Bangladesh Canada and Beyond

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Signs of the Times

A sign on a goods loading area in Toronto is one of the examples
of stricter vehicle driving rules in Canada

Photo (March 14, 2010) © Jerome D'Costa

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Pot Smokers Seek Canadian Government Recognition of Their "Church"

If approved, this is how a pot-smokers' "church" service may look like
Graphics (Toronto: August 6, 2010) © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

If you want to smoke pot or weed (cannabis, marijuana, ganja, bhang, charas or hashish, or whatever name they come in) unfettered, join the Church of the Universe. That's what two members of this Church are trying to say by challenging the Canadian government over their religious rights granted in the Charter of Rights.

The 24-Hours reports, in 2006, two pot smokers -- Peter Styrsky (53) and Shahrooz Kharaghani (31), both minister-members of the Beaches Mission of God-Assembly under the Church of the Universe in Toronto -- were charged for selling marijuana to two undercover policemen. Through their lawyer Paul Lewin, they are asking the court to grant them an exemption from Canada's existing marijuana laws because their religious rights are granted in the Canadian Charter of Rights. They claim that the present marijuana laws infringe upon their religious rights of freely able to buy, sell and smoke pots which is part of their religion. According to their claim, this Church has 2,000 members. Two German Shepherd dogs also have memberships in this Church.

Mr. Lewin told the court, "They [his two clients] do find God through cannabis. Canada has a long history of religious tolerance." He also listed the Church's good works, among whom are holding of Sunday services (worship) and donating hemp (fibre derived from cannabis plants) clothes and food to needy people.

These accused claim that the weed is the holy sacrament of this Church and it is the "tree of life." The weed also allows its members to effectively connect to God. Members of this Church call each other "Brother."

Prosecuting government lawyers -- Nicholas Devlin and Donna Polgar -- in their arguments said that the pot smokers' claim of being a being a religion is not a religion, their Church in not a Church. These two lawyers wrote in their court submission: " It cheapens and demeans freedom of religion to extend the right, enshrined to shield those who have suffered many of the most vicious acts of intolerance and oppression throughout history, to lifestyle choices, when even (they) don't take seriously," reports the Toronto Sun. They also questioned this Church's theology and worship practices.

The government lawyers described Mr. Styrsky, a former Roman Catholic, as "an intelligent man who found a way to transform his affinity for marijuana into a booming business that could cure his financial woes and end his work-time tedium."

Mr. Devlin told the court that if those two pot-smokers are granted Charter Rights, "the very next day anyone could light up a marijuana cigarette on the courthouse steps and say it's for religious use." He also reminded the court that if their rights of free pot use are granted, this will prompt many others to found similar so-called churches.

Still the hearing in the court is going on.

Pot Smoking Linked to Religion

In the history we can see use of drugs in different religions. For centuries, cannabis sativa (also called, hemp, ganja or bhang) is being used as a narcotic in India. Only government-approved shops can sell bhang. These drugs are used in the worship of Lord Shiva. That's why one can see many Hindu sadhus (ascetics or holy men) using these smokes in their akharas (dens). In the name of Christian religion, some people are using pots, too.

Risks from Pot Smoking

Experts say that heavy pot smoking makes people less likely to succeed in academic studies and different professions. Smokers also face heightened health risks like respiratory diseases and cognitive impairment.

In spite of all this, marijuana use is on the increase among younger Canadians. An increasing number of people are out there growing marijuana illegally in their own home basements and other properties. It's a big business now.

The Quotation of the Week (August 8 - 14, 2010)

A squash flower in a my family garden

Photo (Toronto: August 15, 2009) © Jerome D'Costa

Thursday, August 5, 2010

My Doodles on a Mongoose and a Snake

During my childhood in Rangamatia Village in Gazipur District, Bangladesh, I used to see a mongoose come to our family bamboo grove adjacent to our homestead at certain time of the year. I was told that the mongoose was in search of snake eggs which are a delicacy for it. There were different types of snakes, most of them non-poisonous, in our neighborhood.

One day, I witnessed a fight between the mongoose and a snake. I was so frightened by it that I ran away from the war zone. I do not know the result of the fight, but that scene was indelibly marked in my mind.

Later in life, the mongoose and snake, unconsciously, became part of my doodles. You may view them below.

A doodle on a mongoose

Doodle (Dhaka: July 17, 1994) © Jerome D'Costa

A doodle on a snake

Doodle (Dhaka: January 16, 1995) © Jerome D'Costa

Monday, August 2, 2010

Caribana Festival Marks the Caribbean Culture in Toronto -- 2

Here is more photo coverage

of the Caribana 2010 festival in Toronto:

Photo by Mary D'Costa

Photo © Jerome D'Costa

Photo by Mary D'Costa

Photo © Jerome D'Costa

Photo by Mary D'Costa

A Caribbean food stall near the parade

Photo © Jerome D'Costa

Another Caribbean food stall

Photo © Jerome D'Costa

Ornaments being sold during the parade

Photo © Jerome D'Costa

(The End)

(To go to the First Page of this write-up, please click here)

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Caribana Festival Marks the Caribbean Culture in Toronto --1

The two-week Caribana festival came to an end yesterday with several kilometre long street parade on the Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto. More than a million spectators witnessed the event from both sides of the road. Spectacularly colourful human-driven floats, Caribbean festival costumes and music and dance were the highlights of the parade. Spectators also could taste Caribbean delicacies from numerous roadside vendors.

Caribana -- a festival of Caribbean culture and tradition -- is the north America's largest cultural show held every year in Toronto since 1967. Initially, immigrants from the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, organized this festival in a limited way. Later immigrants from other islands also joined them. Now it is an institution in itself drawing thousands of tourists from all over the world. Toronto businesses earn millions of dollars during this festival period.

Colourfully costumed dancers, called Mas players, dance in tune with different Caribbean music blared from powerful speakers placed onto large trucks. Dancers' costumes imitate the exotic colours of plumes of birds found in the tropical climates.

Those, from different cultures, initially get a kind of shock when they view the scantily-clad dancers because in their own cultures back home such public display would be considered quite sensual and sensitive. Canada is a country that encourages and supports multiculturalism. Different cultures and languages are allowed to flourish here. Canada truly believes in the unity in diversity.

Several hundred years ago, black slaves from different African countries were brought to the islands of the Caribbean Sea, situated in the south-east of the USA and north-west of the South American continent. Since the slaves came from hot-climate countries of Africa to the warm-climate islands of the Caribbean Sea, their costumes also have the minimal appendages. As such, the cultural expressions have also developed in such a way that they consider such clothing as purely non-sensual and normal.

Now let us view some photos of the Caribana parade.