Succession

An article in the BBC three days ago indicated that Qatar's Emir and Prime Minister are putting together a succession plan that is to become public. To read the article click here. Do you realize what this means? A GCC ruler is actually planning to step down and peacefully hand the reins to someone younger. A GCC RULER! AN EMIR!

 

GCC Rulers have a history of super-glue-ing themselves to their thrones for decades and decades until they die. Unfortunately, in this day and age I'm not entirely sure this strategy is feasible anymore. (hint: Arab Spring)

 

What does this mean for Oman? If Qatar takes the first step and shows that it's not taboo to talk about an ordered succession plan, then maybe there's hope for Oman because we do not have a succession plan. The tale of two boxes containing a name (one at each end of the country) can't even convince a 5-year-old. Oman's succession strategy is not convincing. There is no obvious person being groomed to take over. And as pointed out in this Muscat Daily piece on Tuesday, Omani officials are basically unknown to the people.

 

For the past 43 years we have been loyal to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Him alone. We are not familiar with members of the Royal Family. We have never heard them speak. They do not mingle with locals (in Dhofar at least!) and it's worrying because the next Sultan supposedly has to be a member of the royal family of full Omani blood (that narrows it down because many of them have married foreigners).

 

If Omanis were to vote on this, they'd all just wish His Majesty will live forever and ever because whenever the moment comes that he is no longer here, it will be chaos.

 

The visit of His Excellency Yousuf bin Alawi Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs to Salalah on Friday was worrying (in my opinion). Change is in the air but I'll save his visit for my next post.

 

Your thoughts?

It's HERE!

Mother Nature proved me wrong. It started raining at 2:05 a.m yesterday. Khareef is officially here.

Khareef on the horizon....

So in case you haven't noticed, Salalah is DEAD HUMID. My energy starts to drain the moment I step out of my house in the morning. My glasses fog up and my mascara starts to melt. I spend an extra two or three hours at work in the afternoon simply to avoid having to go out into the heat and humidity. Leaving work at 6 pm when the sun is disappearing is more attractive these days than leaving work at 3. That's how much I dislike this kind of weather. I avoid going out in the evening, I avoid errands, I avoid socializing.... it's just too hot.

 

Nevertheless, the horrid humidity in June is the build-up to the monsoon (Khareef). The ocean is in full monsoon swing already and we're all counting the days until the skies open up and the first drop of rain lands on the tip of my nose, probably at 7:30 am on June 21st. I'm willing to bet.

 

This year, the holy month of fasting (Ramadhan) is expected around July 9th depending on the moon. It will last probably until August 7th or 8th (again - depending on the moon). The Salalah Tourism Festival is set to start on the 2nd day of Eid Al Fitr (probably August 9th) and will end 25 days later (depending on the moon! If we depended on the moon a little more, the world would be a better place).

 

The invasion of tourists will probably start in the last days of Ramadhan. The government has promised there will be no fuel shortage this year (remember last year?) and I'm yet to see results of the 15 million rials that have been set aside to improve 'efficiency' during Dhofar tourist season.

 

On another note, there's a CNN video on Oman's First Chocolatiers (Salma's chocolates if you remember my post) . I've always been fascinated with how chocolates are made. The video answered my question.

 

Finally, I noticed the sign up for Home Centre at Salalah Gardens Mall (our new monster of a mall across from Lulu). I look forward to tasteful furniture and home items at last in Salalah. The current selection we have in town is nothing short of horrid.

 

And last but not least, I'm craving Pad Thai and Tom Yum Soup. Oh, Siam Kitchen, why did you close?

 

Yours Truly from in front of the air conditioner,

 

Dhofari Gucci

 

Washington Post Humor

So, the US didn't fail to pick up on our humorous (and sometimes obsessive and ridiculous attempts to re-write Omani history). I'm not entirely sure why we can't just admit that His Majesty overthrew his father in a semi-bloodless coup in 1970. We're happy he did because he did a world of good for this country. To read the Washington Post article on this, click here.

On another note, Carrefour was a true disappointment. There are about four or five products that I would drop in for every once in a while, but nothing with the 'wow' factor.  Lulu is ten times better, more organized and clean (there were flies sitting on the peaches at Carrefour). The live calf in a cage on opening night was HORRIBLE and bad taste.

And finally, despite all the rain and storm warnings for the weekend, Salalah got about 2 minutes of drizzle on Thursday night. That was it!

Public Holiday!

Thursday June 6th has been declared a public holiday for both the private and public sectors to mark the Israa wal Miraj, an Islamic holiday to celebrate the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) spiritual/physical journey to the heavens on one night in the year 621 as is commonly believed. The night of the Miraj is one of the most significant events in the Islamic calendar.

Family Bookshop Moved

NOW... something I AM excited about is the Family Bookshop. Those of you living in Salalah know that the Family Bookshop (used to be on Al Nahdha street) is the pretty much the only store in town selling English books, newspapers, magazines, cards, etc. It's been around for decades and I practically grew up there (the loyal store manager Abdulkhaliq is an idol).

So, a couple of weeks ago I was driving past the old bookshop location and was horrified by a sign on the boarded up storefront. For a moment I thought "ok, this is the end, they've closed, I'm doomed". Then I stopped the car to get a better look at the sign. It said they'd moved to a bigger and better location. YAY!

New Location: Al Saffa building next to Haffa House facing the highway, not on the Max side. For more about the opening, look at Maria's Dekeersmaeker's post here.

Carrefour in Salalah

Not that I'm dying of excitement or anything (I'm not), but Carrefour opened in Salalah this morning. Then again, I have nothing against Carrefour. I'm just not a let's-get-totally-hyped-about-a-new-supermarket kind of person. In all cases, I find it weird that it's right across the street from Lulu Hypermarket. When is someone going to open a really good hypermarket in Saada, the main residential area of town?

