Syrian refugees say thank you to Canadians with red roses
Shoppers were greeted with bouquets of red roses as a group of Syrian refugees handed out flowers and spread messages of peace and love Saturday afternoon at Chinook Centre.
Nour Yassin, 20, helped organize the event, and was joined by friends, family and Calgary’s Syrian Refugee Support Group handing out flowers to passersby in gratitude for a warm welcome.
“We have lots of newcomers from Syria, and we just wanted to say thank you to the Canadian people,” Yassin said. “They’ve given us so much and we’re so thankful.”
Yassin is a refugee, and said she fled Lebanon just over a year ago. Despite the challenges she faced learning English and acclimatizing to a country entirely different from the environment she grew up in, Yassin said she feels Canada is home now.
With the controversy Muslim populations are facing after U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempted immigration ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries, and the deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six dead, Yassin said it’s more important than ever to remind North Americans that refugees are here in peace.
“Some people say newcomers are dangerous, but I say no,” she said.
“I’m Muslim and I love you — you are my brother, you are my sister, we are all humans.”
Calling the inaugural event “flower day,” Yassin and fellow refugees carried around signs reading, “There is no difference between us” and handing out fresh, red roses to people passing by.
Despite the well-intentioned deed, security at the mall eventually told the group they had to leave because they didn’t have a proper permit for the event, but organizers said they hope to regroup and plan a similar gathering in the future.
We have lots of newcomers from Syria, and we just wanted to say thank you to the Canadian people.