Khaled Khalifa - In Praise of Hatred

So this is a work of immediate importance, but Khalifa is keen to escape stereotypes. ‘I don’t want people to read my book because I’m an “oppressed writer” or a “writer who lives under dictatorship”,’ he told me. ‘I want them to read it because they’re interested in the story, and because they enjoy it.’

Both for its style (translated here beautifully) and for its human truth, In Praise of Hatred is a supremely enjoyable book.

Robin Yassin-Kassab

July 2012

While translating this novel in the second half of 2011, I experienced one of those rather neatly choreographed moments that rarely occur in real life. It would open a writer to the heinous crime of a ‘contrived device’ if it were to be included at a pivotal point of their plot. Towards the middle of In Praise of Hatred you will read a description of the ruling regime’s systematic cleansing of Aleppo’s university, and the arrest, interrogation and exile of those professors who were deemed to be insufficiently loyal. On the day I translated that particular passage, I turned on the news to hear the headlines — the second news item of the day was a story about Bashar Al Assad’s methodical purge of Aleppo University, complete with enforced resignations and the arrest and subsequent ‘disappearance’ of several members of staff. It was a grim reminder that, although the players may have changed, little else about Syria’s rulers has.

Readers may remember that before the current uprising against Bashar Al Assad, there was also an uprising against his father, Hafez, and it is this period of unrest that forms the focus of the novel. In the mid seventies Syria witnessed a marked increase in hard-line Sunni fundamentalism in response to the totalitarian excesses of the ruling elite, comprised mainly of individuals from the Alawite sect, a branch of Shia Islam. As the majority of Syria’s Muslims are Sunni, widespread resentment at this monopoly of power was a useful ally for Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, who harboured ambitions of overthrowing Alawite rule and instituting a state under sharia ’ law, of which they would naturally be leaders. After a series of increasingly violent attacks and reprisals by both the government and the Islamists, the city of Hama eventually declared open war on the Assad regime on 3 February 1982; in response to this challenge, Hafez gave his brother, then head of his security apparatus, carte blanche to deal with the insurgency as he saw fit. The result was the systematic destruction of one of Syria’s most beautiful cities, and the massacre of tens of thousands of its inhabitants. Aleppo was not immune to crackdowns during these years after an increase in violent activities and assassinations. A regular target for the authorities, the trauma it suffered from was a drawn-out and relentless affair, documented closely by the novel.

It is vital to remember that In Praise of Hatred is not a historical record, but a representation of a particularly painful episode of Syria’s history. Nevertheless, events draw heavily on real life and none of the atrocities committed by either side are fabricated; although no names of contemporary Syrian figures or organizations have been given, readers may recognize the oblique references to events and people from that time.

It is worth mentioning for those who don’t read Arabic that the English edition looks quite different to the original text. After consideration, the publishers have decided to make some editorial changes, taken in consultation with the author, and the result is a novel that ends differently from the original.

At the time of writing, the current uprising has passed its first anniversary. The Assad regime has been shelling the Baba Amru suburb of Homs; even the most conservative estimates of casualties are still numbered in the many thousands and Syrians live in terror of arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, where torture and murder are rife. In contrast to the uprising central to the novel, this insurgency does not have a stronghold in any particular political ideology; it is another manifestation of the wave of discontent that has swept the Middle East, where the populace has had enough of the dictators draining their countries dry. When Bashar assumed power in 2000 it was hoped that he would reform the draconian rule instituted by his father, but any hopes for a more open and democratic government had been dashed long before this brutal crushing of dissent. It is difficult to know what direction events in Syria will take, but readers may see that the Assads have always been willing to go to extreme lengths to retain their grip on power, and the mindless sacrifice of innumerable Syrian citizens is a price they are more than content to pay.

In Praise of Hatred is a study of the absence of love and understanding in a nation historically famed for its tolerance. Khaled Khalifa has said before that the novel does not espouse any political ideology, but was written as a plea on behalf of the Syrian people for tolerance and peace. At the present time Syria’s future is uncertain, and somewhat bleak. Nevertheless, as long as there are voices like Khalifa’s raised against hatred and championing humanity, there must still be a ray of hope for this beautiful, blighted country.

I would like to thank Elias Saba for very kindly providing a translation and background information for the poetry by Mutanabbi here. And of course, many thanks are due to the author for his constant patience and good humour, both when dealing with my questions, and in general.

Leri Price

March 2012

Khaled Khalifawas born in 1964 near Aleppo, Syria. He is the fifth child of a family of thirteen siblings. He studied law at Aleppo University and actively participated in the foundation of Aleph magazine with a group of writers and poets. A few months later, the magazine was closed down by Syrian censorship. Active on the arts scene in Damascus where he lives, Khalifa has written four novels. His most recent, No Knives in this City’s Kitchens , won the 2013 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature.

Leri Priceis a translator based in the UK. She has translated literature from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Syria and Saudi Arabia.