Disturbing Propaganda in our Schools

Recently, I walked into Lulu Hypermarket in Dhofar only to see this huge banner hanging between the two escalators. It goes something along the lines of:

 "A Muslim woman's dress is not something to fool around with. It is not something for designers to play with. It is religion and it is identity. It is a woman's way to God. As the Prophet's (PBUH) said, the scantily dressed do not go to heaven and won't come anywhere near it".  How can we lose heaven over a piece of clothing?".

There were other posters as well. As a Muslim woman who covers from head to toe and whose abaya is baggy enough for an army, I found the posters extremely offensive. In fact, referring to these posters as 'Islamist propaganda' isn't far fetched. I refer here to 'Islamism', not 'Islam'. Islamism has several definitions but it can be defined as a set of ideologies holding that "Islam should guide social and political as well as personal life". 

I had intended to blog about this earlier but decided against it. However, yesterday I was speaking to a concerned teacher at a local high school who claims this 'Covering-up-is-the-only-way-to-God' campaign (officially called "Be a Queen" campaign) has reached her school. The infiltration of the school system by these people (whoever they are - Salalah Men's Sports Club is one of the sponsors) telling young girls that following a certain dress code is the only way to God is DISTURBING. Surely parents/families are responsible for their own child's religious education and spiritual upbringing. The campaign has been endorsed by the Ministry of Education since it's being publicly discussed on their forum.

Their intentions are probably very good and they think they're paving their own way to heaven by promoting their campaign. However, instead of telling young girls to live in fear of hell and punishment and telling them they're 'wanted' by all men therefore they must cover up, and telling them dressing in BLACK (which is in NO WAY Islamic and only appeared in Dhofar in the 70s from the Iranian revolution and influence from Saudi Wahhabism)... instead of telling our girls to hide, be demure and not interact with the other half of humanity, what happened to raising strong girls who KNOW what's right? Girls who believe in being a good person? Girls who aren't shy to be out in society doing good? Girls who are proud of their religion and identity? Proactive girls? Why must it always be a fear factor?

This form of control, brainwash, and this focus on shallow shallow shallow aspect of one's personal life in the name of religion has NO PLACE in my Islam. (By shallow I refer to all the petty discussions of whether dying one's hair is haram, and whether wearing colours are acceptable, and whether it's against God to pluck one's eyebrows or wear heels or go shopping for heaven's sake. In fact, I was told by a male cousin that I should cover my face when going to the mosque because someone 'saw me' getting out of my car and walking into the grand mosque in broad daylight and that as a Muslim woman I should be humble and demure!!!!!!!!). Why the obsession with women?

GRRRRR.

Earthquake

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake (8 according to Oman news) hit Iran this afternoon and tremors were felt in Oman (North of Oman in particular). Several buildings in Muscat were evacuated and there were rumors spreading of possible tsunami dangers. The Omantel headquarters in Mawaleh were evacuated completely at 2:45 p.m. The Government of Oman has issued a message to all citizens (as of five minutes ago) saying they were only tremors and there is no danger of tsunami waves. Nothing was felt in Dhofar ... knock on wood. The government confirms that life shall not be disrupted and if you think there's no school tomorrow, keep dreaming.

Omani Sorcerer Jailed

Oman NEVER fails to baffle me. Real this article here by the one and only Sunil Vaidya over at Gulf News. Omani sorcerer caused the death of two people during one of his rituals in Muscat. I haven't heard of any 'death by black magic' incidents in Dhofar in recent years, but witchcraft is still quite popular down south where we are. In fact, just yesterday the house of someone I know had to be evacuated and 'cured' of any hex since several bundles of horrible things (animal bones, herbs, verses from the Quran written backwards, names of people, skin, etc) were found in the house. You can see from this piece by a local newspaper columnist that the use of black magic is still quite prevalent in Dhofar. Not a pleasant thought.

New weekend!!!!!

Weekends for the WHOLE EFFING COUNTRY changed to Friday and Saturday as of May 1st. Major news.

What the ....?

Umm, I 'm not a fan of the Guardian sometimes (particularly after Brian Whitaker referred to our beloved head of state as a classy despot) in 2011.

However, what do you think of this piece? Has Oman really been hiding Gaddafi's family since October? How do you feel about this?

Activists Pardoned

Dhofari Gucci has mixed feelings. It's great news about the release of the activists/idiots who spent a few months behind bars for illegal gathering and lese majesty (you need to distinguish between activists/idiots because some distinguished activists are in prison along with a group of idiots who insulted the wrong person online for no particular reason). Although I'm happy about the royal pardon by His Majesty two days ago, I'm unhappy about the fact that royal pardon is not justice. What is justice? I wasn't in favor of the arrests in the first place (and this is my personal conviction) and the appeals failed, so is a royal pardon the answer?

 

Hundreds of prisoners are released every year on 'royal pardon' during Eids and on National Day usually. We don't know who they are or what their crimes were. Does this speak well for Oman's justice system?

 

The activists in prison broke the law but is the law relevant? Some new laws were developed and announced last year days before the arrests were made (dozens of bloggers, activists, poets, etc). Defining freedom of speech and the line between hate speech/breaking the law/freedom of speech is blurry.

 

I know my thoughts are all over the place, but there is something bothering me about this whole affair. If you can pinpoint it and articulate in a nice neat sentence, post it in the comments.

 

In all cases, congratulations to all those released. Freedom is fragile.

'Illegal Gathering' Prisoners Freed

Incredible that eight Omani pactivists (behind bars for 'illegal' gathering) were freed from prsion yesterday on bail after months of detention. The main trigger for their release appears to be the royal opera house protests because if the government doesn't throw the 50 or so protesters behind bars, then what right does it have to keep others behind bars for 'illegal gathering'. I remind you that this is all aftermath of the Arab Spring.

