Finding refuge: Syrian family settles in Lacombe

Lacombe Globe — 6/23/16

By John Hopkins-Hill
Special to the Globe

A family home sits on a quiet street on the edge of Lacombe. An SUV sits in the driveway and a pair of children’s bicycles is laid on the front lawn. It’s a house like any other, except for the remarkable family living there.

For Bashar Al Omar and his family, this house is more than just a building; it’s a place to finally call home five years after fleeing their native Syria.

Al Omar was born in Idlib, a province in northwestern Syria, and met his wife, Naeema, while serving his compulsory military service near the Syrian capital of Damascus. He worked in construction, building cement houses, following his service. The couple started a family and began their lives together.

Everything changed, however, in 2011 during the Arab Spring when protests began in Syria against President Bashar al-Assad. Military troops cracked down on protesters, killing opposition members in hopes of quashing the revolution. The conflict escalated and government-backed forces began bombing campaigns that included not just conventional bombs, but flechette shells, those filled with projectiles designed to maim and kill anyone within the blast radius, and chemical weapons. The majority of those killed by the chemical weapons were nursing babies according to Al Omar. 

“People were wishing for death,” says Al Omar, through a translator.

Al Omar knew then that his family had to leave Syria, the only home they knew, and try to find safety somewhere else. He left Syria five years ago with only the clothes on his back, moving to the mountainous northern region of Lebanon. He worked many jobs in agriculture, but was primarily raising chickens. A year later, after he found a place to live, his wife and children traveled to join him. Ideally, his extended family would also have made the trip, but keeping the entire family together simply wasn’t realistic.
Lebanon wasn’t a solution to their problem.

“We suffered a lot in Lebanon too. The only difference between Syria and Lebanon was the fact there were no people dropping bombs,” says Al Omar.

Many of the same dangers exist in Lebanon for refugees as they do in Syria. At any time kidnapping and murder are a real possibility. Idlib was a focus of the rebel groups in the opening stages of the war, and as such Al Omar was painted as a rebel, a terrorist, by those in Lebanon and other neighbouring Arab countries simply because of his birth place.

Whenever a member of Hezbollah in Lebanon was killed, the blame was placed on the refugees. Tents were burned, regardless of who was inside, and refugees were killed. Additionally, refugees leaving Syria for Jordan and Lebanon slowly died from exposure and ultimately many turned around.

“We might as well go home and die at home on our own soil,” was the prevailing thought process, Al Omar explains.

Even now, making phone calls to family and friends is dangerous. The government monitors communications and often planes will begin to fly overhead as conversations continue. It’s typical for two to four flyovers to take place during a one hour call, and often these flyovers lead to the end of the call, as there is a fear the planes may begin bombing.

Coming to Canada

After four years in Lebanon, the family had a meeting at the Canadian embassy and were asked the critical question: “Would you like to migrate to Canada?”

They took their medical exams, and plans were put in place to leave Lebanon for Canada. On May 26, 2016, Bashar, Naeema and their four children arrived at the Calgary airport, where the Lacombe Community Refugee Effort committee was waiting for them.

The committee was initially formed in October, out of a meeting organized by the Ministerial Association of Lacombe. Public notices were posted, and the committee grew to seven core members who began organizing to welcome a family.

The community came together, and soon a house, furniture, and a vehicle had all been arranged.

“About 1,000 people have dipped their fingers in here in some way. It’s been really amazing,” says Marlene Ironsides, a committee member.

Life in Lacombe seems to be suiting the Al Omar family. The two girls, Ghazeye and Jouliet, have both already started school. Ibrahim, the older of the two boys, will be starting Kindergarten in the fall and Mohamed, the baby of the family, will be going to preschool.

Lacombe is calm, Al Omar says, and the family is being treated well and they feel like they are human again. In a stroke of luck, the fields and greenery in Central Alberta are similar to their homeland and the area in Lebanon they stayed in frequently reached -20 Celsius. 

“I don’t mind the cold too much. It’s the language barrier that’s the problem,” says Al Omar. 

The family wants to meet people, but English is holding them back, at least for now. Bashar and Naeema will both be taking ESL classes this summer through the Central Alberta Refugee Effort (CARE), a charity based in Red Deer, and in September they will be taking daily classes through the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program.

After the language barrier, employment is the next hurdle for the family. Al Omar describes himself as a hard-working guy.

“I don’t like to not be working. I’m very bored right now.”

The family is very thankful for the welcome they have received in Lacombe, specifically from those on the committee and the two residents who have acted as translators, Rhanda Bonet-Graham, who assisted with this story, and Mazen Al Jarrah.

“We cannot thank the committee enough for their role in making the transition as wonderful as it has been. It’s not easy to leave where you’re from and come to a different country. They were patient with us, treated us well and were considerate and respectful. It’s not something you see every day,” says Al Omar.

Speaking about the overall process, Al Omar credits the Canadian government for opening the doors of the nation to refugees.

“The Syrian refugee is welcomed here warmly and generously. It is a great experience for a Syrian refugee to come to Canada.”