Diversity is Beautiful

Toronto is known for its cultural mosaic, this is what makes Toronto so different and unique from  other cities. We accept and embrace all cultures and religions. When hate crimes happens in Toronto or the GTA, it immediately attracts attention, because as Canadians we don't believe in hate. Inas Kadri experienced a hate crime first hand. Kadri is a Muslim women who wears a niqab (completely veiled but her eyes are visible).While in a mall shopping with her two young children, she was approached by a woman by the name of Rosemary Cresswell who had a brief confrontation with her before pulling Kadri's niqab off of her face. According to Kadri, Cresswell was saying "leave our country, go back to your country!" The confrontation was captured on video and Cresswell has pleaded guilty after the tape of the attack was shown in court.

Naturally, this comes as a surprise for most Canadians because as Canadians, we accept all beliefs and embrace diversity. So, why did this happen? It is mainly ignorance, what does it matter if her face is covered or not? She is human nonetheless and should be treated as such. Discrimination has no place in Canada and what truly defines a Canadian is the fact that we are open minded and welcome cultures and traditions around the world. If we all took time out of our day to understand the different religions, or the different cultures that surround our cities, it would make a huge difference to everyone, because now we can understand and even celebrate people's beliefs. People have to understand that the white man is no longer the majority, the majority is now diversity and no one should be judged based on the color of their skin or their personal beliefs. If you choose to judge someone, judge the quality of their heart because that is what defines them and that's what matters most.
Personally, do I care if you are White, or Black, or Asian, or if you wear a Turban or a Hijab? No, because I am not one to judge, we are all God's children regardless of which God we believe in. And as such, we should all be treated equally and respectfully. Regardless of your race, of your heritage, of your beliefs or traditions, you are my brother or my sister, you are me and I am you - we are equal, we are one. Even if you look different from me- it is your right to be different. Lets embrace each others differences, because diversity truly is beautiful. There no place for hate only love.

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Egypt: The Rebirth of a Great Nation.

Revolution 2.0 has officially begun and we will not settle for less than we deserve. Back in the January 25, 2011 revolution, after Mubarak's resignation, the military took over and Egyptians had found some sort of peace in knowing that we will be taken care of. However, when our demands and our rights and dreams have been turned away the people of Egypt decided to go back to Tahrir and voice their opinions. What happened next was unbelievable, the military sided against the civilians and used violence and brutality to resolve the long standing conflict.
As a citizen, the state should protect you. The state should take care of you and protect you. As a citizen I should be comfortable in my home and I should trust my country and my government to support me when I need them. What a shame it is that Egyptians don't feel at home in their own home. Decade after decade we have been lied to, we have been told the government has our best interest at heart when the reality of it is that the government doesn't give a crap about its civilians and takes every penny right into their own pockets. The people have lost all respect for the government and the military. Shame, shame, shame! The value of a human is close to nothing in Egypt. It is so easy for the military to kill anyone on the street and what is even more disgusting is that they took some of the lifeless bodies on the streets and dragged them into a corner and dump them one after the other. 1 life gone is 1 life too many, and we won't forget the blood of our martyrs.
SCAF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) is a bunch of disgusting pigs! Shameful, disgusting pigs who call themselves humans. All we want is our fundamental human rights.. is that too much to ask for?! Here is my prediction, SCAF will continue to fight and continue to kill for no necessary reason, just to make a statement. Now, lets think of the power of the people, it took only 3 weeks for Mubarak to step down after the revolution in January.. it is only a matter of time until all our demands will be met. "The power of the people is stronger than the people in power."  The time has come for our dreams to be heard and our demands to be met. We are courageous and brave and will fight until our last breath. We may lose some lives, we may lose our dignity, but we will never lose our home.

Dear SCAF, this is a kind reminder that we own this country, not you. Thank you. 

Conviction

Betty-Anne Waters holding her brother Kenny Waters' hand
as they depart Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge Mass.
(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File.) 

