Canton orthodontist hoping for peace in native Syria

Omar Salem was born and raised in Damascus, Syria. The oldest of five children, his childhood memories include going to school with friends, spending time with a large and caring extended family, traveling to Turkey and France for family vacations, and living in a country ruled by Hafez al-Assad and at the present time, his son Bashar al-Assad.

Dr. Omar Salem stands next to images of old Syria in the foyer of his home.

Salem recalls that his father, an orthodontist, and his mother, a chemist and teacher, did not usually engage in political discussions with their children. One exception to that happened after the massacre in the city of Hama, located to the north of Damascus. When the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama led an uprising in the 1980s, Hafez al-Assad responded with a military attack that Salem estimated left 10,000 to 35,000 dead.

“We were actually driving up to Turkey to meet some cousins at the Turkish border,” Salem recalled. “Just before we drove into Hama, there were tanks blocking the highway and full-geared officers.”

One of the officers told Salem’s father that he could go around the city, but that they could not guarantee his safety. His father drove off the highway to the lanes going in the other direction, and then took his family back to Damascus. His only comment on the situation was, “There are some bad guys.”

“Now I know what happened,” Salem said. “There was a major massacre. You can get away with anything. There were no cell phones to take pictures, no Youtube.”

The Syrian uprising against the government began in March of 2011. Since the alleged chemical attack by Bashar al-Assad’s government outside Damascus last month that left over 1,400 people dead, the world’s attention has been focused on Syria. For Salem, the recent attack is part of the dangerous difficulties and challenges that Syrian people face on a daily basis.

“I want to emphasize,” he said, “that what’s taking place now has been going on since March of 2011. [The uprising] was non-violent. He met that protest with atrocities.”

The al-Assad family has ruled the country since 1971, when Hafez al-Assad was elected president. Salem was a student in the dental school of Damascus University when Basil al-Assad, one of the sons of Hafez, died in a car accident.

“The country shut down,” Salem said. “Whether you liked it or not, you’d better mourn. Syria is ruled by state police with an iron fist.”

Salem moved to the United States in 1996 to study at the University of Buffalo. “My father said, ‘You go and stay in the United States. You don’t have to go back. I can help you. Stay there.’”

Salem wanted to return home, but looking back he says that his father’s advice made sense. After earning a dental degree in Buffalo, he studied orthodontics at Tufts University. When he was offered a job in Massachusetts, he decided to make it his new home.

Salem returned to Syria to visit his family, and during a trip in 2000, he married his wife, Zeina Sahloul. The couple was forced to change their original wedding date due to the death of Hafez al-Assad in June of that year, followed by a mourning period of 40 days, during which weddings were prohibited. The couple has two sons, Hussein, 11, a student at the Galvin Middle School, and Jad, 9, a student at the Hansen School. Their daughter, Maya, is 15 months old.

The Salem family goes home to Syria once a year and they had planned a trip that was to take place after the 2011 protests. They were forced to change their plans. “We had the tickets. We were excited,” Salem said. “We never thought the uprising was going to continue. We never thought the Syrian people could rise and stand.”

One of the people who stood up to the government was a cousin of Salem, a boy he played with as a child. He was arrested six months ago. “His wife thinks that he’s dead,” Salem said. “He’s gone.”

Salem’s in-laws are living with the family here in Canton. They were away from Syria, traveling, when they received the news that a rocket had hit their home. Three rooms in the front of the house were destroyed. His father-in-law has lost his business. “They’re sick of it. You can feel it in them,” Salem said. “But there’s no way they can go home until there’s a cease-fire.”

He said that his parents are relatively safe, although a few months ago, his mother was out for a walk in Damascus when a mortar shell landed less than 20 feet from where she stood. She was not injured and did not tell her son, because she did not want him to worry. He found out about the incident from one of his sisters. Salem would like his parents to come to the United States, but knows that it is difficult for them to leave their native land permanently. Family members have come to Canton for extended visits.

In June of 2013, Salem flew to the Middle East for a two-week visit with the Syrian American Medical Society. He is vice president of the New England chapter. The group spent eight days in Atmeh in northern Syria and six days in Zaatari, Jordan. In Atmeh, they taught dental hygiene through a psychosocial program that provides arts and crafts for children. They provided goody bags for the children that contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, a peace bracelet and sunglasses. They built a playground for the children in the camp and finished a soccer field, donating soccer balls they had brought with them. In Zaatari they visited a hospital and a rehabilitation center, spoke with female rape victims, and provided dental cleanings for children in a refugee camp.

Salem is hopeful that peace can come to Syria but only if several major changes take place first. He outlined several steps that he believes are essential: Bashar al-Assad must step down as president. There must be a democratically elected government that works for them and respects the rules of law where freedom of speech is respected. A cease-fire has to be enforced; detainees will be released; a constitution will be drafted or an older constitution may be used; and finally, elections must be held.

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Sep 19 2013. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.