Norma Khouri

I saw this documentary film about Norma Khouri that was revealed as a liar, writing a supposedly non-fiction fiction book called 'Forbidden Love' or 'Lost Honor', earlier during 2004

After the film, I googled for more information about this author and the film, and mainly, as the world would have already known, that her story is a total hoax albeit trying to stir up emotions and earn money out of it (do not believe that she did not earn a single cent out from the book sales.).

Even after the hoax was revealed, she went on further (or rather the media?) to agree to film this documentary called 'The Forbidden Lie$' that won best documentary in Australian Film Critics Assocation award, as well as Golden Al Jazeera award at 4th annual Al Jazeera Documentary Festival (an Arab News Channel). The film further revealed more about her life.

The major debate was that there were still support from people in general although the book was revealed as a hoax, along with other things that she has claimed (domestic violence from husband, sexual assaulted by father) etc. etc. And whether her book did bring public awareness (or westerners' awareness) to 'Honor Killing' problems in Jordan/Middle East.

Well, she sure did I am sure, but probably only for a short period of time. Where people will talk and discuss about it, sign some online petition, checked some information online. Probably even spur some tourism to Middle East. Period.

I read many blogs about this issue and have to agree with this one particular blog that saw Norma Khouri as a con-artist and goes on to really blame the big publishing agents (and western media) in general to allow such a hoax to be published without verifying obvious what was written. I think there were some very basic factual errors (like geography of Jordan) that was not even verified before publishing.

Probably media sensualization has grown to a point where truth (or at least perceived truth) are no longer important as a ground for non-fiction. The fact that the 'incident' (story) happens in middle east, with a culture that is so different from the west has caused people to push this out because they know general public would be interested, because it is the hot topics (terrorism, human rights suppression, war etc.) that has brought attention to things that most people in general are still pretty ignorant of.

In anyway, I have not read the book, and will not. I would, if they put it as a fiction, and if I knew of this book way before the Australian journalist revealed it as a hoax. As of now, personally am not interested to see a book published by a con-artist.

One point to add. Although the documentary film did raise a very interesting point of knowing truth itself or knowing lies, which I do believe was probably the intention of the director (Anna Broinowski), still cannot help but skeptically think that this is another media sensationalizing film with the partial objective of whatever objective she has in mind. Interestingly, in an interview by vanityfair.com, Anna Broinowski says“I don't trust her (Norma Khouri), nor she me. But we like each other.”

Information from Wiki on Norma Khouri and the documentary released on 2007:
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norma_Khouri
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_Lie$