Latest news with #EveryoneWillHaveAlwaysBeenAgainstThis
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Carney's patterns discouraging on human rights front
In his outstanding book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, author Omar El Akkad criticizes Western governments for their limp and immoral response to the deaths of thousands of innocent children in Gaza. He essentially argues that they invariably look away from the human carnage, calculate their national interests and say that they truly care — though their words never translate into meaningful deeds. Near the end of the book, he asks the reader to finish the following sentence: 'It is unfortunate that tens of thousands of children are dead, but…' There are many other pertinent queries such as, 'What are you willing to give up to alleviate someone else's suffering?' Power? Wealth? Position? Self-interest? Then there's this critically important line in the work: 'I don't know how to make a person care for someone other than their own.' As I scope out my September course at University of Prince Edward Island on international human rights, I'm certain that my students will struggle mightily with that one, too. But I wonder whether Prime Minister Mark Carney — notwithstanding his recent move to advance Palestinian rights — has ever given any thought to whether he cares about the well-being of others outside his own immediate family. Does the advancement of human rights register as a top priority for his government? Or, is it more about words and less about actions for him? I know, I know. Canadian governments never fail to tell us how important values, basic freedoms and human rights considerations are. We are told over and over again that they raise this thorny issue all the time with non-democratic governments around the world. But, alas, then they often quickly move on to more important matters like signing trade deals, investment protection agreements and a slew of lucrative business contracts. In a major foreign policy speech in June to the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto, Carney made one or two passing references to human rights, our values and Canada's principles. He made it very clear that 'Canada will lead with the values the world respects, the resources the world wants and an economy that leads the G7.' Again, it looks like economics trumps human rights to me. I understand that Carney has only been in power for a few months now — so we shouldn't judge him harshly on his short record to date. Perhaps he will surprise us yet. But we can already see patterns of behaviour and direct actions thus far that are not very encouraging on the human rights front. Take a look at the recent G7 gathering of Western industrialized countries in Kananaskis, Alta., where there was one joint statement on 'transnational repression' (to appear tough on China). Almost all of the other ones had a commercial or trade component that was said to boost economic prosperity. To add insult to injury, Carney thought it was wise to compose a G7 guest list of what can only be described as international bad boys: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If Amnesty International is to be believed, none of these characters has a human rights record that would necessitate a personal invite to such an exclusive G7 gathering. More to the point, humanitarian and human rights crises in Africa alone were not given the time of day. Not a word was uttered about the conflict, sexual violence and displacement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the violent conflict, food insecurity and climate shocks in the Sahel region or even the ongoing civil war in Sudan. Lastly, there was a great deal of brouhaha over having Carney use the G7 — especially after word broke that the House of Commons was ready to confer honorary citizenship on Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai (who is now wasting away in solitary confinement) — to focus the world's attention on Lai and China's massive human rights violations in Hong Kong. Instead, nothing was said at the G7 and the anticipated House of Commons unanimous motion initiative was actually pulled at the last moment. A spokesperson for the Government House Leader's office actually had the temerity to say that a unanimous consent motion was not the best method of conducting Canadian foreign policy. But Russian pro-democracy campaigner Vladimir Kara-Murza was granted honorary Canadian citizenship in June 2023 by unanimous consent in Parliament. Let's be clear: this was all about not offending Beijing. Accordingly, I just don't see Mark Carney incorporating a human rights agenda into his foreign policy posture. This is a Liberal government that will be consumed by commercial and trade matters, investment and economic growth and business deal-making. Perhaps that's a sign of the times. But as El Akkad explains in his thought-provoking book: If that's the case, then world leaders should at least be honest about that and stop pretending and saying publicly just how central human rights are to their governments. Peter McKenna is professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Summer Reading: A mother and daughter face sinister secrets in Buried Road
