After being rescued by the efforts of a Whistler, BC, resident who fundraised to bring him to Canada, Syrian refugee Hassan Al Kontar wants to use his experience to help others.
Kontar refused to serve in the Syrian military when the war broke out and the Syrian government refused to renew his passport—so he left Syria for Malaysia but was stranded in the Kuala Lumpur airport with no way to enter the country.
He remained in the airport for seven months, making video diaries of a harrowing experience that went viral on social media. When the videos caught the attention of Laurie Cooper in Whistler, she campaigned to have him sponsored in Canada.
Now, Kontar wants to use his fame to help spread the word about the struggles refugees face, after the kindness of others saved him from his own.