Shura Council Candidates - Salalah 2011

Hey everyone... here are the entertaining characters who want to represent Salalah in Majlis Al Shura (the closest we'll ever get to having a parliament). You can look at the Ministry of Interior link here for candidates from the rest of Oman. Only 2 of these ambitious 32 people will be elected. As far as I know, elections are on October 15th.

1. Ahmed Aufit Abdullah Al Shanfari

2. Ahmed Mohammed Moqbil Al Aamri

3. Amna Khadim Said Al Awadi (female!)

4. Amira Mohammed Al Hakim Al Shanfari (also female - danger alert!)

5. Hamid Ahmed Ali Al Haddad

6. Hussein Abdullah Ahmed Al Haddad

7. Hafidh Abdullah Ahmed BaOmar

8. Khalid Al Safi Khamis Al Haribi (I voted for his brother last time)

9. Khalid Mohammed Awadh Al Shanfari

10. Ramis Mohammed Al Mashali Al Kathiri

11. Zakaria Al Ghassani (NOOOOOOOOO.... he's on every billboard)

12. Salim Said Ahmed Bahaid

13. Salim Suhail Al Sum Bait Said

14. Salim Ali Ahmed Al Kathiri

15. Salim Ali Salim Al Turk Al Kathiri

16. Salim Mohammed Musallam Al Kathiri

17. Suad Fail Mubarak Bait Mighrab (Female!)

18. Said Ahmed Saad Al Shahri

19. Said Saad Faraj Al Shahri (a former Shura member and is running again)

20. Said Awadh Ashoor Al Shajibi

21. Said Mohammed Said Al Shahri

22. Suhail Ajham Ali Bait Said

23. Abdullah Salim Said Al Shanfari

24. Ali Mohammed Al Mardoof Al Kathiri

25. Mohammed Ahmed Faraj Al Ghassani

26. Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al Rawas

27. Mohammed Ali Said Bait Ali Sulaiman (our friend in the photo :)

28. Mohammed Mubarak Gahnoon Al Hadhry

29. Maryam Ahmed Ati Balhaf (female!)

30. Nasser Said Mohammed Safrar

31. Nasser Ali Musallam Bait Said

32. Naif Omar Awadh Al Rawas

Worth noting that you can't click on the resume for any of them through the website. There's a link but it doesn't work. So much for getting to know your candidates! If you know anything about any of these people, post a comment with the candidate number. May the best man/woman win!

Please Explain

Forgive the crappy photography, but seriously guys .... I've been highly amused with all the billboards popping up around Salalah this week for the Majlis Al Shura elections coming up in October. The same crap. The same lines ("everyone has a right to vote!" , "women are half of society!", "youth are the heart of society!") ... come up with something original, will ya? As for dude in the photo up there, I have no idea who he is but I just had to point out that he's smiling in one photo and looking bored in the other. Hilarious. Good luck whoever your are!

PS (my friend's theory is that he wants us to know he's good looking regardless of whether he's smiling or not)

History of Mirbat

I was pleasantly surprised to see an article this morning in Muscat Daily on a forum that will be held on September 26th and 27th in Dhofar titled "Mirbat Throughout History". According to the article (which included several spelling mistakes....)"the programme compliments the national project to identify Omani cities and wilayats and explore their history and their scientific, intellectual and civilisational achievements. During the seminar, working papers on intellectual and scientific life, historic statues, geography, archeological landmarks, heritage and renaissance era will be presented".
Some of the speakers include Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Amri, Dr Ahmed bin Abdulrahman Balkhier, Dr Mohammed bin Said Draiby al Amri, Omar bin Abdullah Mahroos al Saiari and researchers Mohammed bin Mustahail al Shahri and Said bin Khalid al Amri.

Back in the days, Mirbat was commercial marina, and quite famous for Arabian horses. If you drive into Mirbat (an hour's drive east of Salalah), you'll notice two statues of Arabian horses by the side of the road. On the way to Mirbat, just before Mamoura Roundabout (the huge one with fountains and plastic animals), you'll notice the Royal Cavalry to your right. Usually there are about 20-30 beautiful Arabian horses chilling in the sun.

