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The People Smuggler: The True Story Of Ali Al Jenabi, The 'Oskar Schindler Of Asia'
After his father, brother and he were incarcerated and tortured in Saddam's Abu Ghraib, Ali al Jenabi escaped from Iraq first to work with the anti-Saddam resistance in Iran and then to help his family out of the country all together. When Saddam's forces advance towards their refugee camp, Ali helps his family flee into Iran before going on in an attempt to get to Australia - a country they know nothing about but understand to be safe, free and compassionate. When Ali reaches Indonesia he is betrayed by a people smuggler - a common experience - which prompts him to establish his own business that will treat fellow refugees more fairly. This is the engrossing story of how he survived his years without a passport or a state, how the people smuggling business functions, and how Ali was treated when he and his family finally arrived in Australia. It will open a country's eyes to what refugees are fleeing from, and what makes them risk their lives and the lives of their families in seeking safety.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2012
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2695 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
July 22, 2012
This book should be compulsory reading for all Australians, in order for the general public to understand the plight of people smugglers and asylum seekers. Robin De Crespigny has done a wonderful job in translating Ali's experiences into a story that is easy to read and genuinely moving. Ali is a rare character in any type of fiction or non-fiction: selfless and moral. His story is profoundly touching, and will have you on the edge of your seat. Be aware that the contents are graphic and relentless: torture features heavily. But such is the reality of the Iraqi people, and here it has been given as much tact and respect as is possible. Writing Ali's biography in first person is a master stroke, as it allows the reader to truly identify with his motives and empathize his plight. On finishing this book, there is a sickening realization that the political process we so admire is a great injustice and evil to the people most deserving of asylum and citizenship.
January 9, 2016
I bought this book after hearing the author speak. I was in tears listening to Robin de Crespigny tell Ali's story, and I didn't want to read the book because it was such a gut-wrenching tale. It shouldn't be a true story for anyone, and yet it is for so many. And I'm glad I know about it now. It has changed how I view asylum seekers and people smugglers. I learned that 98% of refugees come by plane and are housed in the community while being processed. The 2% who can't afford better fake passports come by boat and are held in detention for years. And none of these people take the place of the refugees who are able to apply through the "proper" channels (only 2% of people in UN refugee camps are ever permanently resettled), and none of them replace the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who we welcome every year. I'll be writing to the current Minister for Immigration tomorrow (the third minister in the office since Ali was put in detention) and letting him know that when I place my vote in the upcoming election I'll be considering his stand on refugees as part of the equation. We hear about people saying "not in my backyard" about issues like this. I'm saying to the Al Jenabi family: my backyard is fine - there's room for you here.
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August 12, 2012I'm not going to rate this book, because I don't want to undermine the epic that is Ali Al Jenabi's story with stars that dictate whether or not I "liked" it.
This book was amazing. The tale was incredible. But, I didn't like it. The fact that all the hell Ali and his family was 100% true outraged me and shook my morals to the core. I wanted to lapse into the comfort that it was fictional and that these were just narrative devices to keep the plot exciting and the reader in suspense: but no. And if Ali was not allowed the respite of safety and freedom, why should we be allowed a happy ending?
Of all the injustices in this biography, the ones I took most offense from were those unjustly imposed by the Australian Government's Asylum Seeker policies. The media and politicians will call the Boat People any matter of names to suit their causes, but their words will never undermine that these are scared, stateless, prosecuted people that it is our obligation to look after.
If you're in doubt, you need to read this book and open your mind along with it.
This book was amazing. The tale was incredible. But, I didn't like it. The fact that all the hell Ali and his family was 100% true outraged me and shook my morals to the core. I wanted to lapse into the comfort that it was fictional and that these were just narrative devices to keep the plot exciting and the reader in suspense: but no. And if Ali was not allowed the respite of safety and freedom, why should we be allowed a happy ending?
Of all the injustices in this biography, the ones I took most offense from were those unjustly imposed by the Australian Government's Asylum Seeker policies. The media and politicians will call the Boat People any matter of names to suit their causes, but their words will never undermine that these are scared, stateless, prosecuted people that it is our obligation to look after.
If you're in doubt, you need to read this book and open your mind along with it.
May 3, 2017
Reading this book, I felt compelled to write my first review. A more one-sided, self-serving account would be difficult to find. Part 1 was a gripping account of the hardships he and his family endured in Iraq under Saddam. But as the book went on, my dislike of Ali and distrust of his account grew exponentially. His portrayal of himself as a faultless "hero" is questionable at best and the blame he attributes to the Australian Government and Federal Police for his plight is off the mark. The book cover claims he is "The Oskar Schindler of Asia" which is not only offensive but couldn't be further from the truth. Although portraying himself as putting others first, it's clear Ali would do almost anything to save his own skin or that of his family. He regularly justifies his actions, regardless of the broader consequences, if they serve his own end. For him, the ends always justified the means and he can do no wrong. As the book goes on you begin to realise how small facts are likely embellished and his grandiose ideas about his own self-worth play out further. It is a real shame that this account was so biased and conceited, and Ali never steps back to question his own actions and simply blames everyone else rather than looking closely at the complexities of a global issue. The plight of refugees fleeing persecution is truly horrific, and I can't begin to imagine his family's suffering and that of others, but perhaps some filtering of the dialogue and better presentation of the facts would have gone a long way. The book is not well written.
