Soon after the Al-Soufi family emigrated to Canada in 2015, they launched a restaurant, Soufi’s, in downtown Toronto, which won international acclaim not only for its menu, but also its commitment to help newly arrived Syrian refugees adapt to life in Canada. In a glowing profile, the New York Times held up the restaurant as an emblem of “Canada’s embrace of the Syrian refugees”. [...]
Alaa had travelled to the city of Hamilton to join a demonstration outside a rally for a far-right populist candidate, Maxime Bernier, whose fringe People’s Party of Canada has been described as xenophobic and racist. [...]
At a press conference outside the restaurant, Husam Al-Soufi told reporters that the decision to close “came from a place of fear” – but the outpouring of support had inspired the family to continue serving the city.
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