 

Another interesting piece of info is that one of the Omanis convicted of lese majeste is having every string pulled on their behalf at this very moment to revoke the sentence. More details later if and when the right tribal strings are pulled (or not). At this stage, analyzing the efforts wouldn't be smart. I'm not saying pulling the Wasta card is a good idea right now, but it will be interesting to see if it work.

 

Adios.

 

Oman Curbs Corruptions to Quell Dissent

For once, an interesting piece written by an Omani (and a very well respected one for the record...):

From Al Monitor : Oman Curbs Corruption to Quell Dissent
By: Ahmed Al Mukhaini
March 11, 2013

Over the last few months, several Omani government officials have been questioned over accusations of abusing power or embezzlement of public funds. The list includes former ministers, former undersecretaries and some senior officials who are still in office. Court procedures, still ongoing, are being closely watched by the public with anticipation and great expectations. The outcome of these court procedures will set precedence and bolster the much talked-about Rule of Law "if and only if the accused were convicted and properly sentenced." This comment, fraught with contradiction, reflects lessons learned from the past 40 years of governance in Oman and a new vision. This trend came at the awakening of the 2011 Omani spring, which brought in a new perspective toward transparency and anti-corruption measures in the Sultanate of Oman.

Holders of public offices in Oman often felt in the past that they were shielded from public scrutiny or legal prosecution. This false feeling was synthesized by a lack of retribution, where culprits of corruption were left untouched or, even worse, in some cases seemed to have been rewarded, which made them the new "role models" of success. These "role models" encouraged further corruption and created a rupture in confidence and trust between the administration and people. This consequently led to a growing sense of apathy toward public funds and expediency. In turn, corruption became rampant among government officials, both senior and junior. The situation was further compounded with more "role models" being created and rewarded.

However, this no longer seems to be the case. The State Audit Institution (renamed State Financial and Administrative Audit Institution), as mandated by the 2011 events and its new law and organizational structure promulgated in 2012, has been very active in identifying white collar crimes and presenting them to the Office of Prosecutor General as evidence of unlawful transactions. The list includes allocation of very large plots of lands in several strategic locations to undeserving or unworthy recipients, changing the land zoning and use in the process. The list also includes stealing from the public "till" and amending public records to cover the misappropriation of public funds. Not all details have been announced by the press, however, all are receiving public hearings. Details of such violations are becoming more accessible if not available.

Under the new law, the State Audit’s expanded remit includes the financial and administrative audit. It also includes presenting evidence to the Prosecutor General Office, which in effect represents the public and initiates legal prosecution for crimes committed against public interests or funds, whether the culprits are ordinary citizens or government officials. This covers all government officials as well as officers and directors in government-owned companies or where the government owns a minimum of 40% of the company’s shares.

Also, under the new law, these government officials, including formerly exempted ministers, are required by law to file a form declaring their assets and wealth. Though this is the first time they are obliged by law to report such data, which was deemed, until 2011 Omani Spring, very personal and privileged information, they are required by law now to have the declaration filed in on an annual basis. Moreover, this whole process is kept under public scrutiny which keeps track of all development, thanks to social media and smart phones. It is worth noting here that according to last year’s amendments to the Basic Law of the State, the State Audit is obliged by law to present a copy of its annual report of findings to the Majlis Shura (the elected chamber of the bi-cameral council of Oman), which in turn will debate and discuss it publicly.

The influence of the Arab/Omani spring cannot go unnoticed in this context. In 1983, Oman promulgated its first consolidated law on avoiding conflict of interest and protecting public funds. However, the law was never effectively put to use. In fact, a major embezzlement scandal emerged shortly after, in 1985. The high-level personnel involved were simply removed from office and left to enjoy their accumulated wealth. This was not the first or last time such treatment took place vis-à-vis high-level officials misappropriating public funds.

Conflict of interest became a very hot issue once again upon the promulgation of the Basic Law of the State in 1996. However, it was soon to wither away. What became evident to the populace is that such laws are often ignored. What people were made to believe is that these laws lacked political will and that they were made for public consumption only and not for real implementation. People even joked about the resilience of established commercial interests cross-fertilized with vested political interests.

This move of the State Audit must be read in tandem with the spirit of the Arab/Omani spring of 2011, which was largely ignited by economic disparity fueled by blatantly rising levels of corruption and its manifestations across the board. Calls during the 2011 sit-ins and subsequent public discussions focused on reforms curbing the rising corruption and prosecuting the responsible public officials. Evidence and examples of corruption and the means to discover and curb such behavior were the subject of public discourse, lectures and discussions.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and social media have helped promote this knowledge and discourse. The citizenry found in the ICT and social media an avenue to get information on officials and transactions and to report violations and evidence of such violations. In fact, the State Audit has developed an electronic system whereby members of the public can report directly incidence of white collar crimes. The system is not perfect yet, but has proven to have had a good impact on government transparency and public accountability.

A significant outcome of this trend will be, hopefully, greater confidence in the reforms embarked upon after the 2011 unrests, which in due course might restore faith in the aging absolute monarchical system.

Ahmed Ali M. al-Mukhaini is an independent researcher in political developments, human rights and dialogue, and the former assistant secretary-general for the Shura Council in Oman.