Anyway, Mirbat is a magical place, rich with culture, camping spots, beautiful beaches, white sand dunes, witches, hyenas, music, Jinn, abandoned old houses, and all that good stuff.

9/11 .... Ten Years Later.

It's 8 a.m. Dhofari Gucci is sipping her morning cup of coffee and looking out at the end of the monsoon drizzle in Salalah. I live thousands of miles away from the United States, and it should be a normal morning for someone like me, but it's not. Ten years ago, a series of coordinated suicide attacks killed 2977 human beings and led to the collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Will the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed 230,000 people remain stuck in my memory forever? What about the Japan earthquakes that killed 16,000 people and wiped out entire villages and towns? Yes and no. I believe it's easier to 'accept' natural disasters and mourn the death of victims because natural disasters are exactly that. There is more closure because it ws an act of God. As for incidents like the Holocaust or 9/11 or the 2011 Norway murderer that killed mostly teenagers, I find them hard to even begin to accept or forget because they were acts of hate. Humans killing humans is something I will never understand.

9/11 was definitely a tragedy and the whole world watched it happen live on TV. I was sitting in the living room with my family watching in horror as the second plane appeared and the twin towers collapsed. It is something I will never ever forget. The aftermath ... the shock, the sadness, the anger, the 'very few' sick terrorists who chose to celebrate (and who do not represent the rest of us peaceful Muslims),.... it went on for months. However, it happened ten years ago, and it's over.
Do we know all the facts about what really happened? I don't know. Did 9/11 deserve all the media coverage it got? No, I don't think so. Why did the famine in Somalia that has killed TENS OF THOUSANDS of people this year disappear from headlines, hmm? Or add up the number of peaceful Israelis and Palestinians who've lost their lives over the years... or the number of innocent civilians murdered in Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan, etc..... and just compare.

Like many people out there, I do not agree with the US policies and I have no respect for government decisions, especially those that involve 'going to war' with this nation or that nation to 'fight' terrorism (WTF), but I spent a good chunk of my life in the US and I'm asking you not to generalize. Most Americans are wonderful, sweet and friendly people who probably hate their government more than we do. The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is going to bring back a lot of bad feelings and may even open up a can of unwanted worms.

As a Muslim, 9/11 has affected me of course, and has mostly affected Muslims in the US. When I was abroad, I got the usual hate comments when walking down the street, ... in airports I was treated like an invalid, with securty guards even taking the small pin that keeps my hijab in place (yeah, like I could totally do damage with a scarf pin, right?). Instead of getting pissed off and creating a fuss, I've learned to wear scarves that stay in place without a pin when I travel. I don't know where I'm going with this post. My brain is a mess, but one thought is crystal clear: if we all followed the golden rule and treated others as we ourselves want to be treated, the world would be a better place.

“If each man or woman could understand that every other human life is as full of sorrows, or joys, or base temptations, of heartaches and of remorse as his own . . . how much kinder, how much gentler he would be.” .... Amen.

39% Increase in Salalah Visitors during Monsoon 2011

From Muscat Daily:

