Living in a country that embraces diversity, respects people’s beliefs, and allows room for practicing rituals with utmost respect, while encouraging talents and providing avenues for success for the greater good, is truly a blessing. Canada, in these times, is celebrating the arrival of Ramadan at its highest level. Most officials extend their greetings to Muslims as Ramadan approaches, and many of them also organize Ramadan iftars and support them from their own pockets. Houses are lit up with the lights of joy in welcoming the holy month, and mosques are packed with worshippers. Thousands of volunteers work tirelessly to launch humanitarian initiatives to gather support for those in need in various parts of the world.
Yesterday, in the capital Ottawa, a Ramadan iftar was organized attended by most Muslim ministers in Trudeau’s government, along with members of parliament, senators, and senior officials in the Canadian government, as well as community leaders. This was preceded by a grand ceremony overseen by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the Canadian Minister of Immigration, to celebrate the arrival of the Syrian Al Hadhad family in Canada as part of the first batches of refugees welcomed by the country in 2015!
This family owned a chocolate factory in Syria that was bombed by the Syrian regime in 2013. They fled from the horrors of war to refugee camps in Lebanon and eventually ended up in a village in Nova Scotia, Canada. The family established a small shop to sell chocolate and branded their products as “Peace by Chocolate.” Within a few years, the company achieved significant sales and became the fifth-largest chocolate producer in Canada, according to its director, Tareq Hadhad, who became a star in Canada and represents a true success story. He has become very close to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and many officials here.
During the ceremony, the first screening of a movie about this family was presented, which will be shown in cinemas across North America starting next month!
Countries that value talents and celebrate them, even if they are immigrants or refugees, are indeed praiseworthy! Conversely, those that suppress their talents, persecute them, and drive them to escape from the hell of oppression and denial, while opening their doors and media to triviality, decadence, and immorality, are in stark contrast.
Praise be to God for the blessing of migration.
