Maria may broadside the east coast while everyone is distracted. It's looks pretty far north already so if it doesn't peter out it looks like it's headed towards PEI & NFLD - from the National Hurrican Centre

A Garden Paradise and Books

I'm supposed to be heading back to Hamilton in a few days but I've barely gotten anything done that I have to do. I've been procrastinating from a large and complicated human rights rebuttal by doing other things, like reading books or tending my parents garden while they are on vacation.

There's nothing in the world as a garden, truly paradise and something I miss as I live in an apartment in Hamilton. Windsor has a unique terarium smell to it, like a giant marsh. No wonder it being one of the most humid and marshy areas in Canada. I've heard that the geography is in the person ie one is attached to the land where they are born.

When I come on home I feel relaxed on breathing in that unique greenhouse smell, the natural aroma of the local vegetation held in suspension in the humid air. The sun shines as much as it can down here, which seems different from Hamilton. I live near the water there so often it is very grey and depressing, especially in the winter and spring. I have to come to Windsor to lift my spirits. Its just something about this place, it has a level of vibrancy that resonates off the scrapers of Detroit. Maybe some day I'll be able to articulate it better. I still haven't learned to like Hamilton yet let alone love it. I hope someday I will.

In any case, I was hoping to write a couple of more book reviews but I have to stop blogging for awhile to concentrate on this other project.

I want to sign off for a few days but just a word on the books I'm reading or have read in the last 3 weeks:

Down To This by Shaughnessy Bishop Stahl - I've finished reading it but held off reviewing because I just don't know how to respond. It's the story of Shaun's experience living in Tent City in Toronto - a place where the homeless built shanties on contaminated land owned by Home Depot. I couldn't put it down because this true story makes you wonder if he makes it through the year. It's very funny in places but in contrast depressing, frustrating and confusing.

Education of a Wondering Man by Louis L'Amour - I never thought I'd pick up a book by an author my father read but glad I did. I always thought LL wrote cowboy stories but it turns out he is an amazingly well read 'cowboy' and has a library with 16 foot rotating shelves with books on either side. Sounds like the library of my dreams or a version of heaven.

The Age of Chivalry by National Geographic Society - another one of my father's books. I only brought one book with me because I knew there were enough here. I tried to pick what I found interesting - and it is for reasons of religious thought and philosophy of the time but I'll elaborate later.

The last one is on the American Revolution written by a professor of history at an American College. It may have fell under the bed while I fell asleep with it...

I found a number of other books I'd like to read like The Arctic Grail by Pierre Berton and My First Years in the Fur Trade - The Journals of 1802 - 1804 by George Nelson.

I often pick up a number of books and start reading. Some catch my attention so thoroughly I'll read them in two days, others fall on the floor after they put me to sleep. So we'll see and I give my reviews later.

5 Steps to Indoctrination

LGF has a comprehensive list of posts on the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) - propaganda organs for indoctrinating Islamic thought.

I know that last bit sounds biased but that's because it is. And since I lived through it, received emails from both organizations and went to their events and even acted on behalf of CAIR-Can, I think I've got a good grip on how it works.

The Quran has enough references in it for segregating Muslims from the rest of this culture. Knowing a little about how cults attract adherents.

The first step is the attraction of a charismatic leader to 'explain' Islam with a Western sensibility so it makes sense (much in the Hadith and Quran does not make sense if it’s compared to our human rights codes).

Second, is to isolate the person, group, and then community from the outside. The outside being non-Muslims because those Muslims are told to fear loosing their religion from the kafr (unbelievers) as they are all homosexual, adulterous or take drugs, alcohol etc.

The next step is to feed them misinformation or biased information that is out of context and provides no rebuttal or opposing viewpoint - this is propaganda.

The fourth step is groupthink and giving ideas amplification. 'Muslims are persecuted' is a good one. Some of these concerns are valid. But when it is mixed with the concept of one Islamic Nation (Ulema) then anything becomes an offense to Islam and Muslims.

Lastly, outward projection. Everyone hates Muslims so we have to engage in Jihad. Jihad is not just with weapons, but also with words. This is where LGF's posts come in. Reducing the level of free speech, dissent and criticism against Islam is, UnIslamic.


Not even a Muslim can criticize it, so instead of facing the psychological effects of doing so, they instead turn to being "good Muslims" and not criticize anything or anyone Islamic or Muslim. You are not a good Muslim and therefore you do not love Allah. And if you don't love Allah that means you must not believe in the Quran. If you don't believe then you are a kafr. And since you are a kafr... you must be an enemy of Islam.

