Syrians in Nova Scotia optimistic after fall of Assad regime
'We dream of a future where fear is gone,' says Tareq Hadhad
Tareq Hadhad spent a sleepless night with his family in Antigonish, N.S., watching events unfold in Syria over the weekend that culminated in the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Hadhad and his family fled Syria in 2012.
"We have been dreaming about this for over 14 years," Hadhad said. "Many people have sacrificed everything they have just to see this … moment. So there were certainly moments of joy, moments of pride, moments of hope for the future."
Hadhad and his family left Syria after their home and chocolate factory in Damascus were bombed during the civil war.
They settled in Antigonish in 2016. They founded Peace by Chocolate, a company that sells its products across the country.
Reflecting on life under the Assad regime, Hadhad called it a "police state" characterized by kidnappings, arrests and corruption.
Hadhad said the Assad regime controlled every aspect of Syrian life, from school report cards adorned with photos of the president to constant surveillance.
"We lived in constant fear," he said, recounting personal losses, including the death of a cousin who was shot in front of his family. He had a brother-in-law kidnapped in the middle of the night. His fate is unknown.
Hadhad said he spoke to officials in Syria overnight. While some expressed congratulations over the regime's collapse, others voiced concerns about the country's uncertain future.
He, too, has concerns. He described the years of conflict as devastating with over 500,000 people killed, a million imprisoned or kidnapped, and millions displaced.
'What could be worse?'
"What could be worse than making seven million people displaced inside the country, on the borders, in tents, living and dying?" he said.
"The previous regime reached the absolute rock bottom that any government, any regime, any dictatorship even, has reached in history."
Omar Antebi, another Syrian refugee living in Canada, also shared his thoughts.
Originally from Aleppo, Antebi now runs Syrian Diary, a tour company in Halifax.
Like Hadhad, he and his family were displaced from their homes and businesses by the Assad regime's brutality.
Under Bashar al-Assad's rule, he said, there was no freedom of expression. He said saying something bad about him could send a person straight to jail.
He said he was very happy to see prisoners being freed from Sednaya Prison.
The prison has been called the worst place on earth, where thousands of people have been killed or tortured.
Antebi described the ouster of Assad as a liberation of the country. He said the forces behind the victory were not rebels but rather Syrian citizens taking back their country from a corrupt and brutal regime.
He said he wants to see people in Syria enjoy the same democratic freedoms that people in Canada enjoy.
Both Hadhad and Antebi now dream of a Syria where freedom and stability prevail.
"As Syria starts to build a new chapter, we dream of a future where fear is gone, where families can thrive and where children can dream without limits," Hadhad said.
"I'm extremely excited about the future and I'm praying for stability. I'm praying for peace for my home country."