Author Khouri strikes back at hoax claim

By GREG ANSLEY

CANBERRA - Norma Khouri, the best-selling author accused of fabricating her story of oppression and murder in Jordan, yesterday struck back.

Khouri met an extended deadline of midday to provide documentation to back her claims that she had been raised in Jordan, despite evidence to the contrary, and that the tale she told in Forbidden Love was true.

She also issued instructions from the United States for her Australian lawyers to begin defamation proceedings against the Sydney Morning Herald and its literary editor, Malcolm Knox, whose claims that the book was a hoax shook the literary world.

Khouri further emailed the national newspaper the Australian, seeking its help in arranging a public debate with Amal Sabbagh, secretary-general of the National Commission for Women, one of her prime accusers.

In the email, Khouri said she had successfully taken a lie-detector test in the United States and had gathered material to prove she had spent most of her life in Jordan and not, as the Sydney Morning Herald alleged, in Chicago.

At stake is not only the future of Forbidden Love, but also the sequel, Coming Home: A Matter of Honour, the release of which has been put on hold until the furore surrounding the author is resolved.

Forbidden Love tells the story of Khouri's life in Jordan and the murder of her friend Dalia, a Muslim slain in an honour killing because of her love for a Christian soldier.

But an investigation by Knox uncovered evidence that, although born in Jordan in 1970, Khouri left at the age of 3 and lived between 1973 and 1999 in Chicago.

The investigation alleged that she was in fact a con-artist named Norma Bagain Toliopoulos, married to a Greek-American, John Toliopoulos, and that the couple lived for two years on Queensland's Bribie Island with their two children, Zoe and Christopher.

The couple were alleged to have fled America in 1999 because of a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into alleged fraudulent property transactions.

Forbidden Love was withdrawn from sale and publisher Random House Australia offered booksellers refunds on all returned copies.

Random House yesterday confirmed Khouri had provided documentation in support of her claims.

"Because of the allegations about Ms Khouri's personal background in recent weeks, a thorough review of the documentary evidence she had presented will be conducted and this may take some time," said Margaret Seale, managing director of Random House Australia.

"As we are mindful of our responsibilities to booksellers and readers, Forbidden Love will remain off Australian shelves until the review of Ms Khouri's evidence is complete.

"No decision can be taken regarding Ms Khouri's second book until all issues relating to Forbidden Love are resolved."