January 13, 2021
What a belter of a story. If you ever think you've had a bad day, try reading some of the stories this man has got. I could barely put this book down. It made me laugh and it made me cry a little bit. What more could you ask for?
This book also really puts into perspective a lot of the ignorant policies that have been pursued by successive Australian governments. It's time for a change in how the world views asylum seekers.
This book also really puts into perspective a lot of the ignorant policies that have been pursued by successive Australian governments. It's time for a change in how the world views asylum seekers.
April 20, 2022
Very seldom does a book change my perspective on a topic, but this one shattered mine!
What an eye-opening, world revealing, insightful true story.
I listened to the audio version, and I think this aided with several names, terms and intricacies that may have been lost had I read the book/paper version.
The ending...I'm speechless. Congratulations and thank you to the author for bringing this story to the fore.
What an eye-opening, world revealing, insightful true story.
I listened to the audio version, and I think this aided with several names, terms and intricacies that may have been lost had I read the book/paper version.
The ending...I'm speechless. Congratulations and thank you to the author for bringing this story to the fore.
November 18, 2012
I loved this book. It moved me to anger, passion, tears and frustration. I never really understood what happened under Saddam Husseins reign when America first invaded in the 90's but this book helped me to understand what he did to the people, the role America played during the first and second invasions. It also gave me a different perspective on the life of Asylum Seekers and people smugglers. This man is a hero and has endured a fascinating yet heart wrenching life. I am glad he now lives in Australia in peace. I loved the way the book was written, despite being historical documentary it is written in the first person present tense so that I could feel what it was like to be in his shoes and feel the emotion he felt. I will note to those people who, like me are too scared to read things that are so disturbing you cant sleep, for some reason this didnt effect me that badly. It definitely moved me, but it was more enlightening and I was still able to read it before bed and go to sleep. It stirred more anger in me than anything else. I highly recommend to everyone.
May 12, 2013
As many people have stated in other reviews, I too believe this book should be compulsory reading for all Australians, in order for the general public to understand the plight of people smugglers and asylum seekers. Ali's experiences are described wonderfully through Robin De Crespigny's words. He doesn't romantisize or exaggerate to "sell" Ali's story, it is just put together simply making it easy reading yet equally moving. a story that is easy to read and genuinely moving. The story is touching, violent, sad, suspensful and even sometimes happy. The plight of the Iraqi people weighs heavily upon the reader, humanising their struggle. I only hope not only politicians but also the general Australian public can find some human decency and find enough empathy to help asylum seakers rather than condem and punish them.
July 11, 2017
A heartbreaking insight into the life of a man who was robbed of his childhood and forced to endure horrors no person should endure, and who spent the most part of his life just trying to find a safe home for him and his family.
This book has taken me just over a month to finish, and apart from laziness, it was also with the heavy feeling that comes with learning the horrors a person has gone through (and millions go through daily) and how we as humans allow things like this to happen over and over again. I constantly felt a sort of dissonance when reading Ali's story because I needed to know what happened to him and his family, yet the heartbreak and disappointment that came with his story had me overwhelmed. I finally managed to power through the last quarter up until 2 am and did not regret it at all (so if half my review doesn't make sense it's sleep deprivation).
The last fifteen or so years in Australian politics has used the issue of 'boat people' and people smugglers as a political football to stir up xenophobia, fear and consequently gain votes and favour of the Australian public. The People Smuggler shows the extent to which the Australian government will go to persecute a man who helped hundred of asylum seekers, and it also shows what drove a man to 'smuggle' hundreds of people.
Ali's story, from his childhood in his home town, up to his current predicament flowed easily, almost like a movie. The writing was descriptive and illustrative of the the many stages of Ali's life, as well as the hope, sorrow, grief and happiness Ali experienced. I loved the depictions of his brief childhood, his relationship with his father and younger brother Ahmad, and the flashbacks of his memories as a child in Iraq had me feeling an aching nostalgia with him. For a book that spanned around 40 years, it was very easy to get into and the time flow didn't bother me at all and felt quite natural.
Ali's story gives a very raw and honest view on life during Saddam's reign, life in prison, life on the run and most interestingly, life as a people smuggler. The whole controversy of people smuggling makes it a very frowned up activity, so to have the narrator of the book as one opens up a whole new world many of us know nothing about.
Another thing that is unmistakably revealed? The disgusting lengths to which the Australian government has gone to dehumanise and politicise not just asylum seekers travelling by boat, but also Ali himself. The lies and hatred the Australian government has created for public support has had me disgusted in not only our government, but also our Australian people for being so willing to buy into the bullshit the governments have put out about refugees (one of the most infamous being the Children Overboard affair when the government falsely claimed asylum seekers had thrown their children overboard while travelling to Australia). While The People Smuggler gives a detailed account into the plight of refugees, it also reveals just how manipulative the Australian government has been (and still is).
