Syrian-Canadians report threats from Assad regime

Canadian authorities would be prepared to act on allegations that Syrian immigrants to Canada have been threatened by the Assad regime, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday.

While he was personally unaware of the accusations, Harper said Canada would not tolerate that kind of thing.

“We certainly would be prepared to look into them and to ensure that the Syrian government is not undertaking any such actions in this country,” Harper said.

Some Syrian immigrants to Canada say people associated with the regime of President Bashar Assad have warned them against speaking out against his government.

One woman said she’s had death threats because of anti-regime comments she made on Facebook.

Fearing reprisals against herself or against family and friends still in Syria, the woman asked that her name not be used.

“They threatened to kill me because the punishment for traitors in our country [Syria] is death,” the woman told The Canadian Press.

“I’m very nervous.”

The woman, who left Syria in 2004, said the author of the threats is well known in the Syrian-Canadian community as having links to the embassy in Ottawa.

The Syrian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The woman said she reported the threats to police in May but declined to press charges. Police later told her they had investigated and had issued a warning.

“I’m depressed,” she said.

“I came to Canada to get my freedom not to be under control of the Syrian regime even here in Canada.”

The women said her experience is common among anti-regime Syrians in Canada and derided authorities for not cracking down on those making the threats.

“I feel that the Canadian government doesn’t do anything for Syrians here because every day there is a threat,” she said.

“Syrian-Canadians are under pressure.”

As many as 1,600 civilians have died in a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in Syria in recent months. Most died when pro-government security forces opened fire on demonstrators.

The bloodshed has sparked protests in Canada and Ottawa has imposed travel and economic sanctions against members of the Syrian government.

The prime minister said suppression of dissent is not a viable route and that Canada and its allies were doing what they could to press the Assad regime to reform.

“We’ve certainly expressed our abhorrence at what’s happening in Syria,” Harper said.

“It’s completely unacceptable.”

Another Syrian-Canadian, Abdullah Almalki, who was tortured by the Syrian regime after the RCMP mistakenly labelled him an “imminent” terrorist threat, said he knew of at least three cases of intimidation against people in Ottawa.

Two had been threatened by phone, he said.

“It’s very outrageous,” Almalki said.

“Now even here in Canada, they think they’re above the law.”

Almalki called it unfortunate that Canada’s security forces have not taken decisive action against those making the threats.

“Does this still have to do with how CSIS and the RCMP were sleeping in bed with Syrian intelligence?” Almalki said.

“These are very important questions.”