Finally I had serious conversation about the women only swim, with someone, whom I can only presume, is a supporter. She pretty much insulted me, was condescending, uncivil, arrogant, and insinuated that she speaks for all women.
Here is how it went. I was in the hot tub recently and saw a woman of perhaps 45 years-of-age. She could have been Middle Eastern. She wore a cross on her necklace. "Ah, perfect", I thought, "someone who has some 'skin in the game'". I asked her if I could ask her some questions. She agreed. I am a little hard of hearing and moved closer (only to her side of the tub, not within intimate distance) to be able to interview her. She seemed slightly taken aback but didn't move away.
I gave her my mini-speel to introduce the bare-bone facts of the women only swim (1. public holidays; 2. before opening hours; 3. women only plus small boys; 4. no male staff, including cashiers and guards; 5. all windows blocked out; 6. no males permitted anywhere on premises, including lobby) and asked her if she had an opinion on it. She looked at me skeptically and replied, 'I can see that you have an opinion on it, are you a misogynist?' I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and wasn't entirely certain she had just insulted me so I made light of it: 'No, I am not a massage therapist'. She repeated her accusatory question. And it went from there.
Here are notes from the notes I made later....
1. The reason there is a WOS is because of history of the patriarchy
2. Because I did not finish university, therefore I couldn't understand
3. The reason that health care is 80+% women is because it is 'a ghettoized profession'
4. All women are feminists, 'of course'
5. There is no such thing as men's rights, that is redundant
6. She presumed to know my thoughts, for when I replied 'that's interesting' she replied "No, you don't think that's interesting."
After seven minutes or so, she left with her female friend, without saying goodbye to me.
Thereafter I saw a male in his mid-thirties and told him my being unsettled from a conversation and asked if he would share his opinion about the subject. He thought the WOS to be a good practice. His wife said that the downtown Vancouver pool had had something similar but had cancelled it due to not enough participants to make it worthwhile. She said it was for survivors of abuse (she didn't use that exact phrase) and for 'religious reasons' "Oh, you mean Buddhists?" 'No, I believe it was Muslims." The husband was skeptical of the need for no men permitted in lobby, 'that's going a bit too far.' he said. But in the change room I had the impression that he didn't want to continue the conversation (I didn't try, for other reasons) and seemed to be embarrassed to be seen near me.
It seems that I have no popular support for my opposition to sex discrimination and religious molly-coddling in the public sphere.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Public housing for members of Muslim sect only
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/26/disabled-man-told-subsidized-housing-is-for-muslims-only.html
I have no (or very little) issue with private property being used for whatever victimless purposes the owner(s) want, but if this is tax-payer money this discriminatory policy is unethical and probably illegal.
Another housing project is mentioned, that is Christian only. The article does not mention is that property is privately or publically owned.
I have no (or very little) issue with private property being used for whatever victimless purposes the owner(s) want, but if this is tax-payer money this discriminatory policy is unethical and probably illegal.
Another housing project is mentioned, that is Christian only. The article does not mention is that property is privately or publically owned.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Public facilities being used for sectarian prayer?
While working out at the gym I noticed that in the hallway there is a discreet arrow on the ceiling of one hall pointing in the south or south-east direction.
Could this be kiblat, the standard amenity in hotels in such Muslim countries as Indonesia and Malaysia?
Are special accommodations being made to Islamic prayer? Is this legal, when there is certainly no accommodation made to the majority Christian population sensibilities such as greeting Merry Christmas or having a creche?
I will investigate further....
Hmm, after googling qibla (perhaps I was using a non-Arabic pronunciation) I found a site where on can look up according to one's googled location. I must be wrong, the arrow is way off - qibla is NNE not due south, which is where the arrow points.
To verify, I will politely ask a Muslim lad working out.
Could this be kiblat, the standard amenity in hotels in such Muslim countries as Indonesia and Malaysia?
Are special accommodations being made to Islamic prayer? Is this legal, when there is certainly no accommodation made to the majority Christian population sensibilities such as greeting Merry Christmas or having a creche?
I will investigate further....
Hmm, after googling qibla (perhaps I was using a non-Arabic pronunciation) I found a site where on can look up according to one's googled location. I must be wrong, the arrow is way off - qibla is NNE not due south, which is where the arrow points.
To verify, I will politely ask a Muslim lad working out.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Update - apathy and ignorance rule in BC
Including my own I add.
I am convinced that a million blogs, videos and petitions aren't going to change anything substantially. What is required is direct action that challenges the authority of the State, a la Gandhian satyagraha (non-violent civil disobedience - in Sanskrit, 'standing firm in truth'). This means street protests and withholding financing (taxes etc) from the politicians. Otherwise it is just blah blah blah. We have to be willing to go to be arrested, go to jail, spend money on lawyers, even be imprisoned. This is not going to be an easy fight because frankly most Canadians are indifferent to political action that has any costs.