This book is simply a must read for everyone, if not to humble yourself into appreciating the fact that you won the lottery ticket of life in being born in a safe country, then to understand what drives a person to make a treacherous journey across oceans and how your own politicians will use their pain and horrors to manipulate you.
This book has taken me just over a month to finish, and apart from laziness, it was also with the heavy feeling that comes with learning the horrors a person has gone through (and millions go through daily) and how we as humans allow things like this to happen over and over again. I constantly felt a sort of dissonance when reading Ali's story because I needed to know what happened to him and his family, yet the heartbreak and disappointment that came with his story had me overwhelmed. I finally managed to power through the last quarter up until 2 am and did not regret it at all (so if half my review doesn't make sense it's sleep deprivation).
The last fifteen or so years in Australian politics has used the issue of 'boat people' and people smugglers as a political football to stir up xenophobia, fear and consequently gain votes and favour of the Australian public. The People Smuggler shows the extent to which the Australian government will go to persecute a man who helped hundred of asylum seekers, and it also shows what drove a man to 'smuggle' hundreds of people.
Ali's story, from his childhood in his home town, up to his current predicament flowed easily, almost like a movie. The writing was descriptive and illustrative of the the many stages of Ali's life, as well as the hope, sorrow, grief and happiness Ali experienced. I loved the depictions of his brief childhood, his relationship with his father and younger brother Ahmad, and the flashbacks of his memories as a child in Iraq had me feeling an aching nostalgia with him. For a book that spanned around 40 years, it was very easy to get into and the time flow didn't bother me at all and felt quite natural.
Ali's story gives a very raw and honest view on life during Saddam's reign, life in prison, life on the run and most interestingly, life as a people smuggler. The whole controversy of people smuggling makes it a very frowned up activity, so to have the narrator of the book as one opens up a whole new world many of us know nothing about.
Another thing that is unmistakably revealed? The disgusting lengths to which the Australian government has gone to dehumanise and politicise not just asylum seekers travelling by boat, but also Ali himself. The lies and hatred the Australian government has created for public support has had me disgusted in not only our government, but also our Australian people for being so willing to buy into the bullshit the governments have put out about refugees (one of the most infamous being the Children Overboard affair when the government falsely claimed asylum seekers had thrown their children overboard while travelling to Australia). While The People Smuggler gives a detailed account into the plight of refugees, it also reveals just how manipulative the Australian government has been (and still is).
This book is simply a must read for everyone, if not to humble yourself into appreciating the fact that you won the lottery ticket of life in being born in a safe country, then to understand what drives a person to make a treacherous journey across oceans and how your own politicians will use their pain and horrors to manipulate you.
July 20, 2017
When an author opens with a statement such as "I was asked to write this story as a screenplay” and “I thought a book was best first then the screenplay, so over 3 years I met with the subject”. Thus, commences the non-fictional novel The People Smuggler. Yet from the onset the other title on the cover of the edition I sourced, "the Oscar Schindler of Asia", sets a potential position in the reader’s mind of what could be to come.
Consideration must therefore be given not to the initial impressions these statements may create. Rather consideration must be given to the contents of the work, less the influence of such opening statements are to impact on the reader and or via the author in either a minor or material impact. Obviously the lesser the impact, the better the narrative is likely to be as it will be based on the words of the subject. The higher the impact, the more influenced by the authors personal perceptions the work will be.
Sadly, this novel is very heavily biased by the personal beliefs of the author.
The recounted story appears to indeed commence with a story of oppression, racial profiling, political imprisonment, institutional abuse and miraculous survival in Sadam Husain’s Iraq. It then progresses through other events (I will not put spoilers here), equally amazing and thinly detailed. However, throughout the work, the reader cannot continue overlook the plethora of gaps in the recounting of the subject’s life, which either show a complete nativity on behalf of the author, or are wilfully and complicity omitted in support of the subject’s presentation of his story and in a prose by the author to elicit support for the subject’s version of the facts.
Sadly, the story presented does not stack up to even minor questioning or consideration by even a slightly educated mind such as mine.
Then comes the obvious author bias. The author states she was approached to write the narrative and spent three years with the subject of the book. Three years to extract his story, piece by piece. The author also sets a perception of secretive and governmental restrictions by stating at commencement that parts of the story cannot be written with respect to a legal case in Australia. However, the author then uses extensive court transcripts which describe in detail the life history of the subject. In court records. In detail. So why 3 years’ research?
The authors lack of questioning to fill the gaps, the barely concealed personal opinions and their ongoing non-acceptance of legal decisions, results in a conclusion of no conclusions and a thinly veiled statement of "continuing to fight" as the actual outcome at the completion of the work does not align with the authors blatantly biased opinion.
An opportunity lost. An appalling use of the name Oscar Schindler. Extremely lax and biased inclusions, exclusions and opinions and a story recounted in a way that cannot be believed with any shred of credibility and respect for either the subject or author.
