Just keep sending us your dancehall music but try an and keep wunnah bajanman-stealing women outta we country alright. - signed the bajan public
I'm sure some of you have heard about the claims by a Jamaican national last week who said she was "finger raped" by immigration officers while attempting to enter Barbados.
Lawd ave mercy!
Showing posts with label controversy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label controversy. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Hung out to Dry
I'll try to keep this short-ish but you need the background cause most of y'all ain't up on Canadian news.
One of the big stories in Toronto lately has been about Somalian born Canadian Suuad Hagi Mohamud who was detained in Kenya while on a trip to Africa a few months ago. Ms Mohamud was detained at the airport in Kenya because the claim was that her Canadian passport did not look like her. Something about the lips not matching but whatever, apparently its common for airport authorities there to seek bribes to let you get on your plane.
Anyway, the Canadian High Commission there agreed with the airport people's claims, took Ms Mohamud's passport voided it, deemed her imposer and sent her to Kenyan authorities who sent her to jail for some time. It was only finally after the rejection of reams of documentation that DNA evidence proving that she was who she said she was was accepted by the authorities and sometime later Ms Mohamud was allowed to return to Canada.
This whole ordeal took over three months and Ms Mohamud on her arrival back in Toronto a few days ago is now sick having to be taken to hospital a day after her return.
The Canadian government meanwhile refuses to issue an apology for leaving a citizen stranded in such a situation.
Now I know I rushed though the story but it should be clear that Ms Mohamud got screwed and was also let down by the agencies that should be working on her behalf. Canadian citizens get into trouble worldwide and are dependent on Canadian consulates and embassies to stand up for them not invalidate them as a citizen and throw them to the wolves. In the past few years we've seen Canadian citizens in jail or accused of crimes in foreign lands quickly whisked away by Canadian authorities, flown back to the the relative safety of their homeland. Why couldn't an innocent individual like Ms Mohamed get such treatment?
Well the general feeling is she got the crap end of the stick because she's an African (read black) immigrant, ie even though she's got her Canadian citizenship she wasn't born here so she's still a second class citizen subject to second class treatment. The evidence is there to lead one to that conclusion but that's not what I want to talk about here.
My thing is about this story in today's Toronto Star.
Ok now Ms Mohamud suffered because Khadour screwed up but still this is such a B**** move.
I'm sorry but how does knowing the name of the official who screwed up help anything and who released the name? The only reason this has been released is to make her a real tangible target for the public fury and to get some of the heat off the elected officials and the government apparatus who knew what was happening but refused to even make a statement saying they were investigating even weeks later when it was clear that they had screwed up. This is just a move to avoid a real apology and cool some of the heat off the dudes who need votes.
I mean I'm from the school that says the top should let employees who do well get the praise but if they screw up you don't hang them out to dry the top absorbs the criticisms as much as possible. That's not how it is 100% of the time but to some extent it should work that way to keep folk happy/ Plus in this situation finger pointing at a lower level diplomat just isn't the way to go. Man up and say sorry Government of Canada don't try to focus anger on one individual. I mean she screwed up and deserves to be punished, fired even but don't name names, don't hang a target on her back. I'm sure she had supervisors who had supervisors who could have overruled her. Are their names going to be published too?
This is so unprofessional and uncalled for. Way to try to deflect criticism Government of Canada.
One of the big stories in Toronto lately has been about Somalian born Canadian Suuad Hagi Mohamud who was detained in Kenya while on a trip to Africa a few months ago. Ms Mohamud was detained at the airport in Kenya because the claim was that her Canadian passport did not look like her. Something about the lips not matching but whatever, apparently its common for airport authorities there to seek bribes to let you get on your plane.
Anyway, the Canadian High Commission there agreed with the airport people's claims, took Ms Mohamud's passport voided it, deemed her imposer and sent her to Kenyan authorities who sent her to jail for some time. It was only finally after the rejection of reams of documentation that DNA evidence proving that she was who she said she was was accepted by the authorities and sometime later Ms Mohamud was allowed to return to Canada.
This whole ordeal took over three months and Ms Mohamud on her arrival back in Toronto a few days ago is now sick having to be taken to hospital a day after her return.
The Canadian government meanwhile refuses to issue an apology for leaving a citizen stranded in such a situation.
Now I know I rushed though the story but it should be clear that Ms Mohamud got screwed and was also let down by the agencies that should be working on her behalf. Canadian citizens get into trouble worldwide and are dependent on Canadian consulates and embassies to stand up for them not invalidate them as a citizen and throw them to the wolves. In the past few years we've seen Canadian citizens in jail or accused of crimes in foreign lands quickly whisked away by Canadian authorities, flown back to the the relative safety of their homeland. Why couldn't an innocent individual like Ms Mohamed get such treatment?
Well the general feeling is she got the crap end of the stick because she's an African (read black) immigrant, ie even though she's got her Canadian citizenship she wasn't born here so she's still a second class citizen subject to second class treatment. The evidence is there to lead one to that conclusion but that's not what I want to talk about here.
My thing is about this story in today's Toronto Star.
Ok now Ms Mohamud suffered because Khadour screwed up but still this is such a B**** move.
I'm sorry but how does knowing the name of the official who screwed up help anything and who released the name? The only reason this has been released is to make her a real tangible target for the public fury and to get some of the heat off the elected officials and the government apparatus who knew what was happening but refused to even make a statement saying they were investigating even weeks later when it was clear that they had screwed up. This is just a move to avoid a real apology and cool some of the heat off the dudes who need votes.