If there was an equivalent to Tommy Robinson's group in UK, if there was a less Christian and less conservative group in Canada like Britain First that was fighting Islamization, I would join it. There isn't.
Here is what has happened with me lately - admittedly all very small and local....
1. Pool sign updated: After seven years of misinformation the administration has finally changed the children sign to something sensible. It used to read that kids *under* age five should use the appropriate changing room. Now, it has been changed to 'over'. Duh.
2. Women Only signs removed: No more ads are posted advertising the women only swim. The practice continues on public holidays (such as yesterday, July 1, Canada Day) but it is not in the publications or posters. Why, I do not know. I believe it is to keep a low profile. This must also mean that whoever should know about it already does.
3. Woman in women only swim photo: Don't know if I mentioned this before, but the woman in the photo that accompanied the event looks Iranian. Co-incidence?
4. 30 minute question: The women only swim occurs from 8 to 10 a.m. Public swim opens at 10:30. So, there is 30 minutes of buffer. I will investigate to see if previously the public swim opened at 10 am, and this event is indeed digging into public time.
5. Russian's opinion: In the hot tub I spoke with an immigrant who has been in Canada for 40 years. He agreed completely with my perspective that public money should not be spent on sectarian swim events. However, while he would sign a petition, he said that in his opinion there are much more important matters. Therefore he would not engage in any civil disobedience such as occupying the lobby in a direct action.
6. Long polite discussion: I asked two other men in the hot tub their opinion of the event. One was ethnic Chinese and in his 30s (?) and the other Caucasian and perhaps early 40s. Both thought that the women swims are a good idea. We had a polite argument about it, most of it between the older man and myself. Basically he thinks that minorities must be catered to. The Caucasian man made the same arguments that the Mayor does. I asked him what he thought about if a high caste Hindu doesn't want to swim with low-caste people, should we cater to that restriction also? I found his reply illogical - 'but he doesn't have to, the girls don't have a choice, their culture doesn't allow them to'. And the City of Coquitlam should cater to this mentality? Yes.
7. Prince George businessman agrees with me: A man in his late 20s of undetermined ethnicity (parents South Asian?) agreed with me tentatively, that the women only swim is a bad idea. He said that Canadians have become to soft and it sets a bad precedent.
8. Sauna silence: The night before the 'women only swim' I attempted to get some reaction out of patrons (mixed ethnicities, mostly Chinese and Korean, but some Middle Eastern, Filipino and Caucasian men also). I announced to the group the nature of the event, what are the rules and my opinion of it (the purpose is Islamic) - hoping to get some discussion going. I do not know if people are shy to discuss public policy or there were language issues, but no one responded. It was as if no one heard me or pretended that they didn't. Complete silence, as if I had farted instead of tried to bring up pool policy for open discussion. This really disappointed me. I have no issue talking with people who disagree with me or agree on only some points, but I found it bizarre compared to say political discussions I have had on New York and even Vancouver subways. Maybe when people are half naked they don't want to talk politics? One man, a Filipino, upon leaving expressed his sympathy for my concerns. Everyone else was poker faced. This is one reason I find Canada strange, everyone is so afraid of being considered impolite.
9. Canada Day: I was wearing one of my favourite T-shirts, the 'Sikh Martyrs Colouring Book' image of Arjan Dev being tortured by Mughals in 16th century. A non-turbaned South Asian man said he liked my shirt.
The City of Coquitlam had set up many booths including one where the public could add post-it notes to reply to the question how would you like to see Canada improve or words to that effect. I wrote out 'Halt (star and cresent symbol) immigration' and put it high up with a row of several others. The attendant immediately, as in within seconds removed it. I reprimanded her saying 'that is my opinion'. She replied, 'How about I put it here' where it blocked the question text. I do not know how long it remained. I had not posted a racist comment (religion is not race) such as 'halt green immigration', I had not said anything advocating violence such as 'kill Mormons' or even anything personally political such as 'Impeach Trudeau'. Would she have objected if I had written 'increase Muslim immigration? or something general such as 'increase immigration' or 'decrease immigration'? She did not explain herself and I did not enquire.
I am convinced that a million blogs, videos and petitions aren't going to change anything substantially. What is required is direct action that challenges the authority of the State, a la Gandhian satyagraha (non-violent civil disobedience - in Sanskrit, 'standing firm in truth'). This means street protests and withholding financing (taxes etc) from the politicians. Otherwise it is just blah blah blah. We have to be willing to go to be arrested, go to jail, spend money on lawyers, even be imprisoned. This is not going to be an easy fight because frankly most Canadians are indifferent to political action that has any costs.