Consideration must therefore be given not to the initial impressions these statements may create. Rather consideration must be given to the contents of the work, less the influence of such opening statements are to impact on the reader and or via the author in either a minor or material impact. Obviously the lesser the impact, the better the narrative is likely to be as it will be based on the words of the subject. The higher the impact, the more influenced by the authors personal perceptions the work will be.
Sadly, this novel is very heavily biased by the personal beliefs of the author.
The recounted story appears to indeed commence with a story of oppression, racial profiling, political imprisonment, institutional abuse and miraculous survival in Sadam Husain’s Iraq. It then progresses through other events (I will not put spoilers here), equally amazing and thinly detailed. However, throughout the work, the reader cannot continue overlook the plethora of gaps in the recounting of the subject’s life, which either show a complete nativity on behalf of the author, or are wilfully and complicity omitted in support of the subject’s presentation of his story and in a prose by the author to elicit support for the subject’s version of the facts.
Sadly, the story presented does not stack up to even minor questioning or consideration by even a slightly educated mind such as mine.
Then comes the obvious author bias. The author states she was approached to write the narrative and spent three years with the subject of the book. Three years to extract his story, piece by piece. The author also sets a perception of secretive and governmental restrictions by stating at commencement that parts of the story cannot be written with respect to a legal case in Australia. However, the author then uses extensive court transcripts which describe in detail the life history of the subject. In court records. In detail. So why 3 years’ research?
The authors lack of questioning to fill the gaps, the barely concealed personal opinions and their ongoing non-acceptance of legal decisions, results in a conclusion of no conclusions and a thinly veiled statement of "continuing to fight" as the actual outcome at the completion of the work does not align with the authors blatantly biased opinion.
An opportunity lost. An appalling use of the name Oscar Schindler. Extremely lax and biased inclusions, exclusions and opinions and a story recounted in a way that cannot be believed with any shred of credibility and respect for either the subject or author.
November 28, 2012
A tour de force ... I was just walking through West End in Brisbane down Boundary St a few weeks ago when I saw a poster on the traffic light at the Boundary / Vulture St intersection about this book, which was the first time I heard about it. Then I walked a bit further and there was a bookshop with a sign set up promoting the book, and an audience and the author answering questions about the book. I was going to go to a dance class but it seemed all too interesting. An Iraqi guy said he spent many years in Jordan in a room with no heating, and this book concerns people who actually had the money to get out of Iraq in the first place, ie rich people, and they aren't representative of Iraqis as a whole. I and some guys near me told him he should write his own book, what he had to say sounded interesting.
Anyway I bought the book, got it signed by the author, took it home and it was really engrossing, much more so than the West End event. Ali al Jenabi explains in the first person his motivations for doing what he did, love of family, and the book doesn't try to sugar-coat him; he has serious anger problems (after what happened, it's no surprise!) which leads to health problems. The whole notion of "queue jumping" is of course ridiculous; I've recommended it to all my friends but the problem is the bigoted people who most need to read it are the ones who won't or don't ...
Anyway I bought the book, got it signed by the author, took it home and it was really engrossing, much more so than the West End event. Ali al Jenabi explains in the first person his motivations for doing what he did, love of family, and the book doesn't try to sugar-coat him; he has serious anger problems (after what happened, it's no surprise!) which leads to health problems. The whole notion of "queue jumping" is of course ridiculous; I've recommended it to all my friends but the problem is the bigoted people who most need to read it are the ones who won't or don't ...
June 17, 2018
It is unfortunate to be born in a family whose parents do not know the concept of birth control & brainlessly brave.
For him & the writer to question why Australian Gov charged him $10k/person while he charged cheaply is DUMB. How much do you think the government has to spend per person to build shelter, feed, educate over the years?? It is free, is it?? $10k is not even enough!! While our tax money can be used to assist pensioners, disables, infrastructure, education, etc.
You are married yet you keep thinking of Intisar??
Why dont you & your family stay in Indonesia & encourage those people you smuggled to stay in Indonesia instead. It is a muslim country, better align with your religion. Then once you settle in Indonesia, slowly process Aus PR legitimately. Not fast enough to your liking??
Everyone has choices to do the right thing.
Your story does not add up to justify your innocence.
For him & the writer to question why Australian Gov charged him $10k/person while he charged cheaply is DUMB. How much do you think the government has to spend per person to build shelter, feed, educate over the years?? It is free, is it?? $10k is not even enough!! While our tax money can be used to assist pensioners, disables, infrastructure, education, etc.
You are married yet you keep thinking of Intisar??
Why dont you & your family stay in Indonesia & encourage those people you smuggled to stay in Indonesia instead. It is a muslim country, better align with your religion. Then once you settle in Indonesia, slowly process Aus PR legitimately. Not fast enough to your liking??
Everyone has choices to do the right thing.
Your story does not add up to justify your innocence.
