Syria Appoints Owner of Montreal’s Cocktail Hawaii as Honorary Consul | Eater Montreal

"I noted the spot’s kitschy, somewhat dated tropical décor and a menu loaded with crepes — there are no cocktails or Hawaiian dishes despite the name — giving it a tone that feels a far cry from a government that has waged a brutal, years-long civil war. Inside there are no signs of owner Waseem Ramli’s fondness for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, but Maclean’s reports he prominently displays that affinity elsewhere in Montreal (a red Hummer with a picture of Assad in the window) and on his main Facebook profile photo where he poses with Assad; Ramli, who also works as a management consultant, was appointed an honorary consul for Syria, a development that prompted concern from Syrian refugees in Canada who said they felt intimidated and feared he could deny them consular services or relay information back to the Syrian government." - Tim Forster