Syrian Canadians cautiously optimistic for 'new era' after Assad regime toppled by rebels
'I hope to see a free country with democratic system,' says Syrian living in Ontario
Syrians who fled to Canada due to the country's civil war expressed cautious optimism on Sunday after rebels took the capital and ousted the longtime president.
The conflict — which started in 2011 after President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters spiralled into an armed struggle pitting Syria's army against an alliance of anti-Assad factions — had been in a stalemate for some years before rebels made dramatic advances in late November that culminated in them taking Damascus early Sunday.
Assad reportedly fled to Russia, a key ally during the war, and was granted asylum. The Kremlin has not yet confirmed the reports by Russian state media.
"Canada welcomes the end of the Assad regime in Syria, a regime that has inflicted decades of suffering on its own people," Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement.
"This event marks a significant turning point for the Syrian people, who have endured unimaginable hardship under the rule of Bashar al-Assad."
Many in Syria fled the country to avoid the fighting and Assad's crackdown on dissent — the UN says his forces have killed more than 350,000 opponents, jailed and tortured countless thousands more and used banned nerve gas on opposition towns to deter any challengers — with many settling in Canada.
As residents of the Syrian capital took to the streets of Damascus to celebrate, dozens braved the cold and snow in Winnipeg to do the same outside the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Among them was Maysoun Darweesh, who fled Syria in 2008 and spent a few years in China before arriving in Canada in December 2012.
"The regime that never allowed us to breathe is now gone," Darweesh said.
Darweesh still has family in Syria. She says they are reacting to the news of Assad's ouster with a mix of fear and excitement.
"They know for sure it's a new era," she said.
As the Assad family's decades-long rule ends, Syria transitions into an unclear future.
The person some say is poised to shape that future is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of the largest rebel faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations.
The HTS struck a moderate tone on Sunday and promised a "free Syrian state" that embraces pluralism and religious tolerance.
Tareq Hadhad, who fled with his family in 2012 and settled in Antigonish, N.S., says anything is better than the Assad regime, which he called a "police state" characterized by kidnappings, arrests and corruption.
"The previous regime reached the absolute rock bottom that any government, any regime, any dictatorship even, has reached in history," he said.
"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."
Amir Fattal of Oakville, Ont., who came to Canada in 2016 after fleeing his home country four years earlier, worries about what will come next, but says for now, he's happy Syria at least has a chance for a new future.
"I hope to see a free country with democratic system. I hope to see our country build again," he said.