Interview with Hisham Wattar: Life as a Syrian Immigrant in Canada

Hisham Wattar is the owner and operator of Best Falafel, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Vancouver with locations in North Vancouver, Kitsilano, and on Commercial Drive. In 2000, when Best Falafel was not yet owned by Mr. Wattar, it was on the brink of bankruptcy. Fresh ingredients, and a service manual dubbed “The Book” by employees turned the restaurant’s fate around.

Doorstep News would like to clarify that, contrary to a previous version of this interview, Mr. Wattar did not leave Syria as a result of conflict.

credit: Best Falafel website

Here, read his story in his own words.

Let’s start with the basics. Where are you from?

Damascus, Syria.

What was it like growing up in Syria?

Back in time, the country was somewhat stable. It wasn’t really rough as it is right now with war and so on. I would say my childhood was somewhat stable. Obviously you’re in Canada now, so when did you leave Syria? I left Syria in 1986.

Why did you leave Syria? I left Syria when I was 14 years old, and went to England. My brother lived in England so I lived with him in South England - I studied English for a year or so. After that, I went back to Syria and left again in 1986. I left Syria because I was inspired by Western lifestyle, and for my own ambitions - for my own dreams.

What was attractive in particular about the Western way of life?

I would say freedom, or human rights. I also wanted opportunities - Syria did not have enough for me. 1986. So how old were you when you left? I was 24, maybe 25. Did you come alone? With my wife. I was married then, so we came over together. Is the rest of your family still in Syria? Not after the civil war. The majority of them came to Canada. How did you get to Canada, and what was that like? I actually came under the small business program that the federal government had at the time. You could open your own business and be self-sufficient and employ Canadians. That was the program at the time I came. Was it difficult? You have to have a certain amount of money, and a certain amount of experience. Given the age that I had, I had the money, and I had a little bit of experience. Funny enough, my first job in England, when I studied English in 1978, was at a donair shop! I never realized that it would be a lifetime career. What did you want to do? I wasn’t that great in school - I came from a business family so we were all leaning towards self employment or a business entrepreneurship. My father was one of those. So I had that. I learned the trade from an early age; we had a couple of retail shops in Damascus. My dad had a tanning manufacturer in Syria. So I’ve grown up seeing how decisions are made and so on. Canada prides itself on its immigration system as one of the best in the world - how was your experience with it? Yes; you go in with certain evaluations. Basically about adaptability I think - on how you can adapt to Canada, and I think that’s a fair thing to do. So overall, I would say it’s a difficult process, but, at the end, I think it’s fair for everybody.

Canada’s immigration system is divided into 3 sections; Economic and Family Immigration Programs, Refugee Resettlement, and Opportunities for Living in Canada on a Temporary Basis. For immigrants in the Express Entry Programs, in the Economic and Family Immigration Programs section, there is a point-based system, where potential immigrants are assessed on language, education, work experience, age, arranged employer, and adaptability. There is also a Comprehensive Ranking System for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trade Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Family Reunification is also a possible option, where potential immigrants can apply as a family, where one member is considered the “principal applicant”. Family members can include spouse, dependent child under the age of 22, the spouse’s dependent child, and dependent child of the dependent child.

According to the United Nations, at least 6.2 million Syrians have moved from their homes, but stayed within the country - another 5.6 have left Syria altogether.

How long did that take? About one year. Did you feel that you had enough support throughout it?

When I first came, I came to New Brunswick, so the program that I applied for was there. It was great. I had a lot of help from Immigration and Tourism. I worked in a restaurant at the time, so the Minister of Tourism was involved. It was great help. According to the Canadian government, 44,620 Syrians have been welcomed into Canada since November 4th of 2015. Out of the 44,620 refugees, 21,745 were government-assisted, 18,930 were privately sponsored, and 3,945 were Visa office-referred. Is Canada home to you now? It is. After 35 years! What do you miss most about Syria?

It was a short 25 years of my life spent in Syria - the rest was here. It’s the memories of where you grew up. That's what I miss from time to time. I used to go for a visit, not anymore. Canada is home now. Have you experienced discrimination in Canada? Is there a specific instance that stands out to you? Not really. I didn’t personally. I hear stories, about discrimination. I think discrimination is all over the world. Everywhere there is something discriminatory, whether it is [based on] colour or religion. But I think, overall, Canada has done a remarkable job in regard to that - pushing for multiculturalism and so on. But it does still exist unfortunately. How do you feel about the media’s portrayal of the conflicts in Syria? They’ve done a really good job during the refugee crisis, but then things kind of died down. We don't hear much about it. It’s a sad kind of situation because a lot of people still suffer. Yes, maybe the war has died down, but there are shortages of everything; food, money. Devaluation of money - you need more money now to get food and survive. But we don’t hear anything about that in the media right now. I would say that there is a highlight of news from Syria. [meaning that the media chooses what to portray or not portray, so that coverage and information are inconsistent]. What do you think is important for Canadians to hear [about conflict in Syria]? Is there a specific aspect that stands out to you?

We wish that not only Canada, but the whole world, would put an end to this. The powerful countries, I think, have the power to put an end to this, but it seems like no one really cares anymore. And that’s the sad part, because I think that they can stop this. Hopefully at some point, someone will move on and try and end it. The civil war in Syria started 8 years ago, between soldiers supporting president Bashar al-Assad, rebels who want to take down the president, and the Islamic State, or ISIS. In pre-war Syria, many Syrians complained of a lack of political freedom under president Bashar al-Assad, and the arrest and reported torture of 15 students for writing about their disapproval of the government utimately became the start of the civil war. During the fight between Bashar al-Assad and the rebels, IS took advantage of the unrest and gained ground in Eastern Syria- forcing both the government and the rebels into a fight against IS, in addition to the war they fought between themselves.

credit: Best Falafel website

Are you still in touch with anyone in Syria? No, all my family is here. I just hear stories, from friends of friends. Lastly, if you had the chance, would you go back to Syria? As a holiday yes. But I would never consider moving back. I have my children here, grandchildren, so no. Vacation maybe - the food is awesome, the scenery, the archeology, it’s amazing. But to live there? This is home now.