Those enemies within the unwritten Muslim community definition from informal conversations although some of it is propagandized in emails, are Jews, America, The West, homosexuals, non-Muslim women, our laws, our security agencies, our police forces etc. etc. etc. So instead of criticizing fellow Muslims and Islam itself, 'practicing Muslims' will berate others as waste and therefore enemies. All this is done within the confines of the community.

If the community starts to fight amongst itself, they will blame America and The West for "dividing and conquering" instead of allowing the differences of human nature and varying opinions to flourish.

I've heard the CIA blamed for almost everything that is wrong with the Muslim community and everything outside of it. CSIS agents are liars and persecuting them. I've listened to Maha el Samnah Khadr when I met her in 2000 tell me (and the other women that were at the fundraising event) that CSIS and the Canadian Border Service Agency were wrong when they thought her & her husband were terrorists.

Well...they happen to be part of al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's close network...Maha and her daughter have been interviewed by the CBC in the documentary called 'Al Qaeda Family'

Most of the transcript is documented on that link but I copied the airing of it and went through the part where the daughter, Zainab, wished she had the guts to blow herself up, which I don't believe was transcribed on the CBC website version.

TC = Terrence McKenna, CBC Interviewer
M = Maha el Samnah Khadr
Z = Zainab Khadr

Transcript:

TC: "Mother and sister are not personally in favour of suicide bombing but that they admire those willing to do it"

Z: "I mean we really respect those people. Not respect, though I think. That must be a really brave person to be able to know I'm going to die."

M: "No not die, to blow-up"

Z: "Yeah. I mean he's not in a battle and he gets killed. The minute I press this button or the minute I hit that building, I'm dead and I know and I'm doing it."

Z: "Very brave. He must be very very very brave"

Z: "I don't have the guts to do that yet"

M: "They must have so much pain [in] order to get to that point"

Injury Rates in Ontario - A Study

Since I'm in Windsor I thought I'd comment on an article I read in the Windsor Star on Emergency Room visits.

The Institute of Evaluative Studies has new statistics on emergency room use in Ontario in this .pdf file called General Description of Injuries in Ontario.

It's broken down into two categories injury-related emergency department visits and intentional-injury emergency room visits.

The Windsor Star used the report to show just injury-related ED visits to its local hospitals, which happen to be some of the lowest in the province. When you look at the rest of the statistics for Ontario, you can see that the counties that are higher are rural where there are shortages of doctors so going to the ED is part of the rural health-care regime.

The WS related it to the fact that Essex County's visits to the ED was because its a 'labour city' where health and safety prevent injury-related accidents. This might very well be true but without looking at a comparison of the rest of the province the statistics are down graded because of rural health care use of ED departments that are higher.

What the WS didn't report on was the high rate of self-injury visits to the ED department. This can be found on page 21 of the report.

The following are the top counties to have high incidences of intentional-injury to ED departments:

Number 1: Algoma, Kenora, Rainy River, Peterborough and Thunderbay with a rate 709 persons to every 100,000
Number 2: Cochrane, Hamilton, Muskoka and Nippising with rates between 591 to 709 to every 100,000
Number 3: Windsor rates on par with 19 other counties with rates between 433 to 491 to every 100,000
Number 4: London rates on par with 9 other counties with rates between 355 to 433 to every 100,000
Number 5: Ottawa & Toronto have some of the lowest self-injury visits to ED in the province at a rate of under 355 to every 100,000

I don't understand why Peterborough has some of the highest rates. Maybe they keep better data? What is it about this county that has increased suicide attempts?

Hamilton isn't surprising. This city has some of the worst health care I've ever experienced. As I've mentioned before, I had to come to Windsor to get medical treatment. It's a trusim that the doctor shortage is so severe that quality of health care is severely compromised. If the suicide rate is high it's because of the abusive support system itself which includes women's shelters, hospitals, psychiatrists and nurses in its mental health system not to mention the attitude of many of the doctors in the city, whom are mostly trained at McMaster.

Now Windsor. Windsor has a better grip on its mental health system it's more advanced than Hamilton's probably because of its proximity to Detroit, Michigan where alot of Windsorites get experience and the ability to sue is easier so there is less carelessness in treatment and diagnosis and because it's a labour city where supports for union members are stronger.

But the stats are still high. I wonder if the "labour city" is going to take credit for these rates being higher than the non-self-injury ED visits?

Land of the Passing Buck

A.K.A - 'My Experiences with the CPSO et al'

In December 2004 I paid a visit to the Ministry of Health in Toronto. I wanted to speak to the Minister (fat chance) but instead I got to speak to his executive assistant. I explained to her that I wanted someone in the Ministry to look at my evidence against Ruth Warner, an investigator for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario that withheld evidence from the College’s Complaints Committee. That I had been trying for some time.