Article content I was doing cartwheels across the beach when I found a blue-and-green string bracelet in the sand. Someone's lost treasure that was now mine. I put it on my wrist and haven't taken it off since. Article content Right after it happened, all I would dream about was that last camping trip. In some of my dreams, Howard kept his promise. He heads across the sand with a cone in each hand, the chocolate mint ice cream dripping down his knuckles. Article content I'd also dream about real things — like the sweet taste of the apple cider from Waupoos. Like the snap and crackle of the campfire. Like the sting of marram grass on my ankles as I climbed the dunes. Sometimes I'd dream about running on the beach with my kite or skipping along the boardwalk over the marsh at Cedar Sands Trail. Howard would be naming all the plants we saw along the way. Spike rush. Jack-in-the-pulpit. Sweet flag. Gus would be holding his hand. I would look back at the two of them just in time to see Howard lift her hand to kiss it. At the last second, he would kiss his own hand. It was one of his silly jokes. And even though she kept a lot of herself inside, Gus would burst out laughing. He knew how to get her to crack. Article content Article content I'd wake up from those dreams with a full heart. And for a few seconds, I'd forget. But then I'd remember he was gone and my heart would empty and hurt all over again. I' d twirl the woven strings of my bracelet, trying to go back to how I felt when I found it in the sand. Article content It's been almost three years. I was just a kid back then. I'll be a teenager in a few weeks. Practically a grown-up. It's up to me now. I can't believe it was only 11 days ago when Gus read that stupid obituary. That's what brought us back to the county. And now that we've come all this way, I can't give up and I can't be lost. Not after all we've been through. I have to do this for Gus and Howard. Even if it means heading straight into a dead zone. Article content I keep moving. Suddenly I hear voices up ahead. I pull the knife from my back pocket and move into the low brush, inching closer. I spot them a few feet in front of me. I freeze. I can see their faces. If they look this way, they'll see me too. I hold my breath and grip the knife. I steady myself. Ready to fight. Or even kill if I have to. I've changed in 11 days. Article content Article content I grip the knife and move slowly toward them. Article content I am currently reading two books, one fiction and one non-fiction: Linwood Barclay's thriller, Take Your Breath Away, for when I need to escape reality and dive into a terrific mystery layered with secrets and lies; and Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, for when I need to try to make sense, if that's even possible, of what's happening in the world today. Article content
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Summer Reading: A mother and daughter face sinister secrets in Buried Road
Article content I was doing cartwheels across the beach when I found a blue-and-green string bracelet in the sand. Someone's lost treasure that was now mine. I put it on my wrist and haven't taken it off since. Article content Right after it happened, all I would dream about was that last camping trip. In some of my dreams, Howard kept his promise. He heads across the sand with a cone in each hand, the chocolate mint ice cream dripping down his knuckles. Article content I'd also dream about real things — like the sweet taste of the apple cider from Waupoos. Like the snap and crackle of the campfire. Like the sting of marram grass on my ankles as I climbed the dunes. Sometimes I'd dream about running on the beach with my kite or skipping along the boardwalk over the marsh at Cedar Sands Trail. Howard would be naming all the plants we saw along the way. Spike rush. Jack-in-the-pulpit. Sweet flag. Gus would be holding his hand. I would look back at the two of them just in time to see Howard lift her hand to kiss it. At the last second, he would kiss his own hand. It was one of his silly jokes. And even though she kept a lot of herself inside, Gus would burst out laughing. He knew how to get her to crack. Article content Article content I'd wake up from those dreams with a full heart. And for a few seconds, I'd forget. But then I'd remember he was gone and my heart would empty and hurt all over again. I' d twirl the woven strings of my bracelet, trying to go back to how I felt when I found it in the sand. Article content It's been almost three years. I was just a kid back then. I'll be a teenager in a few weeks. Practically a grown-up. It's up to me now. I can't believe it was only 11 days ago when Gus read that stupid obituary. That's what brought us back to the county. And now that we've come all this way, I can't give up and I can't be lost. Not after all we've been through. I have to do this for Gus and Howard. Even if it means heading straight into a dead zone. Article content I keep moving. Suddenly I hear voices up ahead. I pull the knife from my back pocket and move into the low brush, inching closer. I spot them a few feet in front of me. I freeze. I can see their faces. If they look this way, they'll see me too. I hold my breath and grip the knife. I steady myself. Ready to fight. Or even kill if I have to. I've changed in 11 days. Article content Article content I am currently reading two books, one fiction and one non-fiction: Linwood Barclay's thriller, Take Your Breath Away, for when I need to escape reality and dive into a terrific mystery layered with secrets and lies; and Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, for when I need to try to make sense, if that's even possible, of what's happening in the world today. Article content
The National
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Nelson Mandela to Gaza: This is our legacy of global resistance
