Syrian refugees name their son Justin Trudeau in honour of Canadian PM
Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau has met a Syrian baby named in his honour by a refugee couple after they resettled in Canada.
Afraa Hajj Hammoud and Mohammed Belal fled Syria in 2016 and now call the Canadian city of Calgary home, according to CBC News.
When their son was born in May this year, the couple named him Justin-Trudeau Adam Bilal — a move they said was their way of thanking the Prime Minister for welcoming them to the country.
Mr Trudeau was in Calgary for the Parkdale Community Stampede breakfast when his photographer Adam Scotti snapped photos of the encounter and shared them on social media.
Ms Hammoud told CBC it was an amazing experience to meet the man who inspired their son’s name and who made their new life possible.
“I can’t believe that I met the Prime Minster Justin Trudeau,” Ms Hammoud said.
“He said, ‘this is Justin-Trudeau,’ and then he says, ‘I appreciate that you named him after my name’.”
Ms Hammoud told CBC, in Syria, boys are usually named after their fathers or grandfathers.
“But now it’s by appreciation for Justin Trudeau, we name him like this,” she said.
Mr Trudeau has long been known for his welcoming immigration policies.
About 40,000 Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada over the last year, with roughly a third sponsored by Canadian citizens motivated to bring people to safety.
In the midst of US President Donald Trump’s immigration ban, Mr Trudeau took to twitter to welcome anyone seeking refuge from war or unrest and offered temporary residency to stranded travellers.
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