Hamilton Restaurant returns to Syria after 12 years.

After 12 years of his homeland, Mohamed Toma said that returning to his mother’s arms made him feel “safely” and a young man again.

She was the first person of the 42 -year -old Hamilton Restaurant to see him after his return on July 11 to Syria, where he was born and raised. He has a restaurant in the city of Ontario called Toma: the taste of Syria and is used to manage a cheese factory in his hometown.

“She was very happy,” he said 12 days after his arrival.

Bashar al -Assad was prolonged as the President of Syria and his government was overthrown late last year after a quick attack by the armed factions. At that time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on social media: “The fall of Assad’s dictatorship Decades of brutal persecution end. ”

Tomay said he felt “very happy” when he heard the news and Given In December after the lion was expelled.

“Now I think my country is on the right path to be safe (again) and friendly with the world,” he said.

Toma said he hoped to stay in his hometown for another few weeks. The journey was full of sweet moments and passed from the unification and happiness, but also sadness and loss.

“I did not find my friend and some people from my family because I lost people,” said Tomay, who left his hometown in 2013.

“But … I am happy that I saw my family, I saw … a lot of friends.”

Tomeh Restaurant is located on 242 King St. W. In the center of Hamilton, the city of Ontario, which has been called the house since immigration to Canada in 2018.

Tomay said he worked in the manufacture of cheese in Syria most of his life. His factory, which he owned for 15 years, was destroyed before leaving, with the commercial area of the city.

However, among the rubble, what remained standing is the old pomegranate and olive trees – in which it was found symbolism and motives as they are, “do not die, bloom again.”

Syria is still facing conflicts

More than two million Syrians About 600,000 neighboring countries and 1.5 million who have been displaced inside Syria have returned to the homeland since December, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees.

Tomay is among those who left Syria in 2013 due to the ongoing conflict. According to the 2021 census, more than 97,000 people are included in Canada, Syria, as their master. Between November 2014 and December 2015, 44,620 Syrian refugees Arrive in CanadaAccording to immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Toma is still optimistic about the future of Syria, but he wants to bring awareness of permanent issues.

“Life is very difficult (here). No electricity, no gas, no water.”

Last week, for example, parts of southern Syria and Damascus were subjected to Israeli air strikes in the worst fight since the fall of Assad, as Israel increased its campaign to support the Druze minority residents, claiming that it is working to preserve Syria in southern Syria. The new Syrian government is also struggling with clashes between militias related to the group of Arab minorities and local fighters.

Some experts argue Israel’s participation aims to challenge the authority of the new state and maintain its ability to exercise influence on Syria.

Many Syrians return to a largely destroyed country

BASIT IQBAL, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at McMaster University, to CBC Hamilton about the uncertainty of the Syrians who have returned to the country still face it.

“I have many homes that have been destroyed, bombed or otherwise, and if they do not have the money needed to rebuild, because there is an economic crisis, and I think it is like 80 percent of the country below the poverty line,” said Embal.

His next book, The highlands of dread: ordeal and asylum after the Syrian revolution, It depends on field work on Syria and looks at different people’s relations with Islam during times of war.

Iqbal said he was searching in the bookand Near the southern Syrian border in Jordan, he spoke to a man who still communicates with him.

Iqbal said: “He constantly talked about his dream of returning … He could not return, although he was very close,” Iqbal said.

“His entire life was formed through this proximity to the borders he could not cross.”

Remember the demand for the vision of the bombing is taking place in Syria from the border. His friend was unable to do anything for his family and friends just 20 minutes away. Now, this friend sends an Iqbal message at any time when he crosses the borders, something that was not taken as a Muslim.

Rebuilding his hometown

Iqbal said that he saw many videos of individuals like Tomay, whom they returned to their loved ones, “immediately became a time for the new mourning.”

“What does it mean to return to your home, where even if your home is still existing, it is next to a world that turned into ruins?”

Toma said he wanted to help, even if it was in a small way.

He said that his old cheese factory is already rebuilt.

“I want to open an opportunity for people to my family,” he said, adding that he re -contacted former employees there who are looking for work.

Tomay wants to help contribute to the economy and rebuild his hometown, and hopes to obtain visits from his Canadian friends.

“I hope to meet people there. The Syrian people are very nice.”

Toma hopes to stay in his hometown at the present time but has no plans to move there permanently.

He is very grateful to the Hamilton community he loves and appreciates to support it through highlands and declines.

“Sometimes my work is very slow,” Toma said.

“They respect (we). I feel very happy when I see anyone who comes and sits in my work.”