October 6, 2020
This is the true story of Ali Al Jenabi, the eldest son of a middle class Iraqi family, raised while Saddam Hussein was in power. Ali's father was in the army but openly critical of Saddam. When he was sent to Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, Ali and his brother Ahmad had to support their large family by selling cigarettes at the market after school. Ali was always in danger of being sent to prison himself, either for failing to join the army or for his suspected opposition to Saddam.
After a long stint in Abu Ghraib, Ali worked in the resistance movement. This put his family in danger and they were all forced to flee to Iran. They then tried to find somewhere more permanent.
Ali eventually made it to Indonesia. He tried to get to Australia by boat, but he was cheated out of his money by a people smuggler. He decided that the only way to get his whole family to Australia was to organise his own boats and use the profit to pay for their passage. He was eventually captured by the Australian Federal Police and tried in Australia as a people smuggler.
This is not a happy story. It depicts the appalling reality many Iraqis and other refugees have faced. It shows the effect fear and poverty can have on people. Sometimes people risk their life for strangers and other times children turn their own parents over to the police.
The accounts of life in Abu Ghraib prison made me wonder how anyone survived. When they weren't being tortured and beaten, the prisoners were forced to sleep on their sides, thirty to a cell, packed so close together no one could turn or get up. If they vomited or needed to defecate they had to do it where they were. Prisoners lived like this for years on end.
Some people call Ali Al Jenabi a saviour, the Oskar Schindler of Asia, others call him a criminal. Having read the book, I'll go with hero.
After a long stint in Abu Ghraib, Ali worked in the resistance movement. This put his family in danger and they were all forced to flee to Iran. They then tried to find somewhere more permanent.
Ali eventually made it to Indonesia. He tried to get to Australia by boat, but he was cheated out of his money by a people smuggler. He decided that the only way to get his whole family to Australia was to organise his own boats and use the profit to pay for their passage. He was eventually captured by the Australian Federal Police and tried in Australia as a people smuggler.
This is not a happy story. It depicts the appalling reality many Iraqis and other refugees have faced. It shows the effect fear and poverty can have on people. Sometimes people risk their life for strangers and other times children turn their own parents over to the police.
The accounts of life in Abu Ghraib prison made me wonder how anyone survived. When they weren't being tortured and beaten, the prisoners were forced to sleep on their sides, thirty to a cell, packed so close together no one could turn or get up. If they vomited or needed to defecate they had to do it where they were. Prisoners lived like this for years on end.
Some people call Ali Al Jenabi a saviour, the Oskar Schindler of Asia, others call him a criminal. Having read the book, I'll go with hero.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2021
Weve always thought human smuggling is inhuman but this is another side of the story told by a smuggler himself. After years of being tortured in jail in Iraq, losing family members and imprisoned again in Australia, hes still not be able to end up living happily or settle down in the new land. I searched about him on GG and in 2020, at the age of 50 ish, hes still in Australia and on Removal Pending visa (which means when Iraq is safe again, he will be deported, depends on Australia PM’s decision). I wonder how frustrating it is for a human to feel scared everyday as he can be deported anytime back to Iraq where he had lost everything. Interesting read and I love the first part about his secret love with the girl next door. Didnt enjoy the tragedy of that love tho.
January 24, 2013
One of the most amazing stories ever read and ever written. Ali Al Jenabi is truly the Oskar Shindler of our time. The things he's been through and has seen just astounds me, and the fact that he still kept going and was still thinking about his family's safety throughout the terrifying ordeals faced in his life.
I can not get over the fact that he still remains in jail and isn't a free man in Australia. He has done nothing wrong in my eyes.
An amazing man, he deserves to be free and live a normal life with his family after everything he has gone through.
This book changed my life in a way and it remains to be a must read for our generation. It will always be in my heart as one of the best books I've ever read.
I can not get over the fact that he still remains in jail and isn't a free man in Australia. He has done nothing wrong in my eyes.
An amazing man, he deserves to be free and live a normal life with his family after everything he has gone through.
This book changed my life in a way and it remains to be a must read for our generation. It will always be in my heart as one of the best books I've ever read.
April 1, 2013
heart breaking, insightful and so well written that I feel I have just spent several days in the company of Ali Al Jenabi telling me about his life. His determination in the face of unimaginable horrors and repeated setbacks is nothing short of astonishing. The author has done an amazing thing to document and share his story so that we can all be a little more understanding of the desperate situations that drive people to leave behind everything and everyone they know and love in the pursuit of safety.
October 2, 2012
I loved this book, Robin de Crespigny shows us that Ali al Jenabi is not just a people smuggler , but how he spent so much of his life trying to improve the lot of his family. She tells his story with such compassion , the story of his whole family, and how Saddams regime brought such devastation to their lives. He never stops trying to bring his family to safety, and had so many setbacks along the way, to just get back up again. I wish him well.
December 14, 2017
This should be mandatory reading for all Australians. As a country, we desperately need to reform our refugee policy in a way that recognizes refugees for what they really are - people. People who's actions are compelled by the same motives that drive us all, the happiness, health, and safety of ourselves and those we love.
