Description
Book SynopsisWhen civil war broke out in his home country in 2011, Hassan Al Kontar was a young Syrian living and working in the UAE. He refused to return to Syria for compulsory military service and lived illegally before being deported to Malaysia in November 2017. Four months later, unable to obtain a visa for any other country, he became trapped in the arrivals zone at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Exiled by war and a victim of geopolitics, Al Kontar used social media and humour to tell his story to the world, becoming an international celebrity and ultimately finding refuge in Canada. Man at the Airport explores what it means to be a Syrian, an "illegal" and a refugee. More broadly, it examines the power of social media to amplify individual voices and facilitate political dissent.
Table of ContentsForeword by Nuseir (Nas) Yassin Introduction PART ONE: MAN Chapter One: The Olive Farm Chapter Two: Leaving Syria Chapter Three: Two Faces Chapter Four: Between the Camel and the Range Rover Chapter Five: River of Madness Chapter Six: A Normal Person PART TWO: @THE_AIRPORT Chapter Seven: @kontar81 Chapter Eight: What Is It with the Media! Chapter Nine: Heroes Chapter Ten: You’re a Celebrity Now Chapter Eleven: The Airport Prisoner Chapter Twelve: Endgame PART THREE: .CA Chapter Thirteen: O Canada Postscript
