From Syrian opposition leader to master¡¯s student in Canada

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 ¨C 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 ¨C 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 ¨C ¡®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 ¨C ¡°I felt like it was useless to continue, that a negotiation would not achieve anything" ¨C 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.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com