October 7, 2017
Really interesting story and a good (but not brilliant) read. Definitely paints a horrifying picture of the plight of the world’s refugees, and calls into question how we can apply such a broad brush response to boat people.
February 25, 2017
Very self serving. There are are lot of facts that just don't add up and false statements.
March 16, 2013
Ali Al Jenabi was born in Iraq. His father was tortured by Saddamn Hussein’s Baathist Party and Ali himself was captured, tortured and held prisoner for years. His younger brother was captured with him and tortured, believed murdered and two more brothers were also taken prisoner. When he is forced to flee the country, he leaves behind his family in Iraq and from then on, everything that he does is in order to get his family out.
Firstly they go to neighbouring Iran, which having been involved in a war with Hussein for years, is now a prime place for Iraqi refugees to flee. From there they head to Turkey but several times Al Janabi is captured and returned. Finally he makes his way to Asia where through contacts, he begins assisting Middle Eastern refugees, primarily Iraqis, get to Australia.
For many in the Middle East, Australia is the promised land. Few know more about it other than it’s extremely far away, it’s a Democracy, it’s an island and it has weird animals. For many, it is their hope and their dream, to get there. But in the late 1990′s and early 2000s, in the time of the Howard government, the country was closing its borders to refugees. Boats were turned back. If they made it to Australian soil, the people were herded into detention centres where they could remain for years while being processed.
Ali successfully sent seven boats to Australia filled with refugees. Not one of them was lost and all landed safely and had the people processed. Everything he did, every risk he took, every dollar he took from an asylum seeker was so that he could get his own family to Australia – his mother and his brothers and sisters. But the Australian Federal Police had been watching him for some time and when he left Indonesia, where people smuggling is not a crime, they pounced.
Brought to Australia for trial, the prosecutors attempted to paint a picture of a man smuggling for profit. Instead Ali Al Jenabi became known as a figure of hope, of loyalty and of kindness. The amounts of money he often took to get men, women and children to Australia were pitiful. He went above and beyond to ensure the safety and security of the boats, to make sure that there was enough food. He became known as the “Oskar Schindler of Asia”, helping a persecuted people find a better life.
But what he did was still illegal…and even to this day, Ali Al Jenabi waits for a visa.
This is another Stella Prize longlisted book – a non-fiction story of a man whose situation was desperate. Forced at a young age to become man of the house and provide for his family when his father was taken prisoner, Ali Al Janabi was groomed from a young age to have the answer. He continually risked everything to get his family to safety – first out of Iraq, then to Asia and finally to their ultimate destination, Australia.
As a young adult of the Howard regime, I remember all too clearly the beat up over the boats and the Tampa crisis and not to mention the children overboard fiasco. In Australia, you are taught to fear the boats, to hate the boats, to not want the boats anywhere near this country. They are queue jumpers, they are illegals, they are probably not even genuinely in danger. They’re coming to take our jobs, our homes and … whatever else we have here. Soon we’ll all be Muslims and forced to wear headscarves. And the people that risk their lives bringing them here, are to quote former PM Kevin Rudd, “scum”.
To everyone that thinks that, I beg of you, read this book. This book should be mandatory reading for every Australian school student. It should help provide the one thing that the government does not: the other side. That not everyone who takes a passage on these boats is rich, and buying their way through. That not everyone who is helping them get here is money grabbing scum. Sometimes they are just people like Ali Al Janabi – trying to do the right thing for their family, trying to get them to somewhere where they believe they will be safe. Unfortunately, what often happens to people when they finally arrive in The Lucky Country is not what they dream of. The fact that Australia did not respond to Al Janabi’s application for a protection visa for over twelve months when the law is 90 days is shameful. The fact that they applied for protection through the UN in Pakistan before Al Janabi went to Asia and were turned down is mind-boggling. They’d had members of their family imprisoned, tortured and murdered. And yet when Al Janabi’s mother and siblings arrived on one of his boats to Australia, when they were processed they were deemed to be genuine refugees and given visas. So how can the same family be denied once, at the height of the Iraqi situation while Hussein was still cheerfully murdering and invading his way throughout everywhere, but then be accepted later on? The process failed them all, the organisations failed them all and if it weren’t for the risk taking and ingenuity of Ali Al Janabi, I cannot even begin to think what might have happened to them.
I was too young to really remember the first Gulf War and what Saddam Hussein was doing to the people of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. The more I try and read about it, the more of a mess it seems to me. You can’t give a person like Hussein billions of dollars to fight one war and expect that he isn’t going to look for another one. People like that are power hungry and see whatever is nearby as theirs. And you can’t encourage rebels to rise up against such a person but not give them a single ounce of support, either.
