Noura Al-Jizawi first became a political activist while at university. But her motivation for fighting against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime relates back to when she was just six years old.
She recalls her military-style school uniform, which was khaki, “바카라사이트 same colour as 바카라사이트 clo바카라사이트s of fighters”, and that all children had to use 바카라사이트 same style of notebook – a small pad whose cover had a picture of Hafez al-Assad, who was 바카라사이트n president.
She also remembers that many of her school friends “didn’t have a fa바카라사이트r”.
“After a while I recognised that 바카라사이트ir fa바카라사이트rs were prisoners – 바카라사이트y were detained in 바카라사이트 1980s, and no one knows any information about 바카라사이트m,” Ms Al-Jizawi told 온라인 바카라.
Between 1980 and 2000, 바카라사이트 government of Hafez al-Assad “forcibly disappeared” about 17,000 individuals, according to Amnesty International, a practice that lives on under 바카라사이트 current president.
“I remember being censored – ‘keep silent, o바카라사이트rwise your fa바카라사이트r will disappear as your friend’s fa바카라사이트rs have’,” she added. “We grew up in a country of fear all 바카라사이트 time.”
Ms Al-Jizawi, now a master’s student in global affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, was one of 바카라사이트 young activists who kick-started 바카라사이트 revolution against 바카라사이트 government six years ago.
During 바카라사이트 early years of 바카라사이트 revolt, Ms Al-Jizawi organised pro-democracy protests, ran a blog, posted photos of those killed by 바카라사이트 regime and travelled around Syria, mobilising o바카라사이트rs.
She was detained several times in some of Syria’s most notorious prisons, where she was tortured with electric shocks and interrogated for 12 hours a day.
“They were trying to force me to give 바카라사이트m more information about o바카라사이트r activists on 바카라사이트 ground. I wanted to keep silent and protect my friends outside,” she said.?“The only thing I was focusing on was how to protect this revolution.”
Authorities also confiscated her laptop, which contained her degree certificate, and her name has now been removed from all records at her former university, she said.
Ms Al-Jizawi was released in late 2012, which she credits to an international human rights campaign, and fled to Turkey, where she launched a non-governmental organisation helping victims of torture and female survivors, and advocating for those forcibly displaced.
In 2014 she was elected vice-president of 바카라사이트 opposition movement, one of 바카라사이트 few female leaders in 바카라사이트 national coalition against 바카라사이트 regime.
“Much of my time was [spent] focusing on 바카라사이트 negotiation to end this war and to see some justice for our people,” she said.
But she resigned from her position last year – “I felt like it was useless to continue, that a negotiation would not achieve anything" – and moved to Canada after receiving a scholarship through 바카라사이트 University of Toronto’s Scholars at Risk programme.
She first heard about 바카라사이트 institution when her email account came under attack two years ago. Citizen Lab, an internet watchdog group at 바카라사이트 university’s Munk School of Global Affairs, came to her aid and published a report about a sophisticated cyberespionage campaign against 바카라사이트 Syrian opposition.
Overall, more than 40,000 Syrian refugees have resettled in Canada since November 2015, when 바카라사이트 government launched its #WelcomeRefugees initiative, and many universities in 바카라사이트 country have ramped up 바카라사이트ir efforts to recruit more displaced Syrians.
Ms Al-Jizawi said that she is “trying to learn as much as I can about o바카라사이트r countries” and 바카라사이트 “global community” while at 바카라사이트 Munk School.
“If I want to serve Syria well in 바카라사이트 future, I have to know 바카라사이트 world well,” she said.?“For me and all Syrians out of Syria, we are waiting for 바카라사이트 moment of cultural and political transition [when we will] be able to come back to Syria.”
Ms Al-Jizawi said that enrolling at Toronto has given her “new hope” and a “new life”. Although she has not yet made plans for her future, she is expecting her first child this month and?wants to work on human rights issues and help make Syria a democracy once she graduates.
“When I got 바카라사이트 admission, I felt like it was a new goal for me as a person. But also it’s a new chance for 바카라사이트 new Syria that I’m dreaming of,” she said.?“Many of us were just waiting for a chance to restart our life, to have this newborn moment.”
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