The Mall - Part 2

Stolen from my pal Sythe over at  the one and only Muscat Mutterings:

list of stores expected to open at Salalah Mall (also known as Salalah Garden, Salalah World, etc ... according to an inside source, they're expecting to change the name)

Here's the list:

Anchors

Carrefour

Red Tag

Home Centre

City Cinema

Fun Station



Others

Tibat Labnan

Crispy

Italiano Food

Casa Mia Uno

Subway

KFC

ChicKing

Ice Cream

McDonalds

Ad'Dirham

Zahra Phones

Jumbo Electronics

E-World

Al-Wafi Mobiles

Asgharali

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Fancy World

Al Shoala

Adams & Sons Jewellery

Al Obaidani

Ahli Bank

Oman Arab Bank

Sizillion

Dalas Gelato

Zohoor Al Reef

Acessorize

Opty Sport

Al Qurashi

Fashion World

Pizza Inn

AXA Insurance

Goal Sport

Nestle Toll house

Khimji Ramdas

Tips & Toes

Steve Madden

Party 21

H. Flo

Patchi Chocolates

Junaid Perfumes

Optic Vision

Costa Coffee

Pappa Roti

Swiss Arabian

Coccodrillo

Muscat Watch Centre

Makka

Finland Eye Centre

Al Shoala

Chain

Lynes Shoes

The Body Shop

Al Arabia Oud

Al Faisal

Al Khuwair Pharmacy

Bank Dhofar

Omantel

Salman Store

Shoe Express

Oman Phone

Rivoli

Eskafi Shoes

DNP

Ajmal

Lahoo's Money exchange

Colombiano Coffee House

Nayoumi

Carpisa

Al Motahajiba

Arif Jewellery

First Choice

Smart Diet

Iris Optics

Mikyaji

Capital Store

I was hoping for a Starbucks/Second Cup and WH Smith. I guess you can't have everything :)

Minor Rant

Hi Folks.

This is a minor non-Dhofari rant about the Muscat Royal Opera House incident on February 27th. In case you haven't been following the news, a member of Jason Moran &The Bandwagon  (a Muslim member, that is) recited verses from the Quran during the performance. Obviously the guy misjudged and OBVIOUSLY he didn't intend to insult Islam.

Anyway, Omanis have been on fire and there are social media campaigns to boycott the Royal Opera House altogether. The ROHM issued an apology on February 28th as follows:

"The Royal Opera House Muscat expresses its deep regret over the incident that took place during the performance of Jason Moran and the Bandwagon yesterday evening where one of the band members recited verses of the Quran during the performance.

The Royal Opera House Muscat’s mission to is showcase the world’s heritage and enforce an example of peaceful coexistence and intellectual affinity and understanding amongst all nations and peoples through its diverse events in a civilized manner far from religious conflicts and dogmas. This is what is agreed with all visiting artists and groups. The incident that took place yesterday evening is therefore a violation of this agreement. Following an inquiry, it became clear to the management of the Royal Opera House Muscat that the band member who recited verses of Al Fatiha during the performance is a Muslim who did so in expression of his love for his religion, and with the intention of pleasing the audience being in an Islamic country, and confirmed that his actions were in no way intended to ridicule or mock, or cause offense. The band has expressed its regret over the incident and stressed that it was the action of one member and does not represent the band. It should also be noted that the said band member’s role in the performance secondary and was not the prime attraction.

The Royal Opera House Muscat deplores the incident regardless of its source and issues an apology to the audience who witnessed the incident which came as a surprise to the organizers. The Royal Opera House Muscat does not accept such actions and confirms that it will be taking legal action regarding the incident".

The fuss and rage I have seen on Facebook and WhatsApp is ridiculous (in my opinion). What bothers me the most about us Arabs is that we get offended by anything and everything. We tend to make mountains out of mole-holes in cases like this one. Obviously it was a mistake, the guy had no intention of offending, and for heaven's sake GROW UP.

I know many of you might not agree with me, but I honestly believe the world needs more tolerance, and Islam is about tolerance.

Humph

Hunger strike continues in prison. Major re-shuffle of National Human Rights Commission in Oman. And another embarrassing Human Rights Watch report on Oman. Makes you wonder what went wrong with the previous members and why a new committee was appointed amid the hunger-strike crisis.

Hunger Strike in Samail Central Jail

Kudos to Muscat Daily for publishing a piece on the current prison hunger strike involving 21 of the many activists, writers, bloggers, poets and a handful of idiots who were charged with lèse majesté and illegal gathering last year. I've been quietly following individual updates on each prisoner via their friends and families. Some of them are in bad condition, and to the best of my knowledge Said Al Hashmi (activist) has been moved to the ROP Hospital.

 

FYI - Dhofari activist Said Jadad (see posts below), was released after a week in detention. He is known to be very outspoken on his blog. During his interrogation, he was asked if he had been in touch with any international human rights organizations (WTF - why is everyone so obsessed with this question?). An interesting piece of information that wouldn't be released under normal circumstances is that Shaikh Salim Mustahil Al Mashani, an influential Omani figure and relative to His Majesty played a role in securing Said's release. More on that in this Gulf News piece.

 

I know things have gone quiet in the press, but there's a lot going on..... stay tuned.

The Mall

Several readers have asked me to provide updates on Salalah's first shopping mall. Evidently March is their new deadline for completion and it almost looks possible from the latest photos they've put up on Facebook.

This is why it looks like from the highway.

The entrance (facing the highway)

more entrance

I'm assuming the first thing to open will be Carrefour at the back of the complex. It's huge. Stay tuned for more updates.

