She is a student in Britain born in Dubai to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother. But it is her secret Jewish heritage that has made her eligible for a Spanish passport and opened up a world of possibilities.
Dubai resident Heba Nabil Iskandarani, 26, was classed as stateless and had a Lebanese travel document that defined her as a Palestinian refugee, but after searching family’s ancestral tree a new branch has emerged.
Her family are Muslims but further back in her lineage she found Jewish heritage that opened doors to a new Spanish passport.
She told The National how that new passport has changed her life – for example, she can now visit Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, where her grandfather was born.
“Words cannot describe what it means to have a Spanish passport,” she said. “Honestly, I am beyond blessed today for finally being a citizen and now have basic human rights to be accepted in society as an equal individual, rather than always being oppressed or looked down upon for being less.
“I was always without an identity and now I have one. I can proudly call myself Spanish.”
In 2015, Spain introduced a law that gave descendants of Sephardic Jews, expelled from Spain in 1492, the chance to apply for citizenship.
She had found that many Iskandaranis are part of a sizeable Jewish population, and she found an identity document for her grandfather’s mother in the name of Djerbi – a common name among Sephardic Jews from the Tunisian island of Djerba.
Ms Iskandarani, who studied at Birmingham City University, in England, also underwent a DNA test which showed she had both North African and Iberian ancestry.
“The Spanish government created a law in 2015 to fix their wrongdoing of 1492. During the the monarchy of Queen Isabel of Castile she signed a bill to exile and prosecute all Jewish people from the lands of Spain if they did not convert to Catholicism,” Ms Iskandarani said.
The family’s forgotten history began unfolding with online searches of Sephardic names and the help of a Spanish lawyer.
“I began asking my family in Beirut and building up a family tree and found documents that support my claim, and then I hired a lawyer who hired a researcher who specialises in Sephardic ancestry, and his strong knowledge of the surnames being of Spanish Jewish origins, so he helped me search,” she said.
“He drafted a 167-page document proving my ancestry back to people who lived in Spain in 1492. In order to receive Spanish citizenship, we applied for a certificate to validate my Jewish origin from a Jewish federation in Spain that analyses your documents and approves them.”
With her family’s complicated past now becoming clearer, Ms Iskandarani has many more choices.
“I can do anything I want,” she said. “I can work wherever I want. I had so many obstacles with my refugee document, though I’ve lived a good life in Dubai and am forever grateful to the UAE, the only country that treated me like an equal for giving me a home since, the day I was born here, but there was something missing in me, which was an identity.
“I have been refused job positions. It’s the first time I feel like I am free, and no longer restricted because of something that was forced upon me. I was the collateral damage. And no one cared, but now I have the right to choose, to travel and not face issues while entering other countries,” she said.
The extended family history came as a surprise to some relatives but others also remembered having great-uncles with traditionally Jewish names such as Jacob and Ruben.
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
RESULTS
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Brraq, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Taamol, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Eqtiraan, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Soft Whisper, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner: Etisalat, Sando Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE rugby season
FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Division 1
Dubai Sharks v Dubai Hurricanes II
Al Ain Amblers v Dubai Knights Eagles II
Dubai Tigers II v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Jebel Ali Dragons II v Abu Dhabi Harlequins II
Sharjah Wanderers v Dubai Exiles II
LAST SEASON
West Asia Premiership
Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners – Dubai Hurricanes
Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference
Winners – Dubai Tigers
Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
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