Fadwa Alaoui, Canadian turned away at U.S. border, gets visit from Vermont strangers showing support

Last week, Fadwa Alaoui, a resident of the Montreal suburb of Brossard, wasturned away at the U.S. border after being questioned about her Muslimfaith and her views on Donald Trump.

The Moroccan-born Canadian citizenwas headed to Vermont to do some shopping, which included buying a toy for her five-year-old son Youssef who had recently completed chemotherapy.

• Canadian woman denied entry into U.S. after questions about religion, Trump

The incident, which has since made international news, did not sit well with one Vermont physician.

"I guess it felt like someone had treated my neighbour badly," said Andy Solomon."I imagined poor Youssef waiting for hours while they're interrogating his mom."

Solomon got in touch with CBC after reading Alaoui's story. Like any good neighbour, he wanted toaskAlaoui if it was OKfor him to drop by and offer some support.

On Saturday, Solomon did just that.

He loaded up the Subaru with his wife Rebecca Starksand their two kids, and after a two-hour drive through the snow from Burlington to Brossard, theywere breaking bread with the Alaoui and her family.

They came bearing gifts, including the action figures Fadwawanted to buy for Youssef last week.

"I was very happy,"Alaoui said, "it touched my heart."

Alaoui and her husband, Hamid Adlaoui, welcomed their American neighbourswith tea and a nice spread.

"That's the way how we do it, it's the Moroccan way," she said with a laugh, before her husband added that it was "also [the] Canadian way."

Alaoui and her family now have an open invitation to visit Solomon and his familyin Vermont, and just the day before,a Vermont city clerk invited her to Montpelier for atour and lunch.

But Alaoui, whose parents and brother also live in the U.S., isn't ready to make the trip across the border just yet.

"I'm really worried because I have family there and I don't want to have the same experience there another time when I cross the border," she said.

Alaoui says she wantsthe federal government to clear up her case first.

• Canadians denied entry to U.S. after questions about religion take case to feds

In the meantime, Andy Solomon says they're welcome to drop his name if it helps.

"Just say you're visiting friends," he said.

"We're friends now."