Evidence of meeting #49 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was regime.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
I think it would be important to share this with government in any way we can. They'd want to have that as well, if you haven't done so already.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Thank you.
Faisal, I think your comments about Canada's role in the past and the things we can do.... I'm curious as to what you've seen other countries do. What's the most important thing for Canada to do right now?
Spokesperson, Syrian Canadian Council
We can start with the easy stuff, which is what we can do domestically. As I told you, the family reunification program is extremely important. I can't tell you the amount of anxiety and stress that Syrians are going through.
As you probably know, and I have said in my testimony, when a Syrian plane is bombarding a neighbourhood, it is not distinguishing between whether you are pro-regime or you're in opposition or you're just crossing the street randomly. Living in Syria right now is almost a death sentence in specific areas, like Idlib and Aleppo, at least, and even in the suburbs of Damascus.
This is really something that Canada has done in the past, it's easy, it's not a big deal, and we would be proud, actually, as Canadians, to do that.
Something else that Canada would be proud of is humanitarian. We have 2.5 million displaced Syrians, approximately 500,000 refugees. The numbers are 350,000, but it's much higher than that. If you look at the conditions at the Zaatari camp in Jordan, when they are interviewing the refugees...they are asking them, “Please, let us return to our country. We'd rather die in dignity.” This is how bad it is.
There is definitely a need. Let's say Canada is involved in contributing $2 million. This is one day. This is one day to sustain 2.5 million of the displaced and refugees.
We really need to focus as well, outside of just giving money, on programs. For example, I was speaking to activists on the Turkish-Syrian border, and they working on a machine to create bread, to actually make people work and at the same time provide bread. We can help so many different projects, and we can bring them to you to finance. So it's not just related to money; it's actually to sustain these people.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
I'd reiterate what I said before, and look to this committee to pass a motion to at least call on government to increase its support through the two areas that were noted, and that's immigration fast-tracking and humanitarian support for those people in the camps on the borders.
Maybe we'll talk about that later.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you, Mr. Dewar.
We're going to move over to Mr. Dechert, for seven minutes, please.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Hamou and Mr. Alazem, for being here.
I think all Canadians are very concerned about what's been happening in Syria over the last year and a half and are wondering what can be done.
I just want to clarify. Have either of you been in Syria recently?
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Okay.
I think, Ms. Hamou, you mentioned your grandfather was there recently. He has come out.
Conservative
As an Individual
But he's 90, so he wanted to die in Syria. We convinced him to come home. If he stayed there, he'd probably—
Conservative
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Okay. I'm just wondering what you've seen first-hand.
The question I want to explore with Mr. Alazem is what the condition is with respect to the Syrian opposition. Is it one cohesive force? Is it a number of different groups? Who should the international community be dealing with in terms of the opposition to Assad? Who's the group that represents the largest of the freedom fighters in Syria?
Spokesperson, Syrian Canadian Council
First, it's important to distinguish between political opposition and what's happening on the ground from non-violent activists, local coordination committees, and the rebels, who have been dubbed the Free Syrian Army. For sure, the rebels who are fighting have been fighting in a quite decentralized way for a very long time. But the good news is that we are seeing that they are more and more cohesive. Actually, right now there is a project, and Burhan Ghalioun and others in the Syrian National Council and other political and Syrian opposition figures have been working on this project to unify. This project has been dubbed the Syrian National Army, to try to unify all these forces on the ground and try to get the financing and the support to fighters who we can trust.
As I said, the fear we have is that when we don't support these fighters, we open the door for radicals. The fear is that with time the fighters, by convenience, might get to a point where they would want to ally themselves with these radicals because no one else is helping, especially if they are able to bring money as well.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Is there, in your view, a credible alternative government? Is there a group that could form a government in Syria today if Assad were to go?
Spokesperson, Syrian Canadian Council
It's been highly documented that the Syrian opposition have difficulties unifying. At the same time, we are in a democratic, free country, and I don't think everyone here is unified. We have an opposition and we have—
October 18th, 2012 / 10:15 a.m.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Fair enough. I'm just trying to get a handle on who speaks for the Syrian people who are opposing Assad.
Spokesperson, Syrian Canadian Council
I think the big problem we have is that inside Syria we have so many groups, and we have a strong opposition, but they are not in the media.They haven't been heard about.
As you know, opposing the regime inside Syria is either a death sentence or you're thrown in jail. Outside Syria, I can tell you that the Syrian National Council right now, which is actually going through restructuring, has a meeting in Doha at the beginning of November. It has been one of the biggest umbrella opposition groups in Syria. You have others as well. Michel Kilo and Haytham Manna are opposition figures as well.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
In your comments, you talked about non-Syrian actors who are involved in the fight in Syria. You mentioned Iran. You mentioned Hezbollah. Are there non-Syrian fighters in Syria fighting for Assad against the Syrian people? Second, does that, in your view, change the nature of the conflict?
Spokesperson, Syrian Canadian Council
I think for us in Syria it's no surprise. We know that it's not the people who are dealing with the dictatorship. We know that there are multiple layers in this geopolitical game. We know that we're fighting Iran. We're fighting Russia and whatever other players there are in this region. Last week, fighters from Hezbollah were killed in al-Qusayr.
Conservative