Windsor’s large Syrian community celebrates brutal regime’s downfall

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There’s a mix of hope and apprehension among the thousands of Syrians now living in Windsor after the fall of the authoritarian regime that ruled their Middle East homeland with an iron fist for half a century.

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Despite the uncertainty that lies ahead, Anas Hussin told the Star a week after Syria’s Dec. 8 liberation that it “has been one of the best weeks” of his life.

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Hussin was 18 years old when he, his mother and six siblings joined the exodus of millions, sparking a global refugee crisis. The family resettled in Windsor in 2016.

“I wish I could celebrate this moment with people down in Syria,” said Hussin. “We’re very happy. We’ve been celebrating with a lot of feasts and a lot of dancing.”

The fall of President Bashar al-Assad — the leader of a regime accused of widespread human rights abuses, including mass detentions, torture, civilian attacks and killings — was a moment that Hussin, and many other Syrians in Windsor, never thought possible.

“I don’t think anyone in the world expected that,” said Hussin. “We believed his son would rule after him, and it would be the Assad family forever. That’s what everyone thought.”

The day after the notorious regime was overthrown on Dec. 8 following a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels, hundreds of Syrians packed the streets of downtown Windsor, dancing and singing. The celebration was organized by Hussin and his friends.

In a 12-day offensive, rebel forces led by the Islamist group HTS, or Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, captured key cities before entering the Syrian capital of Damascus, ahead of Assad fleeing into exile in Russia. HTS is currently considered a terrorist organization by many countries, including Canada.

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“It is very historically significant,” said Fred Francis, executive director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County.

“When you look at Syria and you look at the Assad regime, Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad were in power for more than 50 years. One family ruled an entire country for that period of time and having that come to an end overnight came as a surprise to many.”

Hussin, like many other Syrians, fled the country during the height of it’s refugee crisis nearly a decade ago.

The civil war was triggered by the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. The Assad regime responded to peaceful demonstrations calling for democratic reform within Syria that began in Daraa — Hussin’s home city — with a violent crackdown.

“It was your typical authoritarian dictatorship,” Francis told the Star. “You didn’t have a lot of the freedoms that we enjoy in this part of the world.

“You had to be careful about what you said because you might get that knock on the door one night and never be seen from or heard from again.”

As part of an international response, the Canadian government welcomed more than 25,000 Syrian refugees between 2015 and 2016. Up to 2,500 Syrians fleeing the violence came to Windsor.

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Dr. Ahmed Chaker, a Windsor family doctor and member of the Syrian Canadian Council, which helped the wave of refugees integrate into a new culture, estimates Windsor’s Syrian population has since grown to nearly 4,000 people.

“The contributions Syrian refugees have had in Windsor have evolved a lot,” said Chaker, who moved to Canada from Syria more than 20 years ago.

“In the last three to five years, more and more, I’ve seen the younger generation train at the college and university. They have now finished their educational programs and are contributing to all types of industries, including accounting, electrical, and mechanical.”

When Hussin arrived in Windsor in 2016, he did not understand the language or culture. Now, at 27 years old and after graduating with a degree in biology from the University of Windsor, he is studying to become a dentist at the University of Detroit Mercy. He said his six siblings have gone on to similar accomplishments.

While the end of the Assad regime is a positive step for Syria, Francis said it’s unlikely to persuade those who have established new lives in Windsor to consider returning, at least not in the near future.

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“Syria has a lot of work to do,” said Francis. “After years of civil war, their infrastructure is on the ground. The whole country needs to be rebuilt.

“It’s not a situation where anyone can move back right away and live the same life they live here,” he said. “Oftentimes, when we see people come here, they love it here, they stay here, and they plant their roots here.”

Almost two weeks after Assad’s fall, the victorious rebels are still working to establish a transitional government.

Syrians back home have been flooding into prisons that operated under Assad’s regime in search of loved ones who went missing. Thousands of prisoners were set free after Assad’s overthrow, but many arrested over the years simply disappeared, leaving anxious families to wonder what happened to them.

Hussin said he is anxiously waiting to hear if his cousin, who disappeared in Syria six years ago and was suspected to have been detained in one of those prisons, will be found dead or alive.

Asked whether he would consider returning to Syria, Hussin said “Yes, I might.

“It would depend on the new government — everything looks promising right now.”

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