This is a truly brilliant book. It’s written with understanding and compassion, sympathy and even humour. That someone can experience something so bleak and come out of it still enjoying life the way he is, the way he is trying to, is a triumph for Ali Al Janabi. As of the end of this book (and now, I believe) the current state of his visa is still uncertain. He was finally issued a temporary protection visa, which means that when Iraq is considered stable again, he will be deported. Almost all of his family now live here and to deport someone who has been through what he has been through, would really be a crime against humanity. Three Ministers For Immigration have rejected his application for a visa and to be honest, if the Coalition win the election in September like the media keeps telling me they will, I don’t hold out much hope for him when he applies to a fourth.
The world needs more people like this man.
Firstly they go to neighbouring Iran, which having been involved in a war with Hussein for years, is now a prime place for Iraqi refugees to flee. From there they head to Turkey but several times Al Janabi is captured and returned. Finally he makes his way to Asia where through contacts, he begins assisting Middle Eastern refugees, primarily Iraqis, get to Australia.
For many in the Middle East, Australia is the promised land. Few know more about it other than it’s extremely far away, it’s a Democracy, it’s an island and it has weird animals. For many, it is their hope and their dream, to get there. But in the late 1990′s and early 2000s, in the time of the Howard government, the country was closing its borders to refugees. Boats were turned back. If they made it to Australian soil, the people were herded into detention centres where they could remain for years while being processed.
Ali successfully sent seven boats to Australia filled with refugees. Not one of them was lost and all landed safely and had the people processed. Everything he did, every risk he took, every dollar he took from an asylum seeker was so that he could get his own family to Australia – his mother and his brothers and sisters. But the Australian Federal Police had been watching him for some time and when he left Indonesia, where people smuggling is not a crime, they pounced.
Brought to Australia for trial, the prosecutors attempted to paint a picture of a man smuggling for profit. Instead Ali Al Jenabi became known as a figure of hope, of loyalty and of kindness. The amounts of money he often took to get men, women and children to Australia were pitiful. He went above and beyond to ensure the safety and security of the boats, to make sure that there was enough food. He became known as the “Oskar Schindler of Asia”, helping a persecuted people find a better life.
But what he did was still illegal…and even to this day, Ali Al Jenabi waits for a visa.
This is another Stella Prize longlisted book – a non-fiction story of a man whose situation was desperate. Forced at a young age to become man of the house and provide for his family when his father was taken prisoner, Ali Al Janabi was groomed from a young age to have the answer. He continually risked everything to get his family to safety – first out of Iraq, then to Asia and finally to their ultimate destination, Australia.
As a young adult of the Howard regime, I remember all too clearly the beat up over the boats and the Tampa crisis and not to mention the children overboard fiasco. In Australia, you are taught to fear the boats, to hate the boats, to not want the boats anywhere near this country. They are queue jumpers, they are illegals, they are probably not even genuinely in danger. They’re coming to take our jobs, our homes and … whatever else we have here. Soon we’ll all be Muslims and forced to wear headscarves. And the people that risk their lives bringing them here, are to quote former PM Kevin Rudd, “scum”.
To everyone that thinks that, I beg of you, read this book. This book should be mandatory reading for every Australian school student. It should help provide the one thing that the government does not: the other side. That not everyone who takes a passage on these boats is rich, and buying their way through. That not everyone who is helping them get here is money grabbing scum. Sometimes they are just people like Ali Al Janabi – trying to do the right thing for their family, trying to get them to somewhere where they believe they will be safe. Unfortunately, what often happens to people when they finally arrive in The Lucky Country is not what they dream of. The fact that Australia did not respond to Al Janabi’s application for a protection visa for over twelve months when the law is 90 days is shameful. The fact that they applied for protection through the UN in Pakistan before Al Janabi went to Asia and were turned down is mind-boggling. They’d had members of their family imprisoned, tortured and murdered. And yet when Al Janabi’s mother and siblings arrived on one of his boats to Australia, when they were processed they were deemed to be genuine refugees and given visas. So how can the same family be denied once, at the height of the Iraqi situation while Hussein was still cheerfully murdering and invading his way throughout everywhere, but then be accepted later on? The process failed them all, the organisations failed them all and if it weren’t for the risk taking and ingenuity of Ali Al Janabi, I cannot even begin to think what might have happened to them.
I was too young to really remember the first Gulf War and what Saddam Hussein was doing to the people of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. The more I try and read about it, the more of a mess it seems to me. You can’t give a person like Hussein billions of dollars to fight one war and expect that he isn’t going to look for another one. People like that are power hungry and see whatever is nearby as theirs. And you can’t encourage rebels to rise up against such a person but not give them a single ounce of support, either.
This is a truly brilliant book. It’s written with understanding and compassion, sympathy and even humour. That someone can experience something so bleak and come out of it still enjoying life the way he is, the way he is trying to, is a triumph for Ali Al Janabi. As of the end of this book (and now, I believe) the current state of his visa is still uncertain. He was finally issued a temporary protection visa, which means that when Iraq is considered stable again, he will be deported. Almost all of his family now live here and to deport someone who has been through what he has been through, would really be a crime against humanity. Three Ministers For Immigration have rejected his application for a visa and to be honest, if the Coalition win the election in September like the media keeps telling me they will, I don’t hold out much hope for him when he applies to a fourth.