A Different Time

I read a very balanced and slightly controversial post by one of my favorite people Mahfaif this evening. His post on the continuous detention of writers, bloggers and activists in Oman reminded me why my writing has slowed down (and his too). It reminded me how worrying the situation is in Oman. It reminded me of the nightmares I had a couple of nights ago when outspoken blogger and giver of rather interesting Friday sermons in Dhofar Mr. Said Jadad was arrested. It reminded me of the hints I've received over the past few months. The "we know who you are and we know where to find you" hints. The rather quiet meeting I had very recently with someone I know who was obviously trying to get a message across and obtain information (i.e. Are you or are you not an activist?). I answered 'define activism'. He was silent. He was asked to question me without making me feel I was being questioned. He failed. I have nothing to hide. Half my posts on this blog are cheerful bits of news from Salalah, and most of what I do in my real life is mild. Occasionally I have little passive-agressive (as one reader called them) bursts of controversial passion involving human rights. Most of my bursts are related to women, though. I stay safe. He looked me in the eye and said 'be careful. they're watching'. I did not ask who 'they' are because I don't need to. All I know is that I have no interest in being detained, questioned, or punished. There are other ways to do good for this country. I reassured my friend that all is well and that I have no intention of doing anything dumb and that I am eternally loyal to my country and its englightened leader. I also assured him that I am not in touch with any international human rights agencies (I'm not). That was his main question.

I have no idea why I've blogged about this, but since I'm an honest blogger I decided to share. Times are uncertain in Oman. Times are changing. I think I'll sit back in my armchair with my pink grillshades for a while and watch with interest.

Bottomline? Gucci is not too happy.

2013

Good Afternoon folks! And a belated Happy New Year!

Dhofari Gucci's first post of 2013. I've been super-busy lately, so forgive the gaps:

1) This morning I received the government announcement about Oman's new government-owned national railway company. The first phase includes Dhofar. Exciting.

2) Rumor has it that McDonald's is set to open in Salalah in that new golden building on the highway before Centrepoint but on the other side of the highway. Can anyone verify this? (FYI: I'm not a fan of McDonalds, but I'm sure many readers are). I drove past there yesterday and it looks like they're setting up a two-storey restaurant, but no signs yet.

3)  I read this eye-brow raising article by Saleh Al Shaibany o Reuters Oman "Taboo on premarital sex can lead to tragedy in changing Oman". It saddens me to know that it's true. The number of kids at the orphanage is evidence enough. Naturally, society/authorities try to hush things up as much as possible. Problems will never be solved or dealt with unless they're brought out into the open. (notice how he never mentions rape, which is a common reason for these pregnancies. Victim-blaming).

4) 15 Million Rials to develop tourist facilities in Dhofar in 2013. Article here. I say set up more bathrooms, and teach apartment owners to use booking.com. Last year's Eid Al Fitr tourist-crisis was a true disaster. Remember my post from August "The Invasion"?

5) Oman introduces black point system for driving offenders. This makes me happy.

6) Dhofari Gucci is busy figuring out resolutions for 2013. Need to work on becoming a better person. In the meantime, Bon Iver's 'Skinny Love' is stuck in my head today... particularly Birdy's version of the song. Watch it here. That child is incredible.

Appeals Court Upholds 'Unnecessary Verdict'

Dhofari Gucci is disappointed. If you haven't been following the news (not sure if it's even on the news yet) but Wednesday's sessions at the appeals court in Muscat proved to be a disappointment. If you remember, in July a rather large group of citizens (some of them university students) were charged with defaming His Majesty, incitement, and unlawful gatherings (Don't come to Oman! Blocking roads can lead you to prison!) and were all sentenced to jail time and fines. Anyway, they were released on bail and the final appeal session was Wednesday December 12, 2012. Unfortunately, despite the pettiness of their so-called crimes, they will all complete their jail terms.

One year in jail and a fine for slander and defaming His Majesty & so-called 'negative' writing online:

1. Ali Hilal Al Maqbali

2. Hamad Abdullah Mubarak Al Kharusi

3. Mahmood Hamad Al Rawahi

4. Mohammed Khatir Al Badi

5. Mohammed Zayed Al Habsi

6. Abdullah Salim Al Siyabi

7. Talib Ali Al Abri

8. Abdullah Mohammed Al Araimi

9. Muna Suhail Said Hardan

10. Rashid Awadh Al Badi

11. Nabhan Salim Al Hanshi

Mohammed Al Badi and Muna Hardan will go to prison after their end of term exams at college (Muna goes to Dhofar Univesity and her crime apparently is a rather stupid Facebook status update insulting His Majesty). Do I think she deserves a year in prison? Absolutely not.

Six months in jail and a fine for slander and defamation:

1. Hamoud Hamdan Al Rashdi (whose crime was holding up a pathetic banner)

Six months in jail and a fine for 'illegal gathering' (i.e. protesting on the sidewalk outside the ROP headquarters in Qurum):

1. Said Al Hashmi (Activist: Government will be happy to have him locked away for six months!)

2. Basma Mubarak Al Kiyumi (Activist)

3.  Basma Sulaiman Al Rajhi (Activist)

4. Nasser Saleh Al Ghilani

5. Abdullah Mohammed Al Ghilani

6. Bader Nasser Al Jabri

7. Mahmood Hamad Al Rawahi

8. Khalid Saleh Al Noofli

9. Mukhtar Mohammed Al Hinai

10. Mohammed Khalifa Al Fazari

11. Mahmood Mohammed Al Gamoodi

Mohammed Al Fazari will start his sentence after end of semester exams in December.

Note: (this does NOT mean that Dhofari Gucci supports irresponsible online insults and rumors, because I don't. I just feel that one year in prison is ridiculous. Oman doesn't need this right now).

Two Small Announcements

Ehem...

(1) Trygve Harris, (Enfluerage)otherwise known as Salalah's Frankincense Lady is hosting an Open House at her frankincense and myrrh distillery in South Saada (when you turn into Saada from Al Rabat road onto 18th of November Road, take your first right. She's the second house on the left. Practically the first house in Saada). Open House will be on Wednesday December 5 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. You will be able to try out her frankincense oil, frankincense water and her amazing ice creams (frankincense, Salalah milk banana, Darbat jasmine, Chai Hakim, Gardenia and Grandma's Christmas).  She also has local honeys, frankincense candles and myrrh water. Everyone is invited!