After a decline in Ramadan, the number of visitors to Salalah surged during the Eid holidays, taking the total figure beyond the 300,000 mark. Recording a total of 328,687 tourists till September 5, the city saw such a rush after a gap of two years. In 2009 and 2010, the visitor numbers dwindled to 293,043 and 262,203 respectively. However, this year, volumes were robust since the beginning of the Salalah Tourism Festival on June 21.
According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of National Economy (MoNE) in co-operation with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and ROP, there as an increase of 38.6 per cent in the number of tourists visiting the Dhofar region till September 5, compared to the same period last year. In 2010, only 237,131 tourist arrivals were recorded.
Although the number of visitors declined sharply with the start of Ramadan, with only 8,534 tourists between August 1 and 17, the numbers rose significantly during the extended Eid holidays. For the next 20 days, from August 18 to September 5, the numbers soared to 44,232. The largest number of tourists - 10,627 – was recorded arriving on August 31, and 8,204 on September 1. However, the highest number for the entire season was recorded on July 21, with 19,906 visitors.
With a total of 221,800 visitors, Omanis formed the majority of those travelling to Salalah, followed by GCC residents (75,023). The rest constituted Arabs (4,085), Asians (25,679), Europeans (1,393), Americans (399), Africans (133), Oceanians (174) and one of unknown nationality. The survey also found that the majority of people (299,781) travelled to the Dhofar region by road while 28,906 chose to travel by air. An official from the MoNE's survey department said that a good turnout had been expected this year. “The rains came in at the right time, and then there was the Ramadan factor, which was a positive.” Also, with many other destinations in the region witnessing political turmoil, Salalah proved to be an ideal place for many to spend their summer vacations at,” he said.

A Little Somethin on the Side

Forgive me. This is in no way related to Salalah or life in Dhofar. I came across this video just now. Apparently it was only uploaded a few hours ago and I'm viewer number 28. It will become an Omani YouTube sensation I'm sure. In the meantime, this had me on the floor laughing. If you're not familiar with Rebecca Black's song "Friday" (voted the worst video/song of all time - but surprisingly enough it became a HUGE YouTube sensation). Watch it BEFORE you watch the Omani parody of the song. Original song is here. Omani HILARIOUS parody here. Azzan & Moe, you guys rock! Dhofari Gucci is now officially a fan. I tip my Qamboo3a to you in appreciation :)

Post-Eid jetlag

Dear Readers,

Eid was a wonderful break from life, internet, work, and all the other petty things that occupy my time :)

. (1) Salalah is beautiful today. Come and visit us. It was raining this morning and we had a couple of thunder and lightening episodes (unusual) during Eid. During Eid Salalah witnessed a stampede (my way of discribing it) of UAE and Saudi tourists. They're still here and will probably stay until Friday. Traffic is crazy, but they're boosting our economy so I won't complain. (not today anyhow).

. (2) Interesting post from our sleepy dragon Muscat Confidential. Curious comment regarding the hijab though in His Majesty's interview. You should check it out.

. (3) An exhibition (our version of an international market sale) is taking place at Samahram Tourist Village (before Hilton) from September 5th until the 31st. If you're looking for cheap Chinese products, cotton candy, Yemeni spices and jewellry, Pakistani wood, rolls of cloth, underwear adorned with pink and blue and green feathers (I kid you not), or fancy vegetable cutting tools, that is the place to go. It's always fun to just roam the stalls and you're bound to find something you like

(4) Schools started today in most parts of Oman. Traffic was crazy this morning but it was fun seeing all the kids in their crisp new uniforms and brand new backpacks.
(5) Now that Ramadhan is over, wedding season is back. Three people I knew got married last Thursday and a dozen more are getting married this week on Thursday as well.
How was your Eid?

WOOHOOOO!!!

Hey everyone! Bring on the holidays!! I am off work until next week and plan on getting some serious R & R during the next few days. Eid at last! I haven't had a holiday since .... 23rd of July weekend? Before I sign off, I'd better warn you against going out anytime after 8 p.m today, tomorrow and Tuesday. The streets are crazy, the traffic is nuts, and it's just not worth it. If you need to buy stuff for Eid, go out at 9 a.m. Oh, and if you're an expat and have noticed signs popping up all over Salalah with photos of semi-dignified looking men on them, it's Majlis Al Shura elections time and all those photoshopped men are candidates. I've never heard of any of them before, so they'll have to earn my vote. I'll probably end up voting for Khalid Al Haribi, the only candidate with a Twitter, YouTube AND Facebook account. Campaigning in Oman is moving to a whole new level :)

.

Off for now! Need to plan my home goddess Iftar menu for the fam. How are you spending Eid?

Eid Holiday Announced ... sort of

Allrighty.... Eid Holiday for the public sector and government start on Monday August 29th and work resumes on Monday the 5th. How cool is that? Now, let's wait for the private sector announcement...

