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The world on a plate: Cross-cultural potluck in QC shows global solidarity

A solidarity potluck in Queen Charlotte came shortly after news that the brother of Hassan Sirhan was killed in Syria.
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Eliza Shane gives a thumbs-up after playing 'Looking Forward to a Spring Wind' on the ocarina at the Community Solidarity Potluck in Queen Charlotte on Sunday

The choir sang one rain song from South Africa, and Rosie Peerless sang another from the Philippines.

They shared foods from around the world: noodle and dumpling dishes, okonomiyaki and mac ’n cheese.

But mostly, everyone at the Community Solidarity potluck in Queen Charlotte last Sunday just enjoyed each other’s company, and the good fortune of living on Haida Gwaii.

“It’s been pretty depressing looking at the news,” said Mecca Huston, who started organizing the lunch after six men were murdered at evening prayers in a Quebec City mosque.

Coupled with the attempted U.S. travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries and the ongoing refugee crisis, Huston said she and others wanted to do something to show cross-cultural solidarity, and found the islands are a perfect place for it.

“Time and again, people on Haida Gwaii are so supportive, and strong,” she said.

Just two nights before, Drama Club students from GidGalang Kuuyas Naay organized a benefit screening of The White Helmets,’ a short documentary about Syrian Civil Defence the volunteer rescue workers who have been digging people out from rubble throughout the Syrian civil war.

All donations collected at the film went to the family of the late Abdullah Sirhan, the director of the Syrian Civil Defence in Dara’a, Syria, who was killed in a targeted attack on March 19.

Abdullah was also the older brother of Haida Gwaii resident Hassan Sirhan, who arrived here with his family last August thanks to a local refugee sponsorship group.

“He was a very faithful Muslim,” said Hassan, speaking after the potluck lunch through volunteer translator Mukhtar Mohammedissa.

“He was very devoted to caring for the mothers, the children, whoever was in need, to make sure he did all he was able for the weak ones who had nothing to do with the war.”

In true Haida Gwaii style, the benefit film last Friday was scheduled at the same time as another event, the Haida Gwaii Coffeehouse. Rather than cancel, they both collected donations, raising $2,100 in a single night.

Security is everything, but the money will help, said Hassan.

Abdullah left behind a wife and five children. As soon as their landlord found out he had died, he called to tell Abdullah’s wife her rent had to be paid at the end of the month.

“If there’s nothing I can do for them here, sooner or later I’ll have to go to watch out for them,” said Hassan.

“I can’t just leave them there, stranded.”

With the Jordanian and Turkish borders now closed, Hassan said the only way Abdullah’s family can leave now is through high-level talks between the Syrian government and the Canadian embassy in Jordan. He hopes Abdullah’s high profile in the White Helmets will bring diplomats’ attention.

Abdullah’s work, which included evacuating families from bombarded city neighbourhoods into tents in the countryside, certainly got attention from the Syrian regime.

Not only had Abdullah been arrested and threatened before, Hassan’s other brothers, Mohammend and Serhan, were both jailed on his account. Hasan says the rocket attack that badly injured two of his own daughters was in revenge for Abdullah’s work with the White Helmets.

If his daughters hadn’t been hurt, Hassan said he too would have joined the humanitarian organization.

Hassan hasn’t heard from Serhan in 18 months. In 2014, a Syrian army general fled to France, defected, and released some 52,000 images of prisoners who were tortured and killed in Syria.

Among the photos of the dead was his brother, Mohammed. He also left a wife and four children.

“I would sacrifice my life to bring them, if I had a chance to bring them here,” said Hassan, adding that his father is too old to care for them Abdullah had been the one everyone relied on.

Here on Haida Gwaii, Hassan said he has been moved at how people reacted to his brother’s passing.

“Just the way I felt sad, they felt sad for me, for the loss of my brother,” he said, thanking everyone for their good wishes.

Shortly before he died, Hassan said he had a long talk with Abdullah. They spoke about each other’s kids, and he got some older brother-type advice, he said.

“All the usual things.”