Now, his prophecy, from the title of his book One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, is coming true. Last week saw the Financial Times coming out with an excoriating editorial titled 'The West's shameful silence on Gaza'. It read: 'After 19 months of conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and drawn accusations of war crimes against Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is once more preparing to escalate Israel's offensive in Gaza. READ MORE: This is why I decided to boycott Genocide: The Song Contest The latest plan puts Israel on course for full occupation of the Palestinian territory and would drive Gazans into ever-narrowing pockets of the shattered strip. It would lead to more intensive bombing and Israeli forces clearing and holding territory, while destroying what few structures remain in Gaza. This would be a disaster for 2.2 million Gazans who have already endured unfathomable suffering. Each new offensive makes it harder not to suspect that the ultimate goal of Netanyahu's far-right coalition is to ensure Gaza is uninhabitable and drive Palestinians from their land. For two months, Israel has blocked delivery of all aid into the strip. Child malnutrition rates are rising, the few functioning hospitals are running out of medicine, and warnings of starvation and disease are growing louder.' Speaking in front of the House of Commons on Tuesday, Conservative MP Mark Pritchard condemned Israel for its actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. 'I have supported Israel, pretty much at all costs,' said Pritchard. 'But today, I want to say that I got it wrong.' READ MORE: Ruth Wishart: Starvation is not a strategy. It's a war crime Edward Leigh (Tory MP) said: 'I've been a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel for more than 40 years – but you cannot starve a whole people. Many of us are asking: when is a genocide not a genocide?' Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart made another podcast, this time saying what was happening was 'utterly unacceptable and beyond the pale'.Even David Cameron's former national security adviser, Lord Peter Ricketts, is publicly calling for a full arms embargo. It's easy to understand these conversions as disgracefully, shamelessly late in the day, and they human death toll is a stain on humanity, and nothing has been salvaged by these words which are empty and ring hollow next to the moral abyss we are witnessing. But people have vested interests, fixed views of the world, people are old and tired and stupid. Even when presented with 'facts' over and over and over, they resist accepting reality. We know this. We live in a world where people would rather pretend that climate change wasn't happening than do something about Tsakraklides calls it the 'joy of self-destruction'. 'Sometimes we choose self-sabotage over fighting a battle we can't win,' he writes. 'Giving up is a desperate but effective attempt to convince ourselves that we still have full control – we lost the battle not because we lost it, but because we chose not to fight it. Or at least, that's what we tell ourselves. Defeatism is incredibly convenient – no more exertion, expectation, procrastination, guilt or regret for not having done enough. Surrender has the sweet taste of finality, and reaching rock bottom offers the bizarre reassurance that you can't possibly fall any lower. So why make an effort when you will probably be disappointed? Ultimate defeat can be just as addictive as victory. In both cases, the struggle is over – there is no more nail-biting anticipation, obligation or expectation.' This is not true in the case of Israel, where we ('we' the West) have known what should be done for a long time but have chosen not to. It is true that events and breakdown are overwhelming, as Naomi Klein puts it: 'It is difficult to understand the nature of a true rupture while it is still tearing through the fabric of our world.' But now even the institutions of the establishment media, the placid, reassuringly dumb voices of Campbell and Stewart and even Conservative Friends of Israel are so appalled by what they are witnessing as to be speaking out. READ MORE: Humza Yousaf tells Anas Sarwar: Labour immigration plan would've blocked our families We are now in a situation such as we had in the 1980s with opposition to apartheid in South Africa and at the beginning of the century when opposition to the Iraq war became huge (the Glasgow anti-Iraq war march was 2003).Each of these are situations where opposition to British foreign policy is so deep and entrenched it has become a significant factor in the politics of the country. For all the lobbying and policy capture, for all the paid trips to Israel and the media bias, the awful reality has seeped through and been realised by the mass of the imagery is relentless, the scale of the barbarity unquestionable. On Friday night, the Israeli air force killed at least 58 Palestinians in new attacks on Gaza, reports Reuters. United Nations secretary-general António Guterres called yesterday for a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza after Israel announced early stages of an intensified operation on the Palestinian territory. 'We need a permanent ceasefire, now,' Guterres told leaders gathered in Baghdad for an Arab League summit. 