Eid Announced

Yes, guys. For the first time EVER, Oman is following astronmic calculations for Eid. There will be no moonsighting committee next Monday. The first day of Eid will be August 31st, 2011... next Wednesday. So ... dare I hope for a holiday on Tuesday/Wednesday and then Saturday/Sunday? This is a huge step for Oman. For the first time, people may just be able to plan their Eid vacations! (it will be announced in the newspaper tomorrow - keep yer eyes peeled)

Friday

(photo: Darbat Valley during the monsoon)

Jum'a Mubaraka (i.e. Blessed Friday) to all your readers out there, regardless of which corner of the earth you come from. Today I realized that we've almost completed two whole weeks of fasting. Unbelievable how time flies. For some reason I feel fasting this year has been much easier. Hunger strikes around 2 - 3 p.m then it's gone again. It's amazing how easy it is to program our bodies to live without food or drink for 14 hours.

Ramadhan in Salalah has been wonderful this year. It's been raining almost everyday and the weather is cool. My thoughts and prayers go out to those of you around the MENA region who are fasting in 50 degree weather (Celsius!).

Bits and pieces from Salalah (I've decided to leave my white prostitution post till after Ramadhan .. naturally):

(1) Donations for Somalia run by a group of young men in Salalah end on August 15th, so if you haven't taken your bags of rice or noodles yet, go now! They are no longer accepting clothes, so stick to dried foods. The location is next to Aqeel Mosque in eastern Salalah off Al Montazah Road. Phone numbers listed in previous post.

(2) Even though Lulu Hypermarket Salalah (the largest in Oman) is new and extremely busy, I was surprised to find that many basic products were unavailable these past couple of weeks due to the Ramadhan food rush. Some bins in the frozen food section are completely empty. When I asked an employee about a basic product that I always buy and that hasn't been available for the past 10 days (Lulu is my local supermarket since I live nearby), he said 'Oh Madam, it's because of Ramadhan'. Believe it or not, I couldn't even find a tub of vanilla ice cream! AT LULU!

(3) Tourist season is not over yet. I am able to spot at least 20 or 30 UAE cars on my to or from work everyday. I'm worried about Eid, though. Will we get thousands of tourists from GCC countries during Eid? Should I go back to Alaska?

(4) To all your Dhofaris out there, I need your help with something. I want to know where I can find the Dhofari sweet 'Qashat' on a regular basis? And does anyone know what happened to the woman who has been selling Qashat by the side of the road on 23rd of July St for years? She disappeared when the construction started.

(5) Interesting report in Business Today Magazine (Oman-based) on women in the workplace.

(6) I was very happy to see an article on fellow blogger Trygve Harris, Dhofar's very own Frankincense lady (she's not Dhofari, but almost! :) in The Week yesterday. You can read the article here. She was also responsible for the delicious Frankincense Ice Cream project at the Salalah Tourist Festival in July (based in Haffa Souq), and recently registered her Salalah based company 'Enfleurage Middle East' in Oman. I will now be able to order frankincense ice cream online! WOOHOO!!!!!

(7) And finally, Dhofari Gucci has decided (after discussing it with a friend and fellow blogger last night) that she no longer wants to have children. At this very moment, I am not kidding. As someone who follows world new regularly, it is hard to remain optimistic about the future of mankind. This week alone, tens of thousands are starving to death in Somalia, hundreds of thousands of Japanese are still trying to rebuild their lives after the series of horrific earthquakes and tsunamis, the riots England this week are a good example of why no one is safe anymore in this world, the stock market crash deserves a post of its own, the Syrian army continues to murder its own people on a daily basis, Libya and Yemen are a disaster, .. the list gets longer. And then you know what the top item is on Reuters this morning? Kim Kardashian sues Old Navy for a lookalike model. WHO GIVES A RAT'S A**?! Seriously, folks, I don't want to bring a child into this world. If you're able to convince me otherwise, be my guest and the comments section is all yours.

