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By IRYNA RYBCHAK
Staff writer
You can often see this young man sitting on a red chair in the farthest corner of St. Catharines Centennial Public Library. He looks like a hipster wearing slim jeans, a hooded jacket and Keddo shoes. If you come closer, you will be surprised that he is reading Yami Ahmed Forgive me in Arabic.
His name is Ameer haj Ahmed Alhaj, 19, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo whose family made a long journey to get to Canada.
Alhaj is obsessed with becoming a lawyer. His friend’s father was charged with killing a person and spent 10 years in prison.
“I know my friend, I know his father. He didn’t do that. They just were poor and couldn’t pay for a lawyer,” said Alhaj.
His dream is to be an honest and independent lawyer and have an opportunity to help people.
“I want to be a lawyer and that’s it,” said Alhaj.
He was a 13-year-old boy when his family ran from the war in Aleppo, Syria.
The civil war in Syria started March 18, 2011, when the government army opened fire on protesters who wanted democracy and freedom. Now the battle continues between opposition free Syrian army and President Assad’s government army.
“We had to leave. It was (a) really terrible night. I still remember all the shooting and people’s screaming. We just had to leave,” said Alhaj.
First, the Alhaj family moved to their village house in Marrh, close to border with Turkey. The house where the family used to relax every summer became a refuge for four months.
Older twin brothers Eyad, a lawyer, and Imad, a human resources worker, crossed the Turkish border illegally to prepare for the family to join them later.
Alhaj’s family couldn’t stay longer in the village house because the airplanes were bombing around the area almost every day. They crossed the border illegally in 2012 because the danger was following them. For seven days, the Alhaj family was hiding underground. Alhaj doesn’t remember that period of time.
Even though, by Turkish law, a person can’t work more than eight hours a day, employers force people to work 12 hours or more.
“We were working and didn’t have time to study at all,” said Alhaj.
Alhaj stayed in Turkey for four years before his family decided to move to Canada.
Yousef Haj-Ahmed, Alhaj’s uncle, used to be a biotechnology program professor at Brock University. Now he is running Norgen Biotek Corp., located in St. Catharines. He sent an invitation for all family to come to Canada in 2016.
“My family moved to Canada more for future than anything else,” said Alhaj.
Nine months later every member was working hard to help their uncle to run the business to collect money for a future house. And they did it.
Alhaj’s parents and twin brothers are still working at Norgen Biotek Corp.
“I worked for five months and then I left,” said Alhaj.
He graduated from Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School and now is taking math, chemistry, biology and English at the Lifetime Learning Centre. Then Alhaj is going to study nursing at Niagara College.
“If I will fail to get inside of law school, I will still have an opportunity to work as a nurse and help people,” said Alhaj.
David McFadden, the youth services co-ordinator for Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre, said, “My first thoughts on Ameer were on how good his English was considering the short period of time he has been in Canada. Also how appreciative he was for any support or help he received.”
Alhaj is working at Cat’s Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car, and enjoys reading and sitting on a red chair in the farthest corner of St. Catharines Centennial Public Library.