The Gift of New Canadians

“They didn’t call me ‘refugee’ when I arrived in Toronto, 
they called me a ‘new Canadian,’ 
so they have been telling me: ‘You are one of us already.'”

Tarek Hadhad

 When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien.

 The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; 

you shall love the alien as yourself, 

for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 19:33-34(NRSV)

Tarek Hadhad's family was one of many in the wave of immigrants which began arriving in Canada late in 2015. They were sponsored by a group in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and came having experienced the loss of their home and business in war-torn Syria. They were successful chocolatiers in their homeland but were forced to start over, which they did. The SAFE sponsor group helped them launch a tiny business which they decided to call Peace by Chocolate. Their entrepeneurial spirit translated well to their new environment, and now they are not only self-sufficient, they are providing welcome employment with 20 people on staff .https://peacebychocolate.ca/

Last week the personable, articulate Tarek became a Canadian citizen and he was charming and gracious in expressing his enthusiasm for the country which has opened the doors to him and his family. He celebrated by wearing maple leaf socks, drinking a Tim Horton's coffee, and waving a toonie. The guy is a natural-born salesman. The good news is that they sell a delicious product.

In the days ahead many of the Syrian new Canadians will become official Canadian citizens. In fact, the first couple of the 23 Syrians sponsored by the coalition in Belleville which included several Christian congregations have already attained their citizenship, which means they have done well enough in learning English to do so. The test would be a challenge to many of us who were born here, but they were determined. 

Not only should we admire the courage and resolve of the newcomers, we should celebrate the kindness and practical generosity of hundreds of thousands of Canadians who said "welcome."

A recent international poll found that Canadians have the most favourable view of immigrants among the world's top 18 migrant-welcoming nations.  We've heard other reports that Canadians have become less open to newcomers but this poll indicates that 68% of us are favourable and are less likely to blame immigrants for crime or terrorism than citizens of other nations. While we should feel good about this, we can also realize that this is shaped, in part, by the contributions immigrants are making to the country, as they have for generations. 

Scripture tells us that as people of faith we are to treat the immigrant/refugee/alien with respect and love. I hope we continue to do so. 

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