Excitement and trepidation: Syrians with ties to Calgary ready to welcome a new chapter
‘Time is the healer, no matter how deep the wound in Syria,’ says Syrian-Calgarian
Since the news broke that the Assad regime in Syria was toppled after a weeks-long rebel offensive, many Syrians across Canada have been celebrating what this could mean for the future.
But the events of the weekend are still difficult to digest for many Syrians who were displaced by civil war.
For Syrian-Canadian author and the University of Calgary's current Writer-in-Residence, Danny Ramadan, the emotions brought on by the fall of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship are complex and uncertain.
"This is a day that we have been waiting for … so waking up to it finally happening felt like a dream," said Ramadan.
"At the same time, it has been 13 years of war … and the people who are walking into Damascus, taking the reins of the country are folks that we're not sure about their agendas. We're not sure what they want to do with the new power that they have in Syria."
Under Assad, who has since reportedly fled to Moscow, a brutal crackdown on the Arab Spring insurgency led to a near 14-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions and saw the then-leader accused of war crimes.
The opposition's seizure of the capital Damascus on Sunday marks a stunning shift of power in the country, which has been ruled by the Assad family for the last 50 years.
Assad's downfall is what many Syrians have been waiting for, Ramadan said, yet there are still concerns for the future and what a new era of political power will look like in the region.
The jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, was formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and known as the Nusra Front. HTS has since distanced itself from al-Qaeda, seeking to promote itself as a more moderate group. It is classed as a terrorist group by the United Nations, Canada and the U.S.
As a Queer man, he says, he's still not sure Syria is a safe place for people like himself.
"I don't know if I can pack my things and take my husband and be like, 'Hey, do you want to move to Damascus?' I don't know if I can take all of my friends to visit the place that I come from," said Ramadan, who currently resides in Vancouver, B.C.
"I wish I can show this beautiful heritage, this beautiful culture that I come from to all the people that are important to me in my life. But I still am not sure that that would be safe for us. I'm still not seeing a future where somebody like me can go back to Syria."
For now, he's celebrating what this day means to those who have been waiting for the civil war's end.
"The day is beautiful. The end of that dictatorship is amazing," he said.
"At the same time, I think today is a day of holding on to our values and morals that the future is not just ending the Assad regime, but the future is also making sure that Syria has a place for democracy, has a place for human rights."
Renewed hope to study in Calgary
For some Syrians living in Canada, this weekend's events will open new doors for a life in Canada.
Palestinian-Syrian Nawar Sahli studied English literature at the University of Damascus, the country's oldest and largest university. Civil war broke out in 2011 near the end of Sahli's studies, so immediately upon graduating in 2012, he fled the country. Eventually, he landed in Calgary.
While Sahli did graduate from his program, he was never actually awarded a physical copy of his degree. At the time, he was told he would have to serve in the military and be in Damascus in person to officially receive his degree.
Sahli says that after the news came this weekend, he received a call from his dad in Damascus who said he'd hopefully be getting a hold of his son's degree within the next week.
"It's like I'm graduating now to be honest, because I'm going to see my degree now," said Sahli.
"Five years of studying … University is something I really love, that's why I studied English literature and that, to me, was just a waste for now, so far, because I have nothing to prove that I studied at that university."
Not being able to prove his education has affected his life in Canada. Sahli says he's excited to be able to finally put his degree on his resume.
"I cannot compare it with others who were imprisoned or suffered really physically," he said. "To me, it means a lot, but compared with how others suffered, it's nothing."
After living in Calgary for nearly a decade, Sahli recently moved to Ontario to explore more of Canada. Despite all of his family still living in Syria, he says he's also feeling a little homesick for the community he has back in Calgary.
Now, with proof of his degree, he plans on moving back to Calgary at some point to pursue graduate studies.
Celebratory rallies in several Canadian cities
In response to Assad's ousting over the weekend, demonstrations led by Syrian-Canadians began to pop up all over the country.
On Sunday, hundreds gathered in Calgary's downtown to celebrate. People of all ages filled the area in front of city hall, as people waved flags, prayed and sang songs of celebration.
Khadija Alsaied was one of the Syrian-Calgarians in attendance over the weekend. Alsaied was born in Aleppo, an ancient city and a centre for business and culture in the Middle East. Now, she has been in Canada for nearly a decade, after fleeing the civil war when she was only nine years old.
"We believe if we fight for what we want, we will always get it. Because we believe in freedom," she said, adding that she considers this ouster a victory for future generations.
After years of oppression and civil war, Alsaied said she now hopes to be able to return to her home.
"As much as I love Canada, as much as I love the mountains … I would love to go back one day," said Alsaied. "It's my country."
'Historic moment' for Calgary's Syrian community
Sam Nammoura, co-founder of the Calgary Immigrant Support Society and the Syrian Community Centre, was also in attendance at Sunday's rally.
He says many members of the Syrian-Calgarian community are still in disbelief, and he compared this weekend's news to suddenly waking up from a nightmare.
"For me, it's a historic moment for the Syrian community in Calgary," he told CBC News on Monday.
"It was such a brutal system. I cherish my freedom here in North America so well, and I really hope Canadians will understand how blessed we are with the democracy we have."
After fleeing a different iteration of the Assad regime in Syria many years ago, Nammoura says he's been living in North America for over three decades, and he's never felt freedom in Canada the way he did during Sunday's rally.
"Time is the healer, no matter how deep the wound in Syria. No matter how horrible today or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow … Syria is now on the right path," he said.
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With files from Nick Brizuela, Elizabeth Withey and Kylee Pedersen