It was suggested that I speak to Marilyn Wang. My response was that I did not wish to speak to Ms. Wang because I had spoken to her earlier that year and I was not satisfied with her response. Having spoken to her she said the legislation with respect to how the College conducts itself on complaints would most likely not be changed.

I had been attempting for years to get the attention of the Ministry or at least get my Members of Provincial Parliament, Dwight Duncan or Sandra Pupatello’s office to take the evidence. They’ve done nothing. The Ministry and the Minister are refusing to acknowledge that the College not protecting the public interest.

I decided after this very brief request to pay a visit to the Crown Attorney’s office in Toronto. The receptionist insisted they didn’t want anything to do with my evidence. I asked her if she would like to repeat that on tape? She said ‘No, that she didn’t want to be tape recorded’ and proceeded to find me Crown Counsel.

I was very happy to speak to Shelley Hallett of the Crown Law Office – Criminal division. She listened and took copies of my evidence, including the legislative requirements documented in the KPMG Report. She wanted to know why I didn’t submit the evidence to a police force? I tried to, London, Windsor, Toronto, but none of them would take it. Everyone wanted to pass the buck.

And they did.

I wanted to charge Ruth Warner for breach of trust and withholding of evidence under Part IV of the Criminal Code because she has a legislated duty to follow the Regulated Health Professions Act with respect to her duties as an investigator for the College, therefore, an official of the government that has legislated responsibilities.

Ms. Hallett told me she would get back to me but to this date I have not heard a word from her. Her assistant, Dimitri contacted me on June 20 (I posted the date on my blog). He told me that a letter was going to be sent addressing my visit with Ms. Hallett.

The letter never came.

I guess Dimitri is no longer working there and I spoke to a new receptionist. I was told that this letter had been sent to an address that was documented wrong by Dimitri, twice. The new receptionist sent me an email letting me know that the letter will be resent. That was 3 weeks ago.

Still no letter. Hmmm...could that be obstruction?

I let Ms. Hallett know, via an email hopefully passed along through her assistant that I was going to be posting my evidence on my blog and how I was dealt with by the Crown’s office. I guess laws are only meant for those who have no positions of power in Ontario and it seems in Canada. (I hope Gomery listens).

So this is the story…

In May of 2000 I took a trip to Morocco and ended up getting sick within two days. Within a week on my return to Canada I had cramps so severe I couldn’t sit still or concentrate.

I went to see Dr. Ballingall at the Trafalgar Clinic in London Ontario where I had been living. Now the Walkerton crisis was in full bloom in May and by this visit, 7 people had died and thousands of others sick with e-coli and campylobacter infections.

Dr. Ballingall said to me, without providing a requisition form to get tests for parasites or bacteria, I should “get checked for what I got before I give it to the rest of Canada”. He suspected strongly I had something communicable and it could be serious but he did not give me the form to get the appropriate tests. I asked him if he was going to give me a requisition form. He told me I could get it at the lab.

My son was with me and was insulted at the comments made by Dr. Ballingall. Why is it that a seven-year-old can pick up on abuse? He described Dr. Ballingall’s comments about not giving what I had to the rest of Canada as “not very nice."

I went to the MDS labs and asked for a requisition as Dr. Ballingall had suggested. They said that was the doctor’s responsibility to send me with a requisition because he was the one who knew what tests to check off on the form.

Dr. Ballingall had refused to give me a requisition form knowing that I could have a bacterial infection from the water I was drinking in Morocco that could have made me very sick or killed me.

I had to go to another clinic to get a requisition form. The physician I saw knew of the consequences of not giving me one and checked off as many tests as he could. He did not want to have his name associated with any negligence by not sending me for tests.

As it turned out I had a campylobacter infection and h-pylori. The London-Middlesex Health Unit contacted me as soon as they got the results of my test because campylobacter is listed in the regulations of the Health Promotion and Protection Act as a reportable disease. Reportable diseases are those physicians and nurses are to report if they suspect their patient has been infected with one of them.

I complained to them about Dr. Ballingall and they noted it in their documents.

Within a month of the infection I couldn’t walk and had to go to the hospital. I was in intense pain for 3 months. I couldn’t work my full time and eventually quit my job. It took seven months to get physiotherapy because they doctors at the Lawson Sports Clinic at the University of Western Ontario noticed the mechanics of my back were working.

I decided I was going to make a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario against Dr. Ballingall. I formulated my concerns and sent them in. In my complaint, I questioned the water in London not to mention the actions of Dr. Ballingall and that I complained about him to the health unit (among other stuff).

