To prove love can conquer hate — and fear, a popular Syrian restaurant in Toronto will reopen for business Friday, days after it shut down amid an onslaught of hateful messages and death threats.

“The public reaction (to our closing) was beyond what we imagined. We received hundreds of heartfelt messages from across Canada offering support,” said Husam Al-Soufi, who spoke in public for the first time Thursday since Soufi’s abruptly shut down earlier this week.

“We do not wish to set a tragic example for future immigrants and refugee business owners as a business that gave in to hate. We want to foster hope in the face of intimidation and hostility.”

The Al-Soufi family and their restaurant became the target of social media users across North America and Europe after one of their children, Alaa, was identified as being among masked protesters outside a Hamilton fundraiser on Sept. 29 for the People’s Party of Canada led by Maxime Bernier.

In the video that has since gone viral, 81-year-old Dorothy Marston, who had two strokes and uses a walker, was blocked and harassed on the Mohawk College campus by protesters who tried to stop her from attending the event, some calling her “Nazi scum.”

On Thursday, at a crowded news conference in the restaurant to announce its reopening, Al-Soufi said he has reached out to Marston’s son David Turkoski by phone to try to make amends.

“I have the pleasure and honour to talk to Ms. Marston’s son, David. He’s a great person. Today’s phone (call) was amazing with him. I told him I wanted to meet his parents in person and apologize to them face-to-face. I invited them to the restaurant. He promised me he would bring his father and mother to eat in our restaurant. I pray that will happen,” Al-Soufi told reporters.

“My son participated in rallies trying to support the marginalized people and the only thing we wanted is peace … Kids do make mistakes. Our job is to correct their mistakes, not to kill them for that,” he said of the death threats. “(Alaa) learned this the hard way.”

In an interview with the Star, Turkoski said Al-Soufi seems to be a “fine gentleman” and “an asset to Canada,” and was embarrassed by his son’s behaviour.

“I would like to set up a time for him and his wife to apologize although I can’t say it enough he did nothing wrong and I hope his business prospers,” said Turkoski, adding those involved in harassing his mother and those who threatened the Al-Soufi family should be charged and face justice.

Al-Soufi, his wife, Shahnaz, and their three children were Syrian refugees who came to Canada in 2015 after being sponsored by a community group. The family opened Soufi’s on Queen St. W., near Palmerston Ave., two years later, promoting authentic Syrian food.

Flanked by supporters Thursday, Al-Soufi refused to answer questions about the Hamilton protest or his son’s social activism, and said he only wanted to share the message of love.

All he would say about the online outrage towards his son over the Hamilton protest was: “I understand their position, I understand their fear, I understand why they are worried but I want to assure them we are just a family. We came here just to live our lives, run a business, and pay our taxes … We don’t want to promote and emphasize hate.”

The news conference was organized by the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and Paramount Fine Foods restaurant chain’s CEO Mohamed Fakih, who reached out to show his support to the family after hearing news of the restaurant closure.

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“We need to deal with this in a Canadian way, not by threatening them and shutting down businesses,” said Fakih, who is sending two of his managers to help run the restaurant while the Al-Soufis take a break. All profits will continue to go to the family.

Fakih said he, too, had been the subject of hate in a series of videos by failed Mississauga mayoral candidate Kevin Johnston and the website FreedomReport.ca, accusing Fakih and his customers of being “jihadists.” The website carried an altered photograph of the businessman depicting him with blood on his hands and face. Fakih won a defamation lawsuit against Johnston and the website. In May, an Ontario court awarded him $2.5 million in damages.

“Money and business don’t help when you’re dealing with hate,” said Fakih, adding he copes with hate propaganda by “smiling and working hard.” He said there’s no plan to hire security guards at Soufi’s and staff will contact police if they are threatened and feel unsafe.

Both the Hamilton and Toronto police services said the respective investigations into the incident at Mohawk College and the death threats against the Al-Soufis are ongoing.