Conviction is a movie based on the true story of  a man named Kenneth Waters who gets falsely accused of murder and is sentenced life in prison without parole. Throughout his whole life, Kenny and his sister Betty-Ann have been moved around from shelter to shelter because their mother was deemed to be an unfit parent. They always supported one another and only had each other- they were truly the best of friends and deeply cared for each other. The story gets compelling when Kenny gets arrested and falsely accused with murder. Betty-Ann always knew that her brother was innocent and would literally do all that is in her power to set him free. She started looking for lawyers to defend her brother, however a lawyer for a case this big would need $25,000 up front before even looking into the case. This obviously a lot of money especially for Betty-Anne who works as a waitress at a bar in a small town in Massachusetts. Betty-Ann came up with an idea to go back to school, get her GED, get a BA degree and apply for law school. As crazy it sounded and as unrealistic as it is, she was determined and dedicated. Nothing would stop her from accomplishing this dream, all she needed was for Kenny to be patient with her. She wasn't sure if she would make it to law school or if she would even pass her courses, but she was determined to literally sacrifice everything for her brother.  After an eighteen year struggle, Betty-Anne became Kenny's attorney and fought to set him free.

This movie really moved me. It is such an inspiring story of true love, devotion and determination. It teaches you that you are never too old to follow your dreams and nothing will set you back from your dreams other than yourself. If you have the will and the drive to succeed, and if you believe in yourself, you can do any and everything you set your mind to. It just goes to show you it's not about what you know, its about how much you care. 

"The only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is the will to try it, and the faith to believe its possible."

Real Women Drive Cars

When I was about four years old, I used to live in Saudi Arabia. I remember that my childhood was great in Saudi Arabia and I met many great people that I am still in touch with today. I had a lot of great memories in Saudi Arabia simply because it is a very nice place with very nice people. However, with every positive there always comes a negative. I remember seeing my mother's rights taken away from her. I remember at every family outing or any outing for that matter, she had to be covered from head to toe. She had to wear a long black abaya (a long robe like dress) and a hijab (head scarf) not because she wanted to, but because she had to. I also  remember not being able to go out until my dad came home from work, because by law, women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. 

Earlier this year, a Saudi Arabian woman's rights activist by the name of Manal al-Sharif started a women's right-to-drive campaign and defied this law and drove her car in the city of Khobar. She videotaped herself driving and put it on both youtube and facebook. On May 21, 2011 she was detained and was arrested the following day. She spent nine days in prison simply because she is a woman and she drove her car. Manal encouraged women accross Saudi Arabia to drive their cars on June 17, 2011 in the hopes of encouraging this movement and giving women their right to drive. This is not the first attempt for this campaign. In 1990, a group of women protested their right to drive arguing that women should have the freedom to go to the store or drive to work. This same group of women were also cheered on as 'whores' and most of them were banned from travelling for one year as a punishment for their behavior. 

I would expect this kind of law in the stone age when women didn't have rights. However to this day, women are still treated as property and as second class citizens in Saudi Arabia. These laws just don't make any sense to me, how can someone live in a country knowing that they are forced to dress and act a certain way? or that they are someone's property? or that their freedom and their rights are taken away simply because of what is between their legs? 

Women are beautiful people and need to be recognized for their beauty and treated with respect and dignity. Don't get me wrong, I love Saudi Arabia very much because most of my childhood was there and I grew up there, I just wish that their laws be revised and that women all around the world are given universal human rights. 

My message to Manal al-Sharif and all Saudi Women drivers: Fight for your rights and build a better tomorrow for future generations. Don't ask for permission to drive. JUST DRIVE! It is your human right and you are human. You are equal to man whether they like it or not! Driving is not a crime!

                         Women's rights are human rights!

My Canada Goose Experience

As I was driving through the city of Toronto today at around 7:30 pm, I was forced to stop in the middle of Eglington Ave because a Canada Goose was crossing the street. What caught my attention is that this Canada Goose was hopping on one leg and struggling to move the other leg. This Goose was definitely injured and had what looked to be like a broken or twisted bone in his or her left leg. 

