Syrian refugees – The Concordian

Syrian refugee creates exhibition to highlight afflictions of the Syrian War

(Re)viewing the Syrian War: Stories from a member of the Red Crescent presents the work of exhibition curator Abood Hamad, a Syrian refugee who worked as a humanitarian aid worker and an aid trainer in the Syrian Arabic Red Crescent. Humanitarian work was urgently needed during the war because of the dangerous conditions in the country.

The exhibition reflects Hamad’s experience while working with the Red Crescent between 2010 and 2016. (Re)viewing the Syrian War challenges misconceptions that North Americans tend to have about Syria.

“Misconceptions tend to be heard when I speak to people about daily life in Syria during the war,” Hamad said. “This can be when I speak about the country’s religion, history or the weather.”

This is the first time that Hamad has curated an exhibition. He has been working on it for six months, and is feeling excited.

“It’s a great chance for me to connect with Montrealers around a topic I care about,” he said. “After six months of hard work, I wonder if it will have the impact that I’ve been hoping to obtain.”

Hamad arrived in Canada in 2017; he has only known English for two years.

“I also feel a little bit nervous to present my work in a language that I’m still learning,” he said.

The exhibition presents a collection of images, videos, objects and personal stories written by Hamad. Preparing all of this was difficult for him. The writing process brought him memories of his time working in Damascus, Homs and other parts of Syria. “I think it’s valuable to share these memories,” Hamad said. He hopes his work will help the public better understand the experiences that some newcomers from the Middle East have lived.

According to Hamad, North American news media have their own ways of depicting war, which has resulted in some distorted perceptions. “To understand the situation in Syria, I think that the public has to listen to those who’ve survived the war and lived it,” Hamad said. “This exhibition is an opportunity for the public to do so.”

Additionally, the exhibition provides insight as to how the war affects Syrian children. “In my opinion, children are the most affected,” Hamad said, adding that he served as a child psychosocial aid worker during the war.

The exhibition is also related to two other events: Syrian Art as Transformative Energy, which will be presented on Nov. 29 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. by Alma Salem, and Two Years in Canada: A Conversation about a Syrian-Canadian Friendship, a discussion that will be held on Dec. 4 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. During which, Hamad will speak about moving to Canada and the way his newly formed relationships have supported him through his journey until the present day.

The events will be held in the Curating and Public Scholarship Lab in the library building, (LB-672, 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W).

(Re)viewing the Syrian War will be open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m as of Nov. 28 until Dec. 13.

Canada to accept more Syrian refugees

Syrians are in trouble; thousands leave the country everyday, jamming refugee camps in neighbouring nations. Canada needs to step up and start increasing their acceptance of Syrian refugees.

Syria is in the middle of a gruesome civil war, with casualties numbered in the thousands. Feeling empathy for their suffering should be a bare minimum, as is granting asylum for refugees.

Dr. Rex Brynen is a political science professor at McGill University who specializes in Middle East politics and conflict zones. According to him, the Canadian government will do just that.

‘‘We’ll certainly be accepting refugees from Syria. Syrian refugees getting accepted in Canada is largely a function of how the rules work,” he said. “Most of the changes have been with dealing with large backlogs of claimants and strong numbers of illegal refugees.”

The specific changes Brynen speaks of relate to a recent tightening of immigration laws by the Canadian federal government.

Philippe Couvrette works in the communications department for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

According to him, “The changes to Canada’s asylum system are scheduled to come into effect in the fall of 2012. With these changes, asylum claims will be heard much faster and the removal of failed claimants will be quicker.”

Syria has been in a civil war for almost two years now. The United Nations has been unable to take concrete action against Syria because China and Russia, both on the Security Council, have used their veto power to block the Western countries on three resolutions aimed at pressuring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop.

However, conducting a military intervention in Syria could potentially backfire. When the Americans invaded Iraq in 2003, they expected a swift and utter win. Instead, they stayed for eight years and left the country in turmoil.

Thus, the international community must find other ways to help countries without intervening directly, which includes accepting refugees.

Meanwhile, al-Assad insists on keeping his position, and radicals continue to slaughter rebels and civilians alike. So far, 30,000 have died as a result of this civil war. Thus, speeding up the process of deliberation on granting refugee status in Canada can be seen as a boon for Syrians fleeing their country.

Although Canada has closed its embassy in Syria, it will continue to offer its services to Syrians in its embassy in Jordan.

Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon are the three main adjacent countries to which 358,000 Syrians are fleeing. Unfortunately, all three countries are rapidly filling up their refugee camps. According to Brynen, “Refugees are safe to an extent, but conditions aren’t necessarily optimal.”

The assassination of a high official in Lebanon who was against the al-Assad regime doesn’t help the situation either. Anti-Syrian government protesters in Beirut blame the killing on Syria.

Although Canada, just like any other Western country, understands the plight of Syrians, no claim for protection must be put above another’s.

“The process to admitting refugees stays the same, regardless of where the claimant is from,” said Couvrette.

Hence, why I think the process should allow some leniency in this exceptional situation. The international community cannot stand by while this bloodshed continues unabated in Syria. Even though direct military action is not in the cards at the moment, there are other methods to help the population of this embattled country.

Americans are allegedly offering weapons to the rebels, but Canada should help Syria in a more peaceful manner — like helping more of them find a new home, away from the violence.