If there was an equivalent to Tommy Robinson's group in UK, if there was a less Christian and less conservative group in Canada like Britain First that was fighting Islamization, I would join it. There isn't.
Here is what has happened with me lately - admittedly all very small and local....
1. Pool sign updated: After seven years of misinformation the administration has finally changed the children sign to something sensible. It used to read that kids *under* age five should use the appropriate changing room. Now, it has been changed to 'over'. Duh.
2. Women Only signs removed: No more ads are posted advertising the women only swim. The practice continues on public holidays (such as yesterday, July 1, Canada Day) but it is not in the publications or posters. Why, I do not know. I believe it is to keep a low profile. This must also mean that whoever should know about it already does.
3. Woman in women only swim photo: Don't know if I mentioned this before, but the woman in the photo that accompanied the event looks Iranian. Co-incidence?
4. 30 minute question: The women only swim occurs from 8 to 10 a.m. Public swim opens at 10:30. So, there is 30 minutes of buffer. I will investigate to see if previously the public swim opened at 10 am, and this event is indeed digging into public time.
5. Russian's opinion: In the hot tub I spoke with an immigrant who has been in Canada for 40 years. He agreed completely with my perspective that public money should not be spent on sectarian swim events. However, while he would sign a petition, he said that in his opinion there are much more important matters. Therefore he would not engage in any civil disobedience such as occupying the lobby in a direct action.
6. Long polite discussion: I asked two other men in the hot tub their opinion of the event. One was ethnic Chinese and in his 30s (?) and the other Caucasian and perhaps early 40s. Both thought that the women swims are a good idea. We had a polite argument about it, most of it between the older man and myself. Basically he thinks that minorities must be catered to. The Caucasian man made the same arguments that the Mayor does. I asked him what he thought about if a high caste Hindu doesn't want to swim with low-caste people, should we cater to that restriction also? I found his reply illogical - 'but he doesn't have to, the girls don't have a choice, their culture doesn't allow them to'. And the City of Coquitlam should cater to this mentality? Yes.
7. Prince George businessman agrees with me: A man in his late 20s of undetermined ethnicity (parents South Asian?) agreed with me tentatively, that the women only swim is a bad idea. He said that Canadians have become to soft and it sets a bad precedent.
8. Sauna silence: The night before the 'women only swim' I attempted to get some reaction out of patrons (mixed ethnicities, mostly Chinese and Korean, but some Middle Eastern, Filipino and Caucasian men also). I announced to the group the nature of the event, what are the rules and my opinion of it (the purpose is Islamic) - hoping to get some discussion going. I do not know if people are shy to discuss public policy or there were language issues, but no one responded. It was as if no one heard me or pretended that they didn't. Complete silence, as if I had farted instead of tried to bring up pool policy for open discussion. This really disappointed me. I have no issue talking with people who disagree with me or agree on only some points, but I found it bizarre compared to say political discussions I have had on New York and even Vancouver subways. Maybe when people are half naked they don't want to talk politics? One man, a Filipino, upon leaving expressed his sympathy for my concerns. Everyone else was poker faced. This is one reason I find Canada strange, everyone is so afraid of being considered impolite.
9. Canada Day: I was wearing one of my favourite T-shirts, the 'Sikh Martyrs Colouring Book' image of Arjan Dev being tortured by Mughals in 16th century. A non-turbaned South Asian man said he liked my shirt.
The City of Coquitlam had set up many booths including one where the public could add post-it notes to reply to the question how would you like to see Canada improve or words to that effect. I wrote out 'Halt (star and cresent symbol) immigration' and put it high up with a row of several others. The attendant immediately, as in within seconds removed it. I reprimanded her saying 'that is my opinion'. She replied, 'How about I put it here' where it blocked the question text. I do not know how long it remained. I had not posted a racist comment (religion is not race) such as 'halt green immigration', I had not said anything advocating violence such as 'kill Mormons' or even anything personally political such as 'Impeach Trudeau'. Would she have objected if I had written 'increase Muslim immigration? or something general such as 'increase immigration' or 'decrease immigration'? She did not explain herself and I did not enquire.
Where I am coming from - it is not the same as Act Up! and others
To keep all this in context, I have very insignificant roots in Canada. I was born here, carry a Canadian passport, have Canadian residency and I like some things about Canada, but I am really not a nationalist nor do I have any emotional attachment for this country. My relationship to Canada is one of convenience. In fact, I consider governments to be like landlords. If the conditions of tenancy become undesirable, change residence. I know it has connotations of Jew-hating but I like the phrase 'rootless cosmopolitan'. I spent many years travelling and aside for legal protections, cleanliness and infrastructure I feel like a fish out of water here. In fact, I have been trying for twenty years to expatriate myself to several other countries in Southeast Asia but haven't managed it. But in my old age there are advantages of keeping Canadian residency.