Being the animal lover that I am, I naturally felt it was my duty to report this and to try to get this helpless animal any sort of attention. I followed the Goose and walked behind it making sure that I can visibly see it while contacting Toronto Animal Services. I called Toronto Animal Services where I was instantly put in an automated phone system that told me to press "1" if my call was an emergency call or if it was regarding an injured animal. Naturally, you would think that an emergency call would be answered instantly right? WRONG, I was following the goose for about 20 minutes until I finally got an operator named Sherry on the phone. When I explained my concern about the injured goose, there was an awkward silence, it was almost as if what I was saying was the most absurd thing she has ever heard of in her life. She then proceeded to tell me the most absurd and ridiculous thing that I have ever heard in my life. In a nut shell, she explained to me that she can contact someone to help me however, because it is after business hours, they will likely resort to "putting down the animal". I explained to Sherry that the Goose just needs some medical attention and does not need to be put down, she interrupted me and told me that these were the procedures and asked if she should contact someone to pick up the goose. So, after 20 minutes of being on hold and 5 minutes listening to the garbage she was saying, I was convinced that leaving the goose there to fend for itself was a lot better than killing it. Sherry proceeded to tell me that if I am still concerned tomorrow to go back to the area and look for the goose and call Toronto Animal Services during business hours and an inspector can come and take a look at the goose and give it the help it needs. Basically after hours, they resort to killing an injured animal, however during hours they would be glad to help. This is the STUPIDEST thing that I have ever heard and this is definitely not something I would expect from the city of Toronto.

I could be overreacting simply because I have a passion and a soft spot for animals. However, I can't help but wonder how valuable the Canada Goose really is. The Canada Geese are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act of 1918. This Act makes it illegal to harm or injure a goose or damage or move its eggs without a Federal permit. Failure to comply with this law results in fines ranging from $5000-$10,000. 

My concern is, we as Torontonians love our animals and agree with this law. However when it comes down to it, the city is more concerned over the fine or payment that you will be paying rather than the actual health of the animal. As I saw today the Canada Goose means practically nothing to the city. 

      I expected more from our city. What a shame. 

The truth behind the dolphin smile

My good friend Kaleigh Henderson recommended that I watch a documentary called “The Cove.”  This documentary has literally changed my life. This is the most powerful documentary that I have ever seen. It sends out such a strong and an important message. Everyone needs to know the truth.

This movie takes place in Taiji, Japan where approximately 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are slaughtered annually. This is the largest dolphin slaughter on the planet. Some selected dolphins end up shipped to several aquariums where they are held in captivity, while the rest are brutally killed and sold as food.

Most of the approximately 500 dolphins currently held in Japan's 50 dolphinariums were captured during a violent and deadly dolphin drive hunt. This hunt starts by taking boats with long poles that reach underwater into the middle of the sea and use hammers to create a loud wall of sound which creates stress on the dolphins. Due to their extremely sensitive sense of hearing, Dolphins are easily frightened by loud noises, therefore, when the dolphins hear the uncomfortable and extremely loud bang under the water, they are frightened and literally run for their lives in the direction opposite of the sound – the shore. After reaching shore, the dolphins are very stressed and overwhelmed. The babies and parent dolphins are split up some are taken to marine parks while the others are to be killed. 
The fishermen  snatch these beautiful creatures from their natural habitats, hoist them into nets, load them onto airplanes and drop them into a cement tanks all around the world. Taiji is the largest supplier of dolphins to marine parks and swim with dolphin programs around the world.  The remaining dolphins are brutally stabbed until they are dead and then sold as seafood. It is important to know that Japanese dolphins contain 2000 ppm of Mercury. This means that the dolphin meat is poisonous and if consumed can cause many medical illnesses, deaths, and deformations. Many Japanese people have been eating dolphin meat and have been poisoning their body without being aware of it. 
The reality is that not many people want to eat dolphins. Putting dolphin meat on a shelf at a grocery store, simply will not sell. As a result, the dolphin meat is carefully placed into cans of tuna, and/or sold in fish markets and relabeled under a different type of fish. The government of Japan is aware of this, but they continue to support and cover for the fisherman of Taiji.

The fishermen continue to do this business regardless of the immortality of it. These fishermen are generously rewarded for this brutality. For each dead dolphin they are rewarded $600 for each alive dolphin they are paid a minimum of $150,000.