It wasn’t until I noticed reading it in the newspaper that there was a team of physicians monitoring the Walkerton residents. Hundreds had cases of unexplained arthritis from their e-coli and campylobacter infections and they still have it today. I got to see one of the specialists in this team, a rheumatologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London.

As it was explained to me, some individuals who have latent arthritis due to genetic factors, campylobacter acts as a catalyst to help arthritis to bloom into a full-fledged illness before the time it would have normally have its onset. At the time I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis.

I was diagnosed just last year that I have degenerative arthritis from an MRI and somehow, in 2002, was "diagnosed" with adult ADHD, which I've never had any indications ever as a child! ("diagnosed" is in quotations because this is a case of HRDC funded ADHD fraud - but that's another story.)

A year after my initial complaint with the CPSO it was reported that MDS labs in London was not testing the water for all of southwestern Ontario according to the new legislation that was written after Walkerton. My new doctor (the one who made sure he gave me the appropriate tests) contacted the government because he knew that I did not experience the pain like this in Morocco. It only got worse after I returned to Canada.

No one contacted me from the government.

The CPSO made their decision (it can be found in this post). They did not check the facts of the case properly, they accepted Dr. Ballingall’s lie that not giving me a requisition was an “oversight” and ignoring his comments, giving him the benefit of the doubt without cross examination.

I appealed.

The CPSO sent me copies of the documents they provided the Complaints Committee. Since I did not have the benefit of being present during the “hearing” of the Complaints Committee (being present is not part of the legislation in the complaints process), I was not able to see what documents were presented to them.

By examining what the College sent me, I noticed Ruth Warner had left out the documents (1 & 2) from the London-Middlesex Health Unit. Not only that, she didn’t request that I give consent to get the documents or add the documents from MDS labs (1 & 2)that I did give consent to. Instead, she obtained documents from others that had nothing to do with the campylobacter infection or my complaint.

Of course, this was my first time using the College to make a complaint so I didn’t exactly know what to do or expect.

In the fall of 2002, while I researched for my C.E.D.A.W submission, I also researched for six months all the legislation that was supposed to be followed by the College and Dr. Ballingall. By that time I had also obtained a copy of the KPMG report from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. (This letter by Marilyn Wang says this report was made public in 2001. It’s not on MoHLTC’s website.)

The date of my appeal was March 25 2003, right smack dab in the middle of the SARS crisis in Toronto. On that same date Tony Clement added SARS to the regulation 558/91 of the Health Promotion and Protection Act, the same Act that I was using as evidence to show the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board that Dr. Ballingall nor the College were not following their legislative responsibilities.

The full text of my appeal is here but in particular the part that mentions the above legislation is here

I didn’t want to re-write the whole submission so I put it up in its rather raw form. I wasn’t able to attend the appeal hearing, nor was I able to participate in a conference call because I didn’t have a phone. (I wasn’t working and in the process of moving to Windsor. I wanted to send the appropriate legislation but the Appeal Board said they had copies. Anything that goes to the HPARB is public. So anything in here, besides my name and that of my family physician are posted.

In June of 2003 I wasn’t expecting the response I got from the HPARB. They also dismissed my case without adequate rationale. They didn’t even respond to the legislation I submitted. Since I wasn’t able to partake (I had no lawyer acting on my behalf because justice isn’t free or even seen as something that warrants pro-bono work in Ontario so I was working on my own. See this post or this one).

I don’t even know if the Appeal Board actually even read my document.

By this time, the second outbreak of SARS washed over Toronto and the Ministry and health professions ignored the same legislation, the Health Promotion and Protection Act that I brought up in my appeal on March 25, 2003. I contacted the legal counsel of the Ministry of Health, a woman whose name I may remember if it is brought up, but she did not answer.

I left her an irritated message about the legislation, how come it wasn’t followed in the second outbreak? And that I had problems with the College and the HPARB with the same indifference to the legislation.

She didn’t call back.

I was pretty disgusted by the whole matter and wasn’t able to afford another appeal to a real court of law (even though this is what was needed and I wanted) nor did I understand how to proceed. This submission was about as far as I understood how to deal with the courts because I am not a lawyer. I only had a month to teach myself what to do and the process to too ominous in such a short time frame.

In the fall of 2003, after the Liberals won the election, I contacted Dwight Duncan’s office to request someone look at my evidence. I was told to send it to the Minister myself, which was about an inch thick because it also contained the KPMG Report.

I decided to ask Sandra Pupatello’s office since she was the official opposition’s health critic. They were responsive and were willing to help. But when I went in to speak to her assistant she was defensive and I got no response from Minister Pupatello’s office afterward.

