(SEE ACCOMPANYING REACTION TO SYRIAN REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP FROM MAN WHO COORDINATED THE REFUGEE COALITION AT )
Mustafa Zakreet smiles broadly as he speaks about Salmon Arm.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a wonderful community, I got to know so many people here, I have so many friends.害羞草研究所�
Mustafa is a member of one of nine families from Syria who have come to Salmon Arm over the past two-and-a-half years.
He came alone, the first refugee to arrive in town. He found learning English was essential.
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害羞草研究所淲hen I came here I had some English. But I害羞草研究所檝e worked really hard to improve it in the last two years. When I first moved here I was the only Syrian so I had to speak it all the time,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the key to starting in a new country, the language is.害羞草研究所�
Mustafa recounts how his three-year-old niece woke up in the morning recently and said, 害羞草研究所楪ood morning,害羞草研究所� instead of the Arabic word his family usually uses.
害羞草研究所淚 think they害羞草研究所檙e finding English easier,害羞草研究所� he says of the children. 害羞草研究所淎rabic is such a tough language.害羞草研究所�
He says the adults are pleased 害羞草研究所� but a little sad.
害羞草研究所淓veryone is happy listening to them speaking English,害羞草研究所� Mustafa says with a grin, but they hope they can hang on to their Arabic as well.
害羞草研究所淎rabic is a big language in the world害羞草研究所� If you have the opportunity, why would you want to lose it?害羞草研究所�
He says his friend Lokman, a Kurdish refugee from Syria, speaks four languages now including English, and his children are learning all four.
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Joining Mustafa in Salmon Arm in the six to nine months after he arrived were his dad Muhammad, two brothers, his sister-in-law and a niece. A second niece was born in Salmon Arm.
Another brother with two children and a sister remain as refugees in Lebanon, and another sister, in Jordan.
Mustafa害羞草研究所檚 mother and his older brother were killed by a bomb in Syria before Mustafa left.
He speaks of the realities of Syria and wonders why the world stands by to let it happen. He would also like to see more countries do what places like Canada, Germany and Norway are doing 害羞草研究所� taking in refugees. And then there害羞草研究所檚 the U.S. ban on Muslims while the Syrian government carries out atrocities on its citizens.
害羞草研究所淩ights robbed by the dictatorship government and the (Syrian) president,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淜urdish people, for example, were not given passports, even though they were born and raised in Syria, they go to school in Syria 害羞草研究所� they害羞草研究所檙e not allowed to have a passport.害羞草研究所�
He says people were thrown into prison all the time, no accounting was given of where all the country害羞草研究所檚 oil money went, and more.
害羞草研究所淏ig things 害羞草研究所� burying nuclear waste in our country, we didn害羞草研究所檛 get to vote 害羞草研究所� so many things we fought against,害羞草研究所� he says, explaining that as a student he would attend protests.
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害羞草研究所淲hen the UN decided to get rid of Saddam Hussein, it happened really fast. But they can害羞草研究所檛 decide if he害羞草研究所檚 a dictator,害羞草研究所� he says of the Syrian president.
害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 killed beyond a million now, most of them children and women. I don害羞草研究所檛 know what else he has to do before the world decides it has to get rid of him害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟
Mustafa points out that the president has used chemical weapons three times in Syria. He thinks about the message this gives to other dictatorships.
害羞草研究所淵ou guys can use your chemical weapons and we害羞草研究所檒l do nothing against it.害羞草研究所�
More than 12 million Syrian refugees are scattered around the world, he says.
In Lebanon, more than 300,000 Syrian children under the age of 12 don害羞草研究所檛 go to school.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a very basic right. I don害羞草研究所檛 know what the world is expecting from these children when they grow up 害羞草研究所� they can害羞草研究所檛 write their names.害羞草研究所�
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Mustafa has worked hard at his own education since he害羞草研究所檚 been in Salmon Arm. In Syria, he studied railway engineering and then environmental engineering. He took approximately 40 courses 害羞草研究所� about 120 credits 害羞草研究所� but doesn害羞草研究所檛 have official documents for them.
Since coming to Salmon Arm he has completed a year of college in Kelowna. Although he says little about his accomplishments, Brian Ayotte, former chair of the now-dissolved Salmon Arm Refugee Coalition, says Mustafa has been on the Dean害羞草研究所檚 List and 害羞草研究所済ot astounding marks.害羞草研究所�
He is now working at Lawson Engineering in Salmon Arm for the summer.
Mustafa says all of the families seem to be doing well; currently six are living here.
害羞草研究所淚 have a good relationship with all the families and all the kids as well. Probably because I was helping them when they first came.害羞草研究所�
One moved to Montreal to be with family there, and is thriving. Another went to Hamilton to be with relatives but came back almost right away; one is on Vancouver Island and a third is in Sweden with family.
Mustafa害羞草研究所檚 brother Ahmad has been working at a chicken farm for several months, while Ahmad害羞草研究所檚 wife Fatima just got her driver害羞草研究所檚 licence a few weeks ago and takes care of their two daughters.
Being able to drive is important for all the families, he says, so they can be independent. He says it害羞草研究所檚 not religion or custom that keeps women from driving in Syria 害羞草研究所� as it was in Saudia Arabia 害羞草研究所� but expense. While Mustafa害羞草研究所檚 family was part of the middle class in Syria, cars were too expensive to own.
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All the families have a shared focus: working and learning English. He refers to the one-year sponsorship each family received. For some, 害羞草研究所淚 expected that after one year, it would not be enough time to get a job and speak English. They害羞草研究所檝e got a job, English is better than expected, they害羞草研究所檙e all doing very well.害羞草研究所�
One highlight was when they all went skiing at Larch Hills one day last winter.
害羞草研究所淐ould you imagine Syrians skiing on the snow? he says, looking askance. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 something we害羞草研究所檙e not used to at all.害羞草研究所�
There was lots of laughter that day.
害羞草研究所淓specially when someone falls, especially when it害羞草研究所檚 Hussam 害羞草研究所� he害羞草研究所檚 a big guy, a funny guy.害羞草研究所�
The families have also been together regularly for the holy month of Ramadan, a month that concluded with Eid al-Fitr, a huge three-day Islamic celebration.
During the month there is fasting, which Mustafa says is done so those fasting can feel how the hungry and poor feel, and not waste the food that everyone on the planet must share.
害羞草研究所淭here is a quote I really like about food and being hungry. 害羞草研究所楶oor people run for food and rich people run to digest their food.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
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Mustafa speaks about his love for Salmon Arm and area.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know if people realize they do live in such a beautiful area compared to other places in the world.害羞草研究所�
When he and a friend go to work each day, they always say: 害羞草研究所淎nother day in paradise.害羞草研究所�
He would like to spend the rest of his life in Canada, and hopes to apply for citizenship in three months.
害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 wait to be a citizen. Obviously you would miss a lot from your country. But looking back at the country, the corruption, the war and no solutions 害羞草研究所� and you have all the rights. There is nothing you can害羞草研究所檛 adapt with, everything is adaptable.
害羞草研究所淲e are all the same. People sometimes think Syrian people are different. I don害羞草研究所檛 think that害羞草研究所檚 the case. We害羞草研究所檙e not that different. We can adapt with the culture. In the end we are all human. Probably a different colour sometimes, a broken accent, different clothes or traditional clothes, but we all have the same brain function, feelings and emotions, they害羞草研究所檙e all the same.
害羞草研究所淭here are some barriers that can be broken easily by approaching from both sides.害羞草研究所�
marthawickett@saobserver.net
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