 A lot of people don’t realize the problem with holding dolphins in captivity in places such as sea world. I, like many others assumed that dolphins and orcas enjoy living at Sea World and other marine parks. They always seemed to be smiling, jumping merrily around their tanks, eager to put on a show for human spectators. However, |Once the friendly joyful music starts playing and the dolphins start dancing and smiling, it’s difficult to see the problem. "The smiles you see on these animals are not true reflections of happiness” explains Rick O’Barry, a dolphin rights activist and the producer of the 'Cove'. “In actuality, they hate to be enclosed in their holding tanks and are often not fed until it is time to perform their daily routines” explains Rick. Dolphins create the greatest deception; they create the illusion that they are always happy. However, behind their smiles is a big despair. In every aquarium, there is a fish house where the dolphins are given Malox and Tagament to treat ulcers on dolphins who are stressed.

One aquarium in Baltimore, had a high death rate for dolphins. Workers and experts soon discovered that the filtration system in the aquarium was too loud for the dolphin to tolerate that it was causing a lot of noise that was overwhelming the dolphins, evidently this loud sound killed the dolphins. 
Accoustics and sound are the primary senses of the dolphins. Due to sound and acoustics, dolphins are considered one of the smartest creatures on the planet. They can literally see right through you. They can see your bones, they can see your heart, and they can tell if you are pregnant, they get a lot of information by just hearing and making sounds.

Captivity simply doesn't work because in the wild, they are travelling at least 40 miles a day, they could be surfing one area in the morning and the next hour they can be 25 miles away. Confining dolphins in a limited amount of space in a tank surrounded by a stadium of screaming people, it simply isn’t right and it isn’t fair.

After “The Cove” was released, many people became aware of this disgusting slaughter and many actions were taken. Due to the awareness the movie has made, the dolphin slaughter has dramatically decreased. Unfortunately, dolphin slaughter still continues in Taiji, however not nearly as much as it did before. Dolphin slaughter still exists and it’s up to us to save these beautiful creatures. We need to defend and give a voice to those who cannot speak.

Louis Psihoyos, director of The Cove, says “The cove is proof that one passionate person can make a difference and that together a few like-minded people can change the world.”

  Join me in taking a pledge to never buy a ticket to a dolphin show. 

 

Do it for the Cookies!

I use to see the Blood Services truck driving by me and always think "wow, there must be a lot of blood in this truck" I would always shiver and quench at the thought of even seeing blood. Just going for a blood test alone needed some serious preparation. 

Then it suddenly hit me! What if I donated blood? What is more important, my fear of needles and blood or potentially saving someones life? I thought long and hard and by coincidence, I was at the mall and the blood donation clinic was there. Without giving it a second thought, I immediately went to the registration desk and registered to donate. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

As I approached the nurse she asked me some personal questions and pricked my finger. She could tell that I was nervous and scared and was slightly hesitant in allowing me to donate. However, she allowed me to donate anyways.

Once I got to the final stage, I lay down on the bed waiting to finally donate my blood. I looked away,  as the nurse stuck the needle in my arm and told me to relax and squeeze my hand. She also put a paper towel on my arm so that I don't see the needle. 

My First Blood Donation

Ten minutes later, I was done; it was that fast! I had my cookies and my juice and sat with a veteran who has donated blood over 300 times in his life. During my conversation with him, he explained to me that each blood donation that you make saves three lives. 

I realized the importance of donating blood. It's not about the acknowledgment you may get, it's not about conquering your fears, it's not about you at all. It's about saving a life. 

It's only 1 hour every 56 days. That's 1 HOUR out of 1344 HOURS!

The ten minutes of pain that you may endure will save someone who has been living their whole life in pain. In the time it takes for your to check your Facebook, you could save a life. 

Think about how many people will have a smile on their face simply because of your blood. There are the three people whose life you have saved, and their friends and their families whose lives have been blessed, and all this simply because you donated your blood. It is the best and most rewarding feeling in the world. 

So, why is donating important to me? I donate because I want to. I love donating blood because it's my way of giving back, there's nothing better that I can do for myself and others than give back. I donate because I care about people in pain. It's important for me to donate because it makes me happy to know that a part of me will give someone the gift of life. I donate because a part of me will make someone happy.  

                                          

                    Don't forget, after every donation you get FREE COOKIES!