Syrian refugee family welcomes baby boy named after Justin Trudeau

Less than a month after arriving in Canada, a local Syrian refugee family has welcomed a baby boy and they've named him after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

• Syrian refugeewaited to land in Canada to give birth
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Hussam Eddin Alahmad and his family, including his wife Sherin, two-year-old daughter Ezdihar, and newborn son Justin,have beenstaying at a hotel in North York since coming to Canada on Jan. 8 after fleeing war-torn Syria.

Syrian refugee family welcomes baby boy named after Justin Trudeau

8 years ago

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Hussam Eddin Alahmad and his wife fled war-torn Syria and are now living in a North York hotel room with their young daughter and newborn son, Justin.

"We find here humanity towards all people, they accept all cultures here," Alahmadsaid during an interview in his small, two-bed hotel room.

"And we love Prime Minister Justin Trudeau," he added with a laugh.

'We are so happy that he was born here'

Alahmad's wife Sherin gave birth to the couple's second child on Friday,a baby boy with a mop of dark hair that might one day rival that of his famousnamesake.

"We are so happy that he was born here in Canada, with this beautiful city, this beautiful country," Alahmad said.

Alahmadwanted his newborn's name to pay tribute to Trudeau as a way of saying thanks for Canada welcoming thousands of refugees.

A year ago this month, Canada hit its target of bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees animportant step for Trudeau'sgovernment, which made an election promise of resettling that many people fleeing the civil war in Syria.

• 25,000th Syrian refugee lands in Canada

Coming to Canadafrom Aleppo, Syria's largest city, was a five-yearjourney forAlahmad's family, which included timein Arabia and the United States before finally entering Canada this year.

Still, despite Canadian support, starting a new life in Toronto is an uphill climb for Alahmad and his family.

While Alahmad speaks English, Sherin doesn't, and the couple still needs to find an apartment, schools, and workwhile juggling the challenges of raising a toddler and a newborn.

But Alahmadis full of hope for his whole family including little Justin.

"I hope for him to live in a free country, to live in a safe place here, to study with a great university and college here, to have freedom here for everything that he'll be happy," Alahmad said.