Syrian Canadians express mixed reaction to U.s.-led airstrikes

Syrian Canadians expressed a range of reactions to the recent U.s.-led airstrikes against Syria’s government, with some denouncing foreign aggression and others calling for even stronger action to end the conflict that has devastated the country.

Toronto resident Bayan Khatib was at a community fundraiser with other Syrian Canadians on Friday night when she learned the U.S., Britain and France had launched the joint airstrikes in retaliation for a suspected chemical-weapons attack on April 7 that killed 43 people and injured hundreds more in a rebel-held enclave near Damascus.

She said most of the Syrians in the room felt a mixture of optimism and worry.

“Many were excited there is finally something happening, that the (Syrian President Bashar) Assad regime will see some consequences, but other people were quite worried about civilian casualties, further destruction of Syria,” Khatib said.

She said too many governments are ignoring the atrocities in her home country and would like to see Canada take more of a leadership role in ending the conflict. She also said she’s not impressed with the reaction of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who expressed support for the strikes but seems reluctant to get directly involved.

Khatib said she doesn’t believe most Canadians are aware of the true scale of the human rights atrocities that are striking her home country.