Yesterday at 8:30 PM • Modified yesterday at 8:59 PM
The balloons are still in front of his business and when he talks about hairdressing, Omar Sawas (29) doesn’t stop smiling. He is proud that he now has his own business in Leende. Yet the day of the opening did not go as he had hoped.
“In this cupboard there are various waxes and aftershaves. And in this drawer I have my combs and the mirror.” Omar can’t stop talking about his own men’s hair salon. He opened the doors last Saturday. “I’m following my dream. I’m very happy to start my own business. Everything went well until I got that letter.”
On the day of its opening, Omar received an anonymously written hate letter. ‘Go back to your own Muslim country. We don’t want Muslims in the Netherlands. So not in Leende either. We don’t want that backward Muslim culture here,” it said. The message touched him. “My one and a half year old son and my wife were here. She helped to make everything tidy. But I was afraid that people would throw stones at the windows. I find that very annoying.”
Twelve years ago, Omar fled Syria. He lived in Aleppo. “I was on the street when a rocket hit. My entire arm was open and had to be operated on. That war was really difficult,” he reflects.
Yet it was in Aleppo where Omar first came into contact with hairdressing. Because of the war he moved to Turkey, where he really got to grips with the profession. “I took a course there and was able to cut a lot of people.”
Omar has been living in the Netherlands for five years now and saw his dream come true on Saturday. “I’ve always thought I should start my own business. That’s better for yourself and your family. And you can also earn more. I hope to become a millionaire soon,” he says, laughing.
On Thursday, Omar received a visit from Mayor Teun Heldens. He had heard about the hate letter and came to welcome Omar to the community with a cake and a card. “Hate is never the solution and has no place in our municipality,” Heldens said. He also called on other residents of the municipality to respond to the action with love and to send a card en masse to Omar.
This is already being heeded because many cards will be displayed on the counter of Omar’s shop on Friday. “Welcome to Leende. We wish you good luck and fun with your new business. Love wins over hate. There are more of us lovely people,” said one of the cards. On another it was written: “Dear Omar, welcome to Leende. Good luck with your hair salon.”
Marjolein van der Hout had also heard about the letter and bought a present for the 29-year-old hairdresser. “I want to give you flowers to let you know that you are very welcome. I am ashamed of my fellow villagers.”
Omar gratefully accepts the gift. “I’m really happy with it. The people in Leende are very nice. I think it’s very nice and sweet.”
