The subjects of refugees and human trafficking can make for harrowing novels, but Chaker Khazaal infuses his work with enough tenderness to render them hopeful and at best, a rallying call for change.
Indeed, the young Palestinian- Canadian author, who will make an appearance at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai on Friday night, has found success with a set of stories that blends fact and fiction and war and love.
His latest novel is a case in point: Tale of Tala follows an American writer who travels to Europe all the while mourning the loss of his mother. There, he meets and falls in love with the Palestinian refugee Tala, who beseeches him to find her Turkish husband Bilal, who was kidnapped by human traffickers.
The novel marks a departure for the 30-year-old – it is his first stand-alone novel after completing The Confessions of a War Child trilogy featuring love and adventure set among the wreckage of war.
With all of his books selling out on their initial print runs, not to mention the launch of Tale of Tala at the British Parliament last year, Khazaal puts the positive response down to people's need for a good story. "I think people have just become desensitised to stories of war and facts and numbers in ways that's not engaging to the audience," he says. "So when you present these tales in the form of a love story, it will have a deeper effect because everyone can fall in love, whether you are in the United States, Europe or Syria. So this way it makes it easier to reach your target."
For Khazaal, raising awareness is more important than becoming a successful author. He describes the novels as a mere platform to humanise and shed light on the plight of refugees. "I don't see the line between being a writer and advocacy," he says. "I am just using stories as a way to get the message heard." It's understandably a deeply personal mission considering Khazaal's background. Born as a Palestinian refugee in Bourj el-Barajneh camp in southern Beirut during the civil war in Lebanon – a one-kilometre-square area home to 20,000 people – Khazaal recalls childhood pains being given reprieve through the stories told by the camp's elders. "Palestinians who left Palestine in 1948 left with nothing except memories and stories," he says.
"These were their only reminders, and they made sure to pass them down to younger generations. It was very common in the camp to see a grandma tell her grandchildren stories about the homeland and life in those cities," he recalls. Another aspect of the camp life Khazaal revelled in was the ability to express himself through local theatre plays and later going to star in the Palestinian film Sugar of Jafar as a 12-year-old.
After a string of failed applications, Khazaal managed to flee the refugee camp to Canada on the back of an education scholarship. With Toronto as his base, he launched into a seemingly endless array of humanitarian initiatives; from starting a non-profit programme providing refugees with work in e-marketing, social media and web development, to working with Jordan's Palestinian refugees to design traditional scarfs. While such programmes – which he is still involved in – are helpful, Khazaal's novels may prove to be the most influential, in that they are read by a steady stream of teenagers and young adults who are well placed to challenge misconceptions surrounding refugees.
Through his work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Khazaal also has the opportunity to visit international refugee camps and hear the stories of survivors whose anecdotes end up in his books. This raises the question: is Khazaal sensitive to the idea that his work – if not handled sensitively – could come off as manipulative?
While conceding that there is a fine line, the author says his personal experience – not to mention his eagle-eyed book editor – protects him from falling into such a trap. "By growing up in the camps and knowing what it feels to be displaced, I am familiar with that fine line," he says. "I remember that thousands of reporters would come to the camp and take pictures and that can fall into this idea of 'humanitarian porn' that we are now talking about. Now if you ask me where that line is, I can honestly say that it is hard to describe and that's how many people fail when they are telling the story.
"Since I have been on both sides – from being the subject of the story and now the one writing it, I think you just know if it works," he says.
Chaker Khazaal appears on the Friday panel session Expat, Migrant Refugee at 6pm. All Emirates Airline Festival of Literature events are held at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City. For more information, visit www.emirateslitfest.com
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Read more:
Syrian author Khaled Khalifa on Aleppo: 'There is a resilience in the city'
Emirates Airline Festival of Literature announces full line-up
International Prize for Arabic Fiction: The six finalists shortlisted for the 'Arabic Booker'
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Brief scores:
England: 290 & 346
Sri Lanka: 336 & 243
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Kibsons%20Cares
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