(2) A female American teacher is interested in offering private English lessons or tutoring sessions to kids (or adults) in Salalah in the morning until 3 p.m - or after 8 p.m. She is an experienced tutor. If you know of anyone who is looking for a tutor immediately, please send me an email and pass the word around. Teachers, pass this information onto your students! Tons of Omanis are looking for a native English speaker to help improve their English.

That's all for now folks! Enjoy the dusty weather (not)!

An Interesting Article...

It's been a couple of weeks, and as guilty as I may feel sometimes, I'd like you know that I do have a life/committments/deadlines/work crises just like you. Often I have to prioritize. These past few days have been a wonderful break from the continuous chaos in my life. I spent the holidays reading, Mirbat-ing it like everyone else in this town, chewing on abalone (end of season.. weep!), and stuffing my face at Siam Kitchen.

 

Anyway, before I forget I wanted to post the link to an interesting article I found online (that several of you also forwarded to me .. thanks!). Yet another piece about the political situation in Oman. This one is called "Qaboos can make mistakes like anyone else".  At first (naturally) the title made me furious because I am not accustomed to hearing anyone refer to our Sultan by his first name. However, I had to remind myself that I was being ridiculous.

 

Although much of what Valeri says makes perfect sense to me  (especially the first half), I have to agree with what someone said in the comments of the previous post. Marc Valeri seems to hold some little personal grudge against the Sultan. This is evident in his writings. I respect him as a scholar and I am familiar with his work (and Claire Beaudevin's work, whom he mentioned at the end of his piece). However, this articles takes a rather narrow view of the situation in Oman, and I don't think it paints an accurate picture of what is going on right now.

 

Yes, I agree His Majesty Sultan Qaboos is a human just like you or me, but he is an ENLIGHTENED human who has done a world of good for this country, and I admire him very much.  As an Omani citizen, small things irritate me occasionally; for example pardoning hundreds of prisoners every year by 'Royal blessing' on both Eids and on National Day doesn't speak well for our justice system, not being able to publicly discuss the question of succession, worrying about the 'elite circle' that Valeri refers to several times, etc, etc (the list is long). But, he is my Sultan, he is a wonderful person, and I will always be loyal to him.  

 

Have you read the piece? What did you think?

Why social media - not violence - could bring change to Oman

An interesting piece from the BBC by Matthew Teller "Why social media - not violence - could bring change to Oman". I'm sorry I missed his visit to Salalah last month. What are your thoughts on his piece?

Salma's Chocolates

If you thought Salma's Chocolates were so 'last Eid', you are mistaken. Let's just say I was rather bitter that Muscat Mutterings and Blu Chi received boxes of these heavenly chocolates, so a generous soul sent me two boxes with a very generous messenger. Thank you sender and messenger!

I waited for my choco-holic siblings to return from a trip abroad before I opened the boxes because I think it's un-ethical to eat fancy chocolates alone. The flavors are all Omani-inspired (except the cheesecake!). I really enjoyed the Halwa chocolate, coconut, ginger, and Omani coffee. To be honest, they taste just as good as the extremely over-priced Patchi brand.

As far as I know, Salma's Choclates are available at the Sultan Centre in Muscat. TLS gave directions to her boutique in a comment under this poist. Great gift idea for Eid!

So, have you tried Salma's chocolates? What did you think?

PS (my brother would like to be referred to as Ray Gabana)

Read before ....

Foreign Policy has published a rather interesting and somewhat balanced (in my opinion) piece called Insulting the Sultan in Oman. I highly recommend reading it before it is quietly removed off the Omani version of the world wide web. I'm not entirely sure whether the busy creatures monitoring the internet in Oman will appreciate reading the F-bomb and the Sultan in the same sentence.

Eid Al Adha Holidays Announced

One week holidays for the public sector....  and the private sector supposedly goes back to work on Wednesday the 31st.

YAY!

Tribal Clashes

Excuse my French, but sometimes the things that happen in Dhofar make me want to stand on the edge of a cliff (preferrably in Dhalkut) and shout 'WHAT THE F*** PEOPLE???".

In  case you hadn't heard, there were clashes between two tribes in the mountains above Taqah on Wednesday. A friend of mine was there accidently and was reporting to me from the scene. I honestly don't know what to say or what to think. Groups of men from Al Mahri tribe and Al Awaid tribe were arguing for ages over land, grass, and where animals could graze. These arguments ended up in a planned brawl. They descended upon each other from the hills with their weapons (If you have kids, remember the four tribes scene from the movie Brave? Same thing)

Eight people at least were injured and the police/army had to get involved. We're talking hundreds of people here. It's INSANE. (it may have been hundreds of observers as well according to one of the comments below)

Other tribes got involved to try and stop the fight, and some tribes had the audacity to encourage one side to kill. YES KILL.

In the end tribal Sheikhs managed to negotiate peacefully and it all ended.

And you know what? No one got arrested as far as I know. The ROP knew about it in advance. Are they terrified of the tribes down south? Are we that dangerous? Are they afraid of a rebellion? I honestly don't understand. Everyone in town is talking about it. It just feels so medieval.

I have a photo of the police and army on the scene as groups of men attack each other but for some reason it doesn't want to upload. I'll try again in a little while. In the meantime, the Times of Oman actually published a little piece on the fight. I'm surprised they got away with it. Usually the government tries its best to pretend tribalism doesn't exist in Oman.

PS (It was purely tribal. Not a fight between two random groups of people according to a comment below)

Omani Women's Day 2012

Ah.... Women's Day. Three men actually congratulated me today on the achievements of women in Oman. Another two reminded me gently that the role of women lies in the home. I'm having a difficult week filled with sleepless nights, so I wasn't in the mood for arguing. I should have, but I couldn't.

