From there, he left for the United States where he earned an engineering degree (1983) and later an MBA in Global Management (2001). His story does not cover this period, but returns to a later visit to Gaza and the West Bank under UN auspices. After describing a near fatal accident while visiting Jerusalem and Bethlehem, his passage aided by his UN credentials, Jamal ends his story with an account of the destruction of the Nahr el Bared refugee camp.
Return to Nahr el Bared
Several plausible reasons are provided for the destruction of the camp. First, the "disappearance of another Palestinian camp is one less political hurdle in the complicated peace process," in which the Arab governments tend to call for a "Just solution" rather than a right of return. Israel is suspected of playing a part in the camps destruction - no surprise with that - through there spy networks and military provisions. Another aspect mentioned is the demographic balance as "Lebanon's democracy is held together by a thin thread balancing arrangements across the sectarian divide."
The camp's successful economy also played a part in its demise, as its proximity to Syria and the Mediterranean "helped create a relatively strong and vibrant economy," part of which involved smuggling contraband goods, even though that money generally went to large Lebanese traders. The camp competed successfully with Tripoli and surrounding communities as costs were lower, labour costs were lower, and as the government did not recognize the camp residents as citizens, there were no taxes collected.
The final summation is directly stated: "Arab governments and the international community, and even the Palestinian Authority, provided a cover for the destruction of thousands of homes under the pretext of fighting "Muslim fundamentalists."
The destruction of the camp deepened Jamal's understanding of what the earlier generations had suffered, what all of Palestine had suffered during the nakba. He was "able to fathom the secret of the older generation's eternal connection to Palestine, a nation that continued to exist only in their historical memories."
Palestinian identity
Jamal Kanj's story evokes all the emotions experienced through life's trials, enhanced and exaggerated by it being experienced within a refugee camp that remained under continual stress from external forces. The book is well written and does not dwell on the deprivations, but instead emphasizes the successes of life within the camp, successes against many seemingly overwhelming odds. From that success, the success of survival and more, the Palestinian identity will remain strong within its own community. Children of Catastrophe explains that identity and brings it to life in a straight forward manner, for those beyond the borders of the community, to the larger community of global humanitarian awareness.
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