The image of prime minister Justin Trudeau greeting Syrian refugees at the Toronto airport with warmth and kindness travelled the world last week.
More importantly, it stood in sharp contrast with the indelible images of the ongoing refugee crisis such as the three-year-old boy who drowned at sea and washed up ashore on a beach in Turkey.
While many countries are shutting their doors to the tide of migrants - building bigger fences or toughening immigration laws - and perhaps not knowingly spreading fear and hatred, Canada is now playing a leading role in this refugee crisis.
Trudeau鈥檚 actions were symbolic but powerful, which is why they resonated with people all over the world. A New York Times editorial published last week, titled 鈥楥anada鈥檚 warm embrace of refugees,鈥� says the flood of international news coverage of Trudeau greeting Syrian refugees has prompted commentators in the U.S. to draw comparisons with the anti-refugee politics in the U.S.
More than half of U.S. governors have said Syrian refugees are not welcomed. In addition, several republican presidential candidates pounced on fears that Islamic extremists could infiltrate the country, including frontrunner Donald Trump, who has called for the U.S. to bar all Muslims from entering the country.
鈥淐anada鈥檚 generosity 鈥� and Mr. Trudeau鈥檚 personal warmth and leadership 鈥� can serve as a beacon for others,鈥� says the New York Times editorial. 鈥淚n the meantime, it puts to shame the callous and irresponsible behavior of the American governors and presidential candidates who have argued that the United States, for the sake of its security, must shut its doors to all Syrian refugees.鈥�
I think it鈥檚 safe to say that Trudeau made all Canadians proud last week (well, at least the vast majority), and that world leaders have much to learn from our prime minister鈥檚 warm embrace of refugees.
鈥淭his is something that we are able to do in this country because we define a Canadian not by a skin color or a language or a religion or a background, but by a shared set of values, aspirations, hopes and dreams that not just Canadians but people around the world share,鈥� Trudeau said last week.
But the warm welcoming of Syrian refugees is not the only reason Trudeau has been attracting worldwide attention. His optimistic personality and his attempt to restore the 鈥渟unny ways鈥� of Canadian politics are also making world headlines. Last week Vogue published an online version of their profile on Canada鈥檚 鈥測outhful and optimistic鈥� new prime minister.
鈥淎 fit six feet two, the onetime actor greets me at his office door and鈥攏o desk guy鈥攍eads us to the sofa to chat. He鈥檚 loosened and turned up his sleeves but not, alas, quite high enough to reveal the huge tattoo on his left arm: a Haida tribal raven that he got on his fortieth birthday,鈥� reads the article.
Focusing on his personal life, the article also talks about his relationship with Sophie Gr茅goire-Trudeau, who reveals what Trudeau said after their first date, 鈥淚鈥檓 31 years old, and I鈥檝e been waiting for you for 31 years.鈥�
Vogue also calls his father, Pierre Trudeau, 鈥渢he most glamorous prime minister鈥� Canada has known. The New York Times also published a profile on Canada鈥檚 new prime minister last week. Titled 鈥楾rudeau鈥檚 Canada, again,鈥� the article draws comparison to his father, who occupied the same office for 16 years during the 1960s, 70鈥檚 and 80鈥檚.
According to the New York Times, Stephen Harper鈥檚 defeat at the hands of Pierre Trudeau鈥檚 son had 鈥渙bvious dramatic dimensions of the classical Greek variety,鈥� redeeming not just the family name but also Pierre鈥檚 view of the nation.