I mean I'm from the school that says the top should let employees who do well get the praise but if they screw up you don't hang them out to dry the top absorbs the criticisms as much as possible. That's not how it is 100% of the time but to some extent it should work that way to keep folk happy/ Plus in this situation finger pointing at a lower level diplomat just isn't the way to go. Man up and say sorry Government of Canada don't try to focus anger on one individual. I mean she screwed up and deserves to be punished, fired even but don't name names, don't hang a target on her back. I'm sure she had supervisors who had supervisors who could have overruled her. Are their names going to be published too?
This is so unprofessional and uncalled for. Way to try to deflect criticism Government of Canada.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Olympic coverage
OK in general I'm not feeling these Olympics. So here are three of my gripes:
1) Olympic coverage sucks. First off the US coverage is all or mostly tape delayed. I saw a sticker on NBC saying live swimming and its the same race I saw on CBC 12 hours earlier. What gives. Then the CBC (Canada) coverage royally pissed me off today.
100m second round: They show the first two heats then switch to Women's soccer. I figured ok heat 3 doesn't really have in anyone of note in it but they'll switch back for 4 and 5 when Bolt and Powell are running. Plus there is a Canadian in Bolt's heat anyways: Anson Henry of Toronto.
Do they switch back? Nope. They continue showing the first half of a preliminary women's soccer game and I was left to scramble finally finding coverage of the sprints on the French CBC station.
Now I am upset cause (1) Bolt and Powell are the favorites and the sprints are way more interesting than soccer (2) You're telling me you couldn't switch away from the first half of a soccer game for two minutes to view a sprint that takes about 10 seconds to complete. (3) If you want to make the argument that you are covering Canadian athletes and don't give a hoot about Jamaican Bolt and Powell fine but Anson Henry a Canadian was in one of those races. You'll show every moron swimmer and diver who cant get within throwing distance of the medal podium but you cant show a Canadian sprinter. Why the second class treatment of Henry? That not right! shame, shame, shame.
That said Bolt just ran the easiest 9.92 I've ever seen. The dude wasn't even focused, his head was looking to the side half way through the race. Crazy!
2) These Chinese people aint easy at all. Ya mean the girl thats actually singing wasnt pretty enough to be shown on tv? Cuhdear! Scarred for life!
Forget Ashlee Simpson and them so this is the most infamous lip-synch since Rob & Fab dropped. Thats Milli Vanilli in case you dont know. Yes you know its true oooh oooh oooh!
Man is that messed up. You know that couldn't happen in North America. Parents would sue and people would get on real bad. But ya cant have pins wid China. They do what they do and you cant stop them.
3) These foolish Spanish Basketball players.
All I can ask is if you are going to China why would you take a team photo like that? Of course I'm judging by North American and Caribbean standards here.
Spain seems to be known for its racism and its downplaying of its racism. Remember Tierry Henry and that soccer coach? and more recently Hamilton Lewis at the F1.
Hmmm! I'm a say it first bring back TJ get rid of Jose! What! You know y'all Toronto people was thinking it too.
1) Olympic coverage sucks. First off the US coverage is all or mostly tape delayed. I saw a sticker on NBC saying live swimming and its the same race I saw on CBC 12 hours earlier. What gives. Then the CBC (Canada) coverage royally pissed me off today.
100m second round: They show the first two heats then switch to Women's soccer. I figured ok heat 3 doesn't really have in anyone of note in it but they'll switch back for 4 and 5 when Bolt and Powell are running. Plus there is a Canadian in Bolt's heat anyways: Anson Henry of Toronto.
Do they switch back? Nope. They continue showing the first half of a preliminary women's soccer game and I was left to scramble finally finding coverage of the sprints on the French CBC station.
Now I am upset cause (1) Bolt and Powell are the favorites and the sprints are way more interesting than soccer (2) You're telling me you couldn't switch away from the first half of a soccer game for two minutes to view a sprint that takes about 10 seconds to complete. (3) If you want to make the argument that you are covering Canadian athletes and don't give a hoot about Jamaican Bolt and Powell fine but Anson Henry a Canadian was in one of those races. You'll show every moron swimmer and diver who cant get within throwing distance of the medal podium but you cant show a Canadian sprinter. Why the second class treatment of Henry? That not right! shame, shame, shame.
That said Bolt just ran the easiest 9.92 I've ever seen. The dude wasn't even focused, his head was looking to the side half way through the race. Crazy!
2) These Chinese people aint easy at all. Ya mean the girl thats actually singing wasnt pretty enough to be shown on tv? Cuhdear! Scarred for life!
Forget Ashlee Simpson and them so this is the most infamous lip-synch since Rob & Fab dropped. Thats Milli Vanilli in case you dont know. Yes you know its true oooh oooh oooh!
Man is that messed up. You know that couldn't happen in North America. Parents would sue and people would get on real bad. But ya cant have pins wid China. They do what they do and you cant stop them.
3) These foolish Spanish Basketball players.
All I can ask is if you are going to China why would you take a team photo like that? Of course I'm judging by North American and Caribbean standards here.Spain seems to be known for its racism and its downplaying of its racism. Remember Tierry Henry and that soccer coach? and more recently Hamilton Lewis at the F1.
Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton was subjected to abuse at a Barcelona circuit in February, while former Spain coach Luis Aragones also used a racist remark about France striker Thierry Henry to motivate one of his players. Monkey chants rained down on England's black players during an international friendly against Spain in a match played in Madrid in 2004, soon after Aragones' outburst.
Hmmm! I'm a say it first bring back TJ get rid of Jose! What! You know y'all Toronto people was thinking it too.
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