'I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more.' Guterres has been one of the few world leaders to show any conviction in this period, Spain's Pedro Sánchez being another about Israel in the Spanish parliament, he responded: 'We do not trade with a genocidal state.' An inflection point has been passed: world leaders increasingly admit that Israel is committing genocide. If witnessing such atrocities makes you feel impotent, it is worth resisting such a feeling of disempowerment. While world leaders such as Trump are captured by a fusion of Christian Zionism and imbecility, others such as our own Prime Minister are not. Incredibly, last week, The National, which has been consistently good in its coverage of the assault on Gaza, reported that: 'Labour licensed exports of more military equipment to Israel in the final three months of 2024 than the Tories did for all of 2020–2023, new figures have revealed.' Labour's complicity in these atrocities may come to haunt them, electorally, morally and perhaps extent of their political isolation can be measured by the fact they are to the right even of Tory peers on this issue. Cutting through the feeling of reflexive impotence, the Conservative Baroness Warsi told Good Morning Britain: 'There are four clear things we could do today. We could stop all arms. We should recognise the state of Palestine now. We should impose sanctions. We should support the accountability process.' Of course, we should have done all of these things a very long time ago, as well as sent in UN Peacekeepers and international aid flights many, many months ago. The conversion of even establishment figures to oppose Israel is only of direct solidarity are in our own hands, as are acts of direct action – already being widened by Palestine Action – and mass we look for successful models of resistance, we can look to the anti-apartheid movement for inspiration. In the 1980s, the Conservative government under Thatcher maintained support for PW Botha's apartheid regime despite mass protest and anti-apartheid movement had built over decades, with action intensified after the Sharpeville massacre of March 21, 1960, when 69 unarmed protesters were shot dead by the South African police. The protest movement reached its zenith in 1988, organising around Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Glasgow had given Mandela the Freedom of the City in 1981, and a further eight cities and councils, including Aberdeen, Dundee, and Sheffield, followed this lead during the 1980s. There were four elements to 'Freedom at 70': The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert held at Wembley Stadium on June 11 A rally in Glasgow to launch the Nelson Mandela Freedom March on June 12 The five-week long Freedom March from Glasgow to London, which finished with a rally in Hyde Park on July 17, 1988 These events attracted an unprecedented level of interest in the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the struggle against example, the Wembley Stadium concert was attended by about 100,000 people and an estimated 600 million people in more than 60 countries watched the event. There is no unifying figurehead in Palestine similar to Mandela, and the dark irony is that although the media gave reports on conditions and state violence from South Africa, we know more than we ever did then about Palestine. In some senses, we know too much – but there are still no official media allowed on the ground in Gaza, and, as we know, what journalists there are have been targeted and killed in unprecedented numbers. Before the high point of the protests around Mandela's freedom march had come decades of resistance, isolation and solidarity. The Anti-Apartheid Movement forced South Africa to leave the Commonwealth in 1962, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on all member states to impose a trade boycott against South 1963, the UN Security Council called for a partial arms ban against South Africa was expelled from the Olympics in 1970. South Africa became a pariah state, but only through the strategic efforts of a mass movement and internationally coordinated action. Today, Israel faces no such Eurovision entrant Yuval Raphael will appear at the competition in takes part in football competition and its leaders are met in Washington, London and Edinburgh. The point is that state actors such as Starmer may refuse to halt arms sales or military support, and issue D-Notices against journalists,but mass anti-imperialist movements – such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Free Palestine Movement – do have agency and power. Culturally, whether it's the poetry of the likes of Mohammed Moussa and the Gaza Poets Society, or the magnificent Falastin Film Festival which brings Palestinian cinema, culture, and art to Scotland, raising awareness of Zionist colonisation and striving to highlight Palestinian resistance, cultural pride, stories of love, and, in the words of poet Rafeef Ziadah, 'teachings of life.' As individuals, we have agency too — to speak out like the actions of Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's who spoke out: 'I told Congress they're killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they're paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US' – or the brave young student Logan Rozos speaking out at NYU's graduation ceremony – these all have collective impact. Israel's actions, like South Africa's before it, are radicalising a generation and exposing Western imperialism and militarism. Cohen is fond of quoting Archbishop Desmond Tutu: 'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.' Tutu is right, and as the European states continue their tacit support or active complicity in genocide, the movement is growing. As resistance grows, the British state's response is more and more repressive. All efforts must be made to intensify protest on all fronts and remember that ultimately apartheid was defeated and Nelson Mandela walked to freedom. Cultural resistance alone is not enough, but it is known to be a crucial part of resistance and the assertion of what is being denied - Palestinians' humanity and the rights and needs and desires that come with that.