 

To honour Omani Women's Day, I'd like to remind all of you that despite my rants about women's rights and discrimination, the situation in Oman for women has improved SO MUCH in recent years.

 

Another reminder... my fight for women these past three and a half years through this blog hasn't been against the government (there are very few laws discriminating against women in Oman). My fight is against how society perceives women. The culture here doesn't support female empowerment, especially in the south (Dhofar) where I live. My goal is to empower women (in my real life) to start believing they CAN be who they want to be.

 

If you're an Omani woman (or any woman!) and you're reading this, make this your Mantra:

 

1. I CAN be who I want to be.

2. I can drive if I  want to.

3. I can work if I want to.

4. I can choose the career that I WANT (be it an astronaut or a baker)

5. I can own a business.

6. I can travel without a chaperone because I HAVE THE RIGHT to see the world (right, D385?)

7. I can love who I want and marry who I want.

8. I can live a meaningful life.

9. I can step out of my front door and walk around my neighborhood if I want to.

10. I can sing and laugh and run and enjoy life.

11. I have the right to move and be healthy and practice sports.

12. I have an awesome leader (His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said) who BELIEVES in me and all the other women in this country.

13. I can be a Minister, a Lawyer, a teacher, a housewife, a chef ... I can be who I want to be.

14. I can own my own home and control my own funds because I earned them.

15. No one can stop me from achieving my dreams.

16. No one can stop me from achieving my goals.

17. I am beautiful, I am smart, I am talented, and I BELIEVE in myself.

 

Yes, you do. You are beautiful. Every single one of you.

 

Happy Women's day from Gucci, who is curled up in bed with her pink grill shades and a mug of Salalah  tea raised in your honour.

The Grapevine

Living in Salalah has its advantages, but again it also has a wacky side. When smartphones landed in this town and people started using BBM and WhatsApp, such applications ended up becoming a virtual town hall. Wedding announcements, special offers, funeral announcements, and breaking local news. I'd receive the same damn message from 20 different people everyday. It can be highly amusing sometimes but also very annoying when it's an OBVIOUS rumor. For some reason, many people here believe anything and everything they receive on their phone (I mean, seriously, why would you question a story about Obama being Jewish or a local's housemaid being a witch? WhatsApp is the world's most accurate news agency!! (NOT).

Just this week:

WhatsApp @7 p.m: "Breaking News! Dar Al Arab restaurant in Salalalh serves dog meat in their shawarmas! Fifty dog heads were found in the house of the Bangladeshi chef"

WhatsAPp @ 7:45 p.m "Breaking news! Burj Dubai Restaurant in Salalah serves dog meat in their hamburgers! 100 dog heads found in the house of the Nepalese chef!"

See what I mean?

Yesterday, an unfortunate incident in Al Qouf (central Salalah) involved a little girl falling to her death from the balcony of her home on busy Al Salam street. I saw photos of the incident from different sources, and everyone's talking about it at work, so I assume it's true. Then again, no one can agree whether she was a 6-year-old Egyptian, a 5-year-old Jordanian, or a 9-year-old Moroccan. In all cases, send a little prayer to her family and keep an eye on your kids.

Last week someone murdered someone in Salalah. No one can agree whether the murderer was foreign or Omani, or whether the victim was foreign or Omani. They can't agree whether it was a stabbing or a shooting, honor or revenge. All we know is that someone was murdered.

And finally this morning, another sad case. Apparently, a bunch of drug addicts tossed the body of their friend just outside Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah. Apparently he died of a drug overdose. I know someone who knows his family, so I know this one isn't a rumor either. Our drug problem isn't being brought out into the open. Campaigning takes place in Muscat. I know there are plans to establish a rehab centre in Oman, but people in the regions need to know the reality of the situation. We want statistics, numbers, cases. Drugs are available in Salalah and combating them silently (hint: ROP) isn't going to work. Locals need to bring it out into the open. Fear of shame won't get us anywhere. Not now. We have real problems that need to be tackled. The first step to solving any problem is to talk about it.  

I don't know what the purpose of this post is. Bits and pieces of news that I received on WhatsApp. Being a blogger, often I'm grateful for the local grapevine of news, and sometimes it annoys me to death because people believe everything. Oh, and in case you're wondering why I'm quiet these days, it's because I'm ill. Yup, the Salalah post-monsoon virus has reached the Gucci home (and not via WhatsApp either).

Note

I'm alive in case you were wondering. Just surviving the post-rain allergy season and more stressful Salalah goings-on (polygamists, more murder, deadly car accidents, tribal street fights, and scandal). In case you noticed all the action near Al Rawas mosque last night, apparently someone was stabbed to death. Yikes.

Protests

So there was a little protest in Salalah yesterday after Friday prayers and my pal Mahfaif was kind enough to let me use his photo.

I still think the whole situation is stupid and embarrassing for all Muslims. I pray it all stops very soon.

Possible Friday Protests?

It's still raining in Salalah. Nice big puddles outside my front door this morning. Anyway, this post isn't about my love for rain. It's about a ridiculous situation. If you haven't been following the news, drag yourself out of your little shell and find out what's going on. International media has informed us that several countries in the Middle East have witnessed protests in front of US Embassies since the tragic attack on the US embassy in Libya that resulted in the death of its ambassador and other diplomats. Although media outlets claim the Libya attack was caused by the STUPID movie that one moron made about the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), I think that's highly doubtful. Many other elements were involved. Anyway, the Libya protests triggered a chain reaction (naturally, because that's how we roll in the ME).  

 

There 'may' have been a few ignorant protesters in front of the US embassy in Muscat yesterday. The embassy dutifully sent a warning email to all American citizens in Oman because they had to. The situation does not appear to be dangerous at all. Read more on Muscat Mutterings here.