I ended up sending a fax to the Ministry and was contacted by Summer Frenni who was willing to take my information but when I sent in a more thorough letter, the Minister replied to go to the Ombudsman’s office.

I contacted the Ombudsman’s office wanting to launch my complaint against the Ministry as well for not seeing that the College wasn’t administering the Health Professions Act the way it was meant: to protect the public interest.

An Ombudsman’s officer, Roslyn Domma, responded that they couldn’t do it, telling me there was nothing in the legislation that says I can complain against the Minister as if the Minister didn't have any legislative responsibilities.

I tried the Ministry again in two letters; one dated January 3, 2004 to Summer Frenni and another January 28 2004. I was eventually contacted by Marilyn Wang who told me verbally (I still have my notes from this chat) that the Ministry couldn’t make any commitment and that the Ministry probably won’t do it, that is, make changes to CPSO policy in the Regulated Health Professions Act.

Then came the SARS Commission. I decided if everyone has chosen to pass the buck, I’d contact the SARS Commission to see if they would accept my evidence (most of it posted on habamusrodentumreports). I sent them my stuff on April 23, 2004 and was sent this letter back from the SARS Commission on May 7 2004.


The SARS Interim Report came out on April 15, 2004. And guess what? Commissioner Campbell’s cited the exact legislation on page 51 paragraph one in the Report as I did in my appeal on March 25th. I was happy to see that I wasn’t wrong. But no one wanted to deal with the issue. Everyone wanted to pass the buck.

I contacted the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario because it seemed to be the same old story, doctors ignoring the concerns of nurses and others when it comes to their responsibilities. Somebody had to benefit from this evidence. I have my notes somewhere but I remember speaking to the nurse involved with the SARS issue at the RNAO.

I told her my story, how the legislation was ignored by the College, the HPARB and the Ministry didn’t want to deal with it. I also sent them a copy of the KPMG report. (I think everyone that health care affects has a copy of that damn report by now, but it was ignored by CTV and the Windsor Star when I offered it to them)

On the same day I visited Ms. Hallett and the Ministry of Health, I paid a visit to the law firm Roy Elliot Kim O'Connor (R.E.K.O) who was launching a SARS class action against the Ministry. I was in contact with their researcher, Sasha, after they won the West Nile suit against the Ministry. I gave Sasha a copy of the KMPG Report and a copy of my submission to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board. He took copies of all of it and commented that I did so much work for myself but they, R.E.K.O couldn't help me. (Bullshit alert)

I was hoping to get some legal representation but Sasha misrepresented what the law firm did and it was only class action lawsuits. Well , R.E.K.O's "Areas of Practice & About our Firm" listed on their website don't support Sasha's comments. They only took my evidence that would help them win cases, but they avoided me as if I were a bad smell. (I showered that day too!)

Perhaps he was feeling left out because he didn’t come up with the legislation before I did.

In any case I sent two letters to R.E.K.O requesting a response to the above case, one to Patricia LeFebour and Doug Elliot.

I heard from neither.

Just last month I was happy to learn a day after CTV aired ‘Plague City’ that the law firms won the right to sue the government for the second outbreak of SARS. I was hoping to get this story on my blog way before then/

Maybe I’ll just send a link to this post to the Ministry and REKO again and post any responses. That is, if I get any...

KPMG Report on the CPSO et al

For those who are looking for this link: The KPMG Final Report of the Review of the CPSO Complaints and Discipline Process

It can also be found with other reports on www.habamusrodentumreports.blogspot.com

This post has been updated as well as it referred to the KPMG Report and the Law Society.

The Law Society's Beck Report on Legal Aid and the 1994 Memorandum of Understanding on Legal Aid with the Rae government is also posted on habamus rodentum reports or can be accessed by this link

Horror in New Orleans

Oh my God. You have to watch this video called Despair and anger (to the right of main picture). Most of the death and sewage was edited. Babies are dying, one woman's baby is barely moving in her arms - it's very hard to watch. The American government MUST make sure no more die at the Convention Centre or the Superdome.

They MUST get them out or at the very LEAST give them water, food, lights and medicine.

How can anyone be patient when their babies are dying? How can anyone be patient when they see people dying a slow death from dehydration or malnutrition?

Since most of those suffering are NO's poor, rounded up instead of being bused out of the city before Katrina's touchdown and no measures weren't taken to make sure the levees were secure prior even though they knew Katrina was coming into land at a category 5, I can see class action lawsuits being launched, especially for those who've lost children.

Katie Couric asks it the right way - August 2 interview with FEMA director Michael Brown