2024 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors

When 24 year-old Walid Naseemi nominated Jacques Shore for a 2024 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassador award, he had yet to meet him in person.

But Walid had every reason to show his heartfelt appreciation to the lawyer and partner in Gowling WLG’s Ottawa office. He looks forward to meeting him at the upcoming award presentation.

Walid submitted the nomination on the second anniversary of his brother Yama’s death at the hands on the Taliban in Afghanistan. At the time, his brother was the same age he is today and was studying computer science in Kabul. “His future was brimming with promise,” adds Walid. “Yet, our world shattered with his untimely demise, leaving us bewildered and lost.”

“Yama was innocent, and he had so many dreams for his future, but his life was very short. I also lost my older brother around 26 years ago where he was killed by a group of local Mujahidin commanders. My parents grieved the pain of losing their oldest son, then they had another son, Yama, who was brutally killed by the Taliban terrorist group. For the past four decades, this pain and grief has become part of the lives of many people from Afghanistan.”

“The kindness and support we have received from you during our difficult time are unforgettable, explains Walid in the nomination text. “This award is the only way to recognize your unconditional support for me and my family.”

On May 6, 2023, Walid arrived in Canada with his mother. His sister followed two months later.

“Amidst the chaos, Mr. Jacques Shore emerged as our beacon of hope,” explains Walid. “With unwavering determination, he rallied behind me, my sister, and my mother, orchestrating our escape from the turmoil of Afghanistan. After enduring several arduous months in Pakistan, we found solace when Canada opened its doors to us.”

And Jacques was instrumental in making this happen. Shortly after the country fell to the Taliban in August 2021, he was brought into the fold of helping people from Afghanistan flee to Canada by his law partner, Lewis Retik and Farouq Samim, someone neither of them knew. He was introduced to them through a friend, who knew Farouq was desperately trying to get his sister out of the war-torn country. Within days they mobilized a small group of concerned individuals and the non-profit, interfaith volunteer advocacy group, Operation Abraham, was born.

They crafted a list of people who were at risk of reprisals from the Taliban — including female judges, women’s rights activists, defence lawyers, a former Canadian embassy guard, members of Afghanistan’s national-security forces and journalists. For close to three years, they worked tirelessly and succeeded in bringing approximately 150 of these Afghans to Canada. One such family was Walid’s.

After the killing of Yama Naseemi, the group became very concerned about the safety and security of the remaining people. They pushed the Canadian government and raised their concerns, by citing the latest incident and bringing attention to the need to rescue those listed by Operation Abraham.

A few months after the killing of Walid’s brother, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sent invitations to all 150 people listed by Operation Abraham, agreeing to evacuate them.

“I was never going to let anyone say, we were not going to be able to bring these people to Canada,” explains Jacques. “They are all angels and heroes, and Walid is one of them.”

Jacques was relentless in his pursuit of the official paperwork needed for the Naseemis and other families to immigrate to Canada. “It was happening so fast,” he remembers. “I am fortunate to have a lot of senior contacts in government, so I got on the phone with them.”

He scheduled calls up to two or three times a day with officials. He would not let them off the hook. His group sometimes had five Zoom calls a day and often lacked sleep as they addressed what had to be done fast to help Operation Abraham listed families escape Afghanistan once Kabul fell to the Taliban.

“At one particular moment, after the bombing at the Kabul airport, we became a lot more active,” adds Jacques. In a frantic moment to evacuate the initial families, Operation Abraham managed to raise the million dollars needed to charter a plane out of Maza Mazar-i-Sharīf, the fourth largest city in Afghanistan. On that plane was Farouq’s sister and several hundred others. They sent money to help many of the people living precariously in Pakistan as they awaited the final processing needed to travel to Canada.

Jacques advocated on behalf of the Naseemis. Without his efforts they would not have been able to come to Canada. “I’m honored to be recognized for this award,” he remarks. “I wanted to quietly do what was necessary. I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep if I didn’t do something. I would not give up and my firm readily understood this as well.”

“Mr. Shore’s boundless generosity extended far beyond mere words,” adds Walid.
“He not only provided financial support, but also navigated the labyrinth of bureaucracy, tirelessly advocating for our swift resettlement in Canada. His prayers for our safety echoed from the depths of his heart, accompanying us every step of the way.”

There is only one instance where Jacques was not able to get the proper paperwork for someone on the list of 150 individuals, but he has since settled in another safe country through Operation Abraham’s work.

Jacques cannot help but think of the people Operation Abraham could not help. “The tragedy is that a week doesn’t go by when I don’t get an email from someone asking for help, and it’s heartbreaking that we cannot do any more,” he says. “It’s now virtually impossible to get anyone else out of Afghanistan.”

“Upon our arrival in Ottawa, Mr. Shore’s benevolence enveloped us, easing our transition into a new life,” concludes Walid. “With his guiding hand, we have begun to rebuild, finding comfort in the memories of Yama and the promise of a peaceful future. Our gratitude towards Mr. Shore knows no bounds; his compassion and advocacy have been our lifeline during our darkest hours.”

Although Walid is now safe in Canada, he is very concerned about the safety and security of his older sister, a human rights defender in Afghanistan under the previous government, who was injured by the Taliban. She is unable to join him here.

After a year in Ottawa, Walid recently completed his exams at the adult high school. He is driving an Uber and hopes to study heating, ventilation and cooling and air conditioning (HVAC) next Fall at Algonquin College.

Jacques is still bothered by the unbelievable brutality experienced by the Naseemis and other innocent Afghans, many of whom fought for human rights in their homeland. “I hope that this story motivates others to do whatever they can for someone,” concludes Jacques. “Helping people from within your neighbourhood or a far distance away, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. To help others.”

What inspires a law partner, published author, Order of Canada recipient, part owner of the Ottawa Titans baseball team and family man to dedicate so much time in his extremely busy schedule to help Afghan refugees? His late mother, Dr. Lena Allen-Shore, who made a promise with God after surviving the Holocaust that if she survived, she would work toward a better world. Her son sure has.

Sidebar: When asked to help, the founders of Operation Abraham recognized that there can be no greater calling than to save the lives of those who must be helped. The Talmud says, ‘To save a life is as if to save the world.’ There are moments in history such as now where we can help those who share our humanitarian ideals, pursuit of justice and democratic values.”
– Jacques J.M. Shore, C.M. and Lewis Retik, Partners at Gowling WLG