Hassan al Kontar is a 36-year-old Syrian man who has been stranded at the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia since March 7, 2018.
Why? Because while living and working in the United Arab Emirates, he refused to return back to Syria to fight in their nearly eight year war. The Syrian embassy in the UAE denied renewing his visa, and he went into hiding for six years in the UAE. He was eventually living sent to Malaysia—which accepts Syrians to stay in their country for 90 days without a visa. Flights elsewhere were not successful, leaving him stranded in the Kuala Lumpur airport–relying on airplane food and instant coffee.
Al Kontar has taken to Twitter to share daily video updates, along with spreading his message on behalf of the refugees and victims of the war in Syria.
“This is not our war,” al Kontar has tweeted.
“I am really tired,” he told NBC News, “I keep shouting that I am not a bad guy, I am not a coward — I can fight, but it’s not my fight. It’s someone else’s fight in my land.”
One day one of these flights will be my flight, and I will be deliberately late so I can hear my name in these damn speakers😠😡
يوما ما واحده من هذه الرحلات ستكون رحلتي وسأتعمد التأخير حتى اسمع اسمي عبر المكبرات 😠😡#syrian_stuck_at_airport #mystory_Hassan #airport_is_my_home pic.twitter.com/J7Ans6aMnF— Hassan Al Kontar (@Kontar81) May 29, 2018
He has also managed to mix humor with his message.
KLIA2 #home sweet home 😊😊.
Busy in preparation for my Platinum jubilee, It will coincide with the #royalwedding, and it's going to be big as well 😋😙.
Day 73 or 74 pic.twitter.com/0NOAJBJlvg
— Hassan Al Kontar (@Kontar81) May 17, 2018