The world needs more people like this man.
August 10, 2023
The true story of Ali AlJenabi an ex prisoner from the infamous Abu Ghuraib, who escaped Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and turned to people smuggling. He got 500 people and his family into Australia’s Christmas Island, finally getting caught and extradited to Australia.
In Australia during the Howard Government, he was trialled to be made an example of but his story turned into a matter of public opinion, as some human rights activists rallied to his cause and likened his story to Oscar Schindler. Eventually he was given a bridging visa and allowed to remain in Australia along with his big family.
The story was nail-biting and thrilling. It me feel uneasy and aware of the many privileges I take for granted. Especially feeling safe in my own home, my passport privilege that allows me to move, work and migrate freely between many countries (but not as many as if I were European).
There is no easy solution for boat people. It’s inconvenient that they exist but it’s more inconvenient to have your life be so dangerous or horrible that you are willing to risk it all and drown in the ocean for a mere chance of a better one for your children.
In Australia during the Howard Government, he was trialled to be made an example of but his story turned into a matter of public opinion, as some human rights activists rallied to his cause and likened his story to Oscar Schindler. Eventually he was given a bridging visa and allowed to remain in Australia along with his big family.
The story was nail-biting and thrilling. It me feel uneasy and aware of the many privileges I take for granted. Especially feeling safe in my own home, my passport privilege that allows me to move, work and migrate freely between many countries (but not as many as if I were European).
There is no easy solution for boat people. It’s inconvenient that they exist but it’s more inconvenient to have your life be so dangerous or horrible that you are willing to risk it all and drown in the ocean for a mere chance of a better one for your children.
May 29, 2019
Wow, what a book! At first I found it difficult to read as the book articulates some of the atrocities in Iraq. However, as I read on, the more I could see the true strength of Ali and his absolute commitment to do what is best for his people, even if it caused him suffering.
It certainly opened my eyes to the plight of the 2% of refugees who arrive by boat and all they are after is safety in a country like Australia.
Wonderfully written and I strongly urge anyone to read it.
It certainly opened my eyes to the plight of the 2% of refugees who arrive by boat and all they are after is safety in a country like Australia.
Wonderfully written and I strongly urge anyone to read it.
January 14, 2021
This is definitely one of my favourite books I've ever read. I found myself reading it every spare minute I had. It gives a backstory to refugees that many people in the west so often frown upon. The characters are so relatable to our own lives and have the same simple desires for happiness and safety that we do. They just happened to be born somewhere different. Overall a great read, I will forever recommend it.
June 22, 2023
this book was good but very biased in the writing- hard to know whether or not that was artistically necessary i.e. cause it’s written from the perspective of the author so it’s going to be his perspective; or if it was just lazy writing. unsure.
July 6, 2024
It should be a requirement for everyone to read this book, or another like it, before they are allowed to vote.
February 2, 2020
Should be required reading at school. Not all smugglers are doing it for profit, despite what governments and most of the media say - some, like the guy in this book, do it in order to protect his family from persecution.
Ask yourself this - if your family was about to be exterminated, would you worry about the laws or about make big them safe.
A great book - opened my eyes to the plight of Iraqis before and after Saddam. My god, the things they had to endure.
Ask yourself this - if your family was about to be exterminated, would you worry about the laws or about make big them safe.
A great book - opened my eyes to the plight of Iraqis before and after Saddam. My god, the things they had to endure.
January 13, 2023
Gripping, heart wrenching, and inspiring. A story that opens the eyes and heart.
November 19, 2024
One of the best books I have read this year. It’s not just the story of Ali Al Jenabi but many other lives around him going through similar situations. A story of hope for better life and faith that even in times of crisis there will be few good souls who will to any extent to help others. Definitely this book brought tears to my eyes.
January 22, 2015
The People Smuggler is the true story of Ali Al Jenabi who, after being tortured and beaten in Abu Ghraib, is forced to flee Iraq, aware that if he doesn’t, Saddam’s henchmen will be keeping a watchful eye on him. He heads to Iran to join the resistance but after a while becomes ‘known’ as a dissident and so decides that he must leave the Middle- East altogether. He joins up with a group of people who are about to be smuggled out of the country. A journey in the middle of the night through the mountains of Kurdistan followed by a hair-raising trip by bus finally sees him safely on his way to Indonesia. The next step for Jenabi is to now try and get his two younger brothers out of Abu Ghraib and to smuggle them, along with the rest of the family, out of Iraq and hopefully to Australia.
This is an absolute, edge-of-your-seat story of a man who manages to keep his moral compass pointing in the right direction despite the lure of easy money. After all there is big money to be made in the people smuggling business. But for Jenabi, who has been through it all himself, he just wants to do right by the desperate and needy people hoping to gain a new life in Australia. An amazing story, The People Smuggler was the Winner of: the Queensland Literary Award 2012, the 25th Human Rights Award for Literature 2012, the Alex Buzo Prize for Research and Literature 2012, and, The Ned Kelly Award for Best Non-Fiction 2013.
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