Thus, I am not a flag waver. I am technically Canadian. If I could manage it I would probably apply for US citizenship also (for gun rights and better freedom of expression) and live in 3-4 different countries. I am not much of a fighter and would rather vote with my feet (simply leave to where there is a very small Muslim population). This is what Swedes have been doing for decades, more to escape high taxes. Demograpghics of religion is not the be all and end all of where I want to live. But in the last five years it has become a factor that didn't exist before. Previously all I wanted to do was live in a Buddhist country. Now I don't care if it is Buddhist or Christian as long as the Muslim population is less than 1% and there is little political power by Muslim organizations. So, outside of Asia (my favourite continent for culture, women, food etc) I am looking towards Poland, Hungary, Ukraine etc - peoples who are standing up against Islam.
Thus, I am not a flag waver. I am technically Canadian. If I could manage it I would probably apply for US citizenship also (for gun rights and better freedom of expression) and live in 3-4 different countries. I am not much of a fighter and would rather vote with my feet (simply leave to where there is a very small Muslim population). This is what Swedes have been doing for decades, more to escape high taxes. Demograpghics of religion is not the be all and end all of where I want to live. But in the last five years it has become a factor that didn't exist before. Previously all I wanted to do was live in a Buddhist country. Now I don't care if it is Buddhist or Christian as long as the Muslim population is less than 1% and there is little political power by Muslim organizations. So, outside of Asia (my favourite continent for culture, women, food etc) I am looking towards Poland, Hungary, Ukraine etc - peoples who are standing up against Islam.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Verifed: hijabs permitted at provincial voting in BC
How do I know this? Experience. I worked for Elections BC this year. At training our supervisor told us that if a woman presents herself in such a garment as a hijab or burka a female would take her aside to verify her identity. That mature gentleman who answered my question was replaced. I never saw him again, least of all on work day. Co-incidence? Too bad an overly-enthusiastic staff member discarded my papers with his number scribbled on it.
On voting day I verified with the new supervisor about such circumstances presenting themselves. No. We do not even verify gender. If a person has ID and they say who they are we accept that regardless of what appears to be the case. We err on the side of encouraging people to vote.
I think this is imprudent.
On voting day I verified with the new supervisor about such circumstances presenting themselves. No. We do not even verify gender. If a person has ID and they say who they are we accept that regardless of what appears to be the case. We err on the side of encouraging people to vote.
I think this is imprudent.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Canada is no longer my home
I think there is no future for Canada if we continue this way.
I am looking to expatriate myself from Canada. I do not feel at home here. I do not have a martial bone in my body and prefer to flee than to fight. Political activism is not my thing. And I am old. If I choose to keep my Canadian residency for financial benefit I will stay the minimum months necessary for health care and other benefits.
My grandparents on my father's side were (legal) immigrants from Norway. My best friend in elementary school was Cantonese. My highschool working-class chums were Scots, Italians, Greek-Cypriots, Finns etc. Catholics, atheists, Orthodox Christians, Jews. And I must add, an Ismaili Muslims from East Africa. They adapted and fit in. The Muslims from the Middle East I am not so sure about. No, I am very sure. they might not at all.
Muslim immigration and pro-Islamic policies at various levels of government is not my major reason for wanting to leave however. For decades I have been trying to leave this cold wet place that is too expensive for my low budget. Demographic and political changes are just nails in the coffin.
I noticed the change about ten years ago when I started seeing headscarves in my residential neighbourhood in Coquitlam. There had for decades been Iranians (political refugees post-Islamic revolution) in North Vancouver, but they had always been rather secular and cosmopolitan. Also rich.
I am looking to expatriate myself from Canada. I do not feel at home here. I do not have a martial bone in my body and prefer to flee than to fight. Political activism is not my thing. And I am old. If I choose to keep my Canadian residency for financial benefit I will stay the minimum months necessary for health care and other benefits.
My grandparents on my father's side were (legal) immigrants from Norway. My best friend in elementary school was Cantonese. My highschool working-class chums were Scots, Italians, Greek-Cypriots, Finns etc. Catholics, atheists, Orthodox Christians, Jews. And I must add, an Ismaili Muslims from East Africa. They adapted and fit in. The Muslims from the Middle East I am not so sure about. No, I am very sure. they might not at all.
Muslim immigration and pro-Islamic policies at various levels of government is not my major reason for wanting to leave however. For decades I have been trying to leave this cold wet place that is too expensive for my low budget. Demographic and political changes are just nails in the coffin.
I noticed the change about ten years ago when I started seeing headscarves in my residential neighbourhood in Coquitlam. There had for decades been Iranians (political refugees post-Islamic revolution) in North Vancouver, but they had always been rather secular and cosmopolitan. Also rich.
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