 

As for Salalah, there were calls yesterday to protest in central Salalah after evening prayers, but I have not heard of anything and I assume ROP officers were informed beforehand and on the scene before anyone else got there. Today is Friday and I ASSUME the sermon inthe mosques in a couple of hours will be about this whole drama. I'm PRAYING that the sermon reminds people that one moron filmmaker is in no way related to their faith. I'm PRAYING that the sermon is positive and encourages people to follow Islam peacefully, and to hell with morons.

 

I condemn stupidity. I don't give a damn about some idiot and his film. The US government has nothing to do with this, nor do innocent embassy employees. Almost everyone I know thinks the protests are beyond stupid. Practice your faith, be peaceful, and be a GOOD EXAMPLE. All you protesters are just setting us back a thousand miles. Islam is peaceful. Your version is wacked.

 

"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds" ~ B.M

Horizon Fitness Salalah

Many of you may already know that the popular Horizon Fitness (25+ branches in Muscat?) arrived in Salalah last week. They opened a men's branch behind the salmon building and a female branch in the big salmon pink building on Al Nahdha street opposite the fountain roundabout. I'll refrain from calling it the ugly salmon pink building because some of my readers apparently live there, and you wouldn't want to call someone's home ugly now, would you? :)

SO, I'm not one for publishing offers... but I paid a visit to Horizon Fitness (the female branch) and their opening offers end on Thursday. They're pretty good so thought I'd share:

1. They have a well-equipped gym with plenty of equipment, so you don't have to fight over who gets the treadmill. They have a proper locker room, showers, etc (new for Salalah, I tell ya!)

2. They have well-trained staff who speak English and most of them are certified health professionals. The lead person there is called Cora I think and she's seems to know exactly what she's doing.

3. They have aerobics classes, Zumba classes, cardio jams, and other workouts with trainers. They look like fun. If they allow pink grill shades, I might be tempted by the Zumba classes. (oh and they have a belly dancing class too!!! Trust me, belly dancing is fun)

4. Prices: they have a special opening offer now that ends ON THURSDAY (as in 48 hours from now), so if you're interested, get moving. You can buy either gym memberships, aerobics memberships or a combinations of both. They also have one-on-one coaching packages if you want your own personal trainer.

GYM MEMBERSHIP: One month gym membership (including 4 personal trainer sessions + fitness test + diet book + registration and membership card) = 89 Rials. Two months is 108. Three months is 118. Four months is 123. Full year is 168. Trust me, that's a good offer. After Thursday it goes up to 140, 195, 205, 225, and 375 respectively.

AEROBICS CLASSES: One month aerobics package (includes registration and diet book) = 71 Rials. Three months is 146. Six months is 246. One year is 426. After that it goes up to 100, 190, 320, and 570 respectively.

AEROBICS & GYM: One month includes (gym, aerobics, personal trainer sessions, diet book, fitness test, registration) = 124. Two months is 167. Three months is 197. Four months is 212. One year is 458. After Thursday is goes up to 200, 295, 325, 465, and 790 respectively.

If you're interested, the staff are very friendly and helpful. They also have a weird slimming treatment called Ion Magnum, and plenty of hair removal treatments.

I was not asked by them to share this. I just thought I'd share because sharing is caring.

Gucci

 PS ( their phone number is 23291063)

Honor Killings Part 2

Remember my April post on honor killings? If you remember, the sentencing was postponed to September and the family of the deceased has refused to budge. Negotiations have been going on for more than a year. Less than an hour ago the judge handling the case sentenced the killer. He is to be executed. I have received this news from 17 different sources in the past half hour, non of them official. However, I assume it's correct. Many details have emerged about the chaos inside the courtroom. In all cases, I have mixed feelings. He murdererd a man, and even though he deserves punishment, my heart feels heavy. Today I will be praying for the families of both the victim and the criminal. I can't even begin to imagine what they must be going through. This case has been the talk of Salalah for the past year and a half. Please pray for them.

September

 (my friend's farm in Dhalkut, west of Salalah - heaven)

24 Hours without rain. Is this the end of the monsoon? Should I go into mourning? But wait, I received a very very delicious gift from Muscat. Someone very nice decided that Dhofari Gucci deserved two boxes of heaven. Stay tuned...

Vet in Salalah?

Can anyone provide information to help answer this person's question?

Dear Ms.Gucci,

I've been offered a position in Salalah. I own a beautiful dog that I would intend to take with me. From my recruitment consultancy they insist that there are vet clinics in Salalah. From what I read in your useful blog and other comments elsewhere, you seem to imply that there are no "official" vets around (and that's what I also understood from other people's comments). I have read that once a week thare's a vet on-call from Muscat but that would not be enough for me. I am very attached to my dog and do care about its wellbeing. Taking into account that Salalah is 1000 kms from Muscat, I would definitely NOT take my pet if I had to resort to Muscat for help or an "occasional" vet on-call. What's your point of view on this? How safe do you think it is to have a dog in Salalah in case there's an emergency? Your answer will be highly appreciated as it's a crucial issue for me. Thanks a lot for your help.

Mr. Worried

More Salalah Drama

(attempts to rescue victims at Mughsayl yesterday)

This has been a bad couple of weeks. Five more people were killed in a car accident a couple of days ago in Dhofar, and yesterday two people drowned in Mughsayl while three others were rescued at the same location. One person (a UAE national) died at the hospital, and the missing body is also a UAE national.

(tragedy watching - a hobby in this part of the world)

No offence to the dead, but seriously?! Swimming during monsoon?!!! There are signs everywhere on all beaches saying 'Swimming is dangerous from MAY to OCTOBER'. The undercurrents are just too dangerous. You've seen what the waves have done to the beach road in Salalah. You think they can't drag your body down as well? NEVER underestimate the strength of the ocean.