michel botman
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Category Archives: Articles
Unveiling and Uprising
Dana Bakdounis; breaking free from the confines of the chrysalis. Giving a voice and a face to the uprising of women in the Arab world:
Posted in Current Events, Islam
Tagged burqa, Dana Bakdounis, niqab, uprising of women in the Arab world, veil
3 Comments
Hair that should not be brushed away
Last Friday, I sent a letter to the Toronto Start in response to the following article on a recent Ontario Human Rights lawsuit:
Not just a number
Every afternoon, I drive to CHAT, the Hebrew Academy where my son Noah goes to school. It has been part of my hectic schedule for the last few years, and, despite the laborious routine, something I always look forward to … Continue reading
Where’s Walda?
I recently had an interesting conversation with a Muslim woman who vehemently defended the right of women to wear the burqa or niqab freely and without any restriction. This is a highly debated topic in many modern societies, particularly in … Continue reading
RAP Poetry and Military Intelligence
Yesterday, I wrote a satirical, letter to Laura Di Battista of CBC radio regarding a piece of RAP Poetry aired on CBC radio on October 18, 2012. My observations are of course “tongue in cheek” commentaries and should be taken … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Society
Tagged CBC radio, Here and Now, Laura Di Batista, RAP, Ritalin
1 Comment
The lives of Brian
Three weeks ago, I wrote a reflection on Rimsha, the unfortunate young girl arrested recently in Pakistan under the infamous blasphemy law. In that last entry, I tried to articulate the reasons behind the absolute necessity of unrestricted freedom of … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Religion
Tagged Christianity, free speech, Innocence of Muslims, Islam, John Paul II, Life of Brian, Monty Python, Pope
1 Comment
Kids on the Street
Last Sunday, like every year, Toronto celebrated the encompassing nature of literary imagination during its “ Word on the Street” event. As every year, Lindy woke up early to join her colleagues and volunteer teachers at the OTF booth. This … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Family
Tagged Lindy Amato, Lindy Amato OTF, OTF, Word on the Street
1 Comment
Rimsha, the call for freedom
Sadly, every day brings us its lot of tragic news from the Muslim world.
Posted in Current Events, Islam, Religion
Tagged blasphemy law, human-rights, muslim cleric, Obama, Pakistan, Religion, Rimsha
2 Comments
Queen’s Park rally for democracy and education
After a long summer hiatus, we are back in town and walked with the Ontario teachers at Queen’s Park earlier this week.
Posted in Current Events
Tagged Democracy, Education, Liberal, Lindy Amato, Lindy Amato OTF, Ontario, OTF, Queen’s Park rally
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Diamonds from the sky
Going back to Zimbabwe, the land of so much love and so many dreams, after such a long absence, had filled us with both anticipation and enthusiasm as well as with some gut wrenching apprehension – not unlike going back … Continue reading
Berlusconi on Middle Eastern subjects
Who knew that Berlusconi was inclined to spend that much time on Middle Eastern subjects?
Canada … Obama … Osama …
Canada just experienced a radical shift to the left of the chessboard. Yet by some ironical twist of sense, our conservative Prime Minister, the honorable and musically inclined Stephen Harper, got reelected with a perfidious majority … “with a little … Continue reading
Time for Men’s Day?
The situation of women in North America and Europe no longer bears much similarity to the situation of women in the rest of the world – particularly in Africa, Asia and Muslim societies by and large.
A sad day for women
How can one still take UN decisions seriously?
Posted in Islam, Religion, Society
Tagged discrimination, feminism, gender equality, Iran, UN
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Grow up, North America!
Canadian nudity laws may be in need of an update A reflection on an article by By: Daniela Syrovy A couple of years ago, I wrote to the National Post a letter regarding the excessively prudish and stuffy attitude of … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Society
Tagged Naturism, nudity, prudish, puritan, puritanical
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