CBC
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
All the Canadian books we're excited about in the first half of 2025
Looking for your next read? Check out all our lists of Canadian fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics and children's books to read in the first half of 2025! If you're interested in poetry, the 2025 CBC Poetry Prize is currently accepting submissions. You can submit an original, unpublished poem or collection of poems from April 1-June 1. The 2025 CBC Poetry Prize is now open Canadian fiction Canadian fiction to watch for in spring 2025 In The Book of Records, Lina grows up in "The Sea," a building that serves as a home for migrants from all over the world, while caring for her sick father. She forms friendships with her fascinating neighbours, including a Jewish scholar exiled for his radical views and a poet from the Tang Dynasty, whose stories captivate her. However, her seemingly perfect life takes a startling turn when her father reveals the true reason they came to live at "The Sea." When you can read it: May 6, 2025. Madeleine Thien is a short story writer and novelist. She is the author of the novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award in 2016 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Canadian nonfiction Canadian nonfiction to watch for in spring 2024 One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This marks Egyptian Canadian journalist and writer Omar El Akkad's nonfiction debut. In the fall of 2023, shortly after the bombardment of Gaza, he posted on social media a statement: "One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this." One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This expands on his powerful social media message and chronicles his thoughts on the fragile nature of truth, justice, privilege and morality. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This is out now. El Akkad is a Canadian journalist and author who currently lives in Portland, Ore. His novel American War, which was defended on Canada Reads 2018 by actor Tahmoh Penikett., and his novel What Strange Paradise won the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was defended on Canada Reads 2022 by Tareq Hadhad. Canadian poetry Canadian poetry collections to watch for in spring 2025 In the poetry collection Unravel, Nigerian Canadian poet Tolu Oloruntoba reflects on themes of identity, belonging and agency by way of poems that fundamentally delve into what it means to be human in today's world. Unravel is out now. Oloruntoba is a writer from Nigeria who now lives in Alberta. He is the founder of the literary magazine Klorofyl. Oloruntoba won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry for his debut collection The Junta of Happenstance. In 1870s Sacramento, photographer Eadweard Muybridge takes on a challenge from railroad tycoon Leland Stanford — to prove whether a horse's hooves ever leave the ground while galloping. In the process, Muybridge unknowingly pioneers time-lapse photography, laying the foundation for motion pictures as we know them. Despite his groundbreaking discoveries, his life is marked by betrayal, intrigue and tragedy. Acclaimed cartoonist Guy Delisle captures the highs and lows of Muybridge's career, bringing his story to life with sharp detail and emotional depth. Guy Delisle is an critically-acclaimed cartoonist originally from Québec City. His books include Burma Chronicles, Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City Pyongyang, and Shenzhen. Canadian YA Canadian YA books to watch for in spring 2025 Inspired by real-life historical drama, The Queen's Spade is a novel about Queen Victoria's young African goddaughter, Sarah Bonetta Forbes, also known as Sally. In 1862, Sally is set one taking down the colonial system of Britain ruled by her godmother. As a former princess of the Egbado Clan, Sally resents the politics of court that have sought to take away her power and so she grows closer to the Queen's inner circle in a plot to dismantle it. The Queen's Spade is out now. Sarah Raughley is a fantasy novelist from Southern Ontario. Her YA Effigies series includes Fate of Flames, Siege of Shadows and Legacy of Light. Raughley was the 2022 judge for CBC's student writing challenge, The First Page. Canadian middle-grade Canadian middle-grade books to watch for in spring 2025 In the middle-grade novel Something's Up with Arlo, 12-year-old Nero's best friend is a ghost called Arlo. Nero has relied on Arlo to look out for her — especially when the kids at school aren't being kind to her and her parents don't seem to notice. But when Nero is moved to a prestigious private school and is given the chance to 'start over' something weird and unsettling happens with Arlo, and Nero worries that her best friend is transforming into something scary. Something's Up with Arlo is for ages 8 to 12 and is out now. Matteo L. Cerilli is a transmasc writer and activist from Toronto. He is the author of the YA horror novel, Lockjaw. Something's Up with Arlo is his first novel for middle-grade readers. Canadian picture books Canadian picture books to watch for in spring 2025 In The Bear Out There, the reader is invited into a cabin in the woods, by the book's young narrator, to escape from a bear. In this charming and fun picture book, we soon realize that our narrator might not be entirely reliable. And everything changes when a bear does in fact turn up. The Bear Out There is for ages 4 to 8. The Bear Out There is available now. Jess Hannigan is writer and illustrator from Hamilton, Ont. Her debut picture book was Spider in the Well. She has also illustrated for publications such as the