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Tata for now! - Nadia

Somalia Donations

Hey everyone! Ramadhan Kareem! I received a few emails asking about how/where to donate in other parts of Oman. In Salalah the donation camp is open during the whole month of Ramadhan. The actual headquarters of the Oman Charitable Organization are in Muscat. If you wish to donate here or in Muscat, you can call one of these guys:

- Ahmed 99492845

-Mohammed 99492966

- Abdullah 99696333

-Said 99493100

- Musallam 92334207

- Mohammed 97187778

- Ali 99283030
Please spread the word!

Donations for Somalia

Several young men in Salalah, with the blessings of Oman Charitable Organization are collecting donations in Salalah today to support victims of the current famine in Somalia. They are accepting blankets, sheets, neat folded (clean) clothes, tinned long life food (example: baby milk) and money. In the spirit of Ramadhan, donate what you can and encourage others to do the same.
.According to the UN, more than six out of every 10,000 people are dying of hunger every day in some parts of the Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions of Somalia. While there have been numerous disasters in the Horn of Africa over the past decade, it is the first time a famine has been declared in the region since 1992, when hundreds of thousands of Somalis starved to death, prompting an international peacekeeping intervention. Nearly half the population requires food aid.

DONATIONS: will be accepted next to Aqeel Mosque in East Salalah starting today, July 31. Drive down Al Montazah Road going towards Dahariz. Once you reach the first batch of coconut stands in East Salalah, turn left and you'll see the mosque.

23rd of July

41 years ago today a young man with a vision overthrew his father in a bloodless coup and turned this small primitive country into a modern state. happy birthday oman!

(on another note, does anyone know 'who' the prisoners released yesterday are? )

Fire

Hey guys.... as usual Dhofari Gucci was in the wrong place at the wrong time (i.e. at Baalbeck Lebanese Restaurant - on Salalah's main road, 23rd of July St.). Many of you may have heard that Al Ghubaish Enterprises, one of Salalah's oldest establishments is burning to the ground as we speak. The smoke can be seen from Saada and Raysut. Evidently fire fighters have not been able to put the fire out yet and it's spreading to other buildings. I hope it's under control now. If you hear of anything let me know. It took me 40 minutes to get out of the area because thousands of onlookers abandoned their cars and set off on foot to get a closer look at the fire. You can watch a video on YouTube here. Pray the fire wasn't deliberate and that no one was hurt.

Environment Society of Oman comes to Salalah!

Hi everyone! I'm reposting this from Dhofar Eco Bug's blog since it's a great cause (and Dhofari Gucci is all for good causes!). If you're in Salalah, please make an effort to go.
. " "I am delighted to announce that ESO (Environment Society of Oman) are holding a meeting in Salalah for their Dhofar members. The meeting will take place on Monday 11th July from 5 - 7pm at the Port of Salalah Auditorium. I would strongly encourage all ESO members to attend and, if you're not already a member, why not come along anyway and join up that evening? Please confirm attendance by contacting Omar Al Riyami (ESO volunteering/membership manager) omar.riyami@eso.org.om
I think this represents a great opportunity for us to get involved and hopefully create an active local group. There is often a tendency for all activity to be based in and around Muscat. Let's turn up in large numbers and show that Dhofar is committed to the environmental cause!

Remaining Prisoners Released

The remaining 8 Dhofar prisoners were released yesterday and came home today. My brothers went to greet them at the airport along with everyone else in Salalah! That marks the end of the Dhofar Protests chapter for the moment. You can watch the video here. Welcome home guys!

New Blogger!

As you can see, I'm alive after losing my long post on prostitution a couple of days ago. I'm still trying to re-write it but I have very little time (sigh). In the meantime, I'd like to welcome new blogger from Dhofar, .... our first blog for environmental issues ..... ladies and gentlemen ... please welcome ... *drumroll* .... 'Dhofar Eco Bug!'. To quote their first post: "

"I've started this blog because in the relatively short time I've been living in
Salalah I've noticed some things that, at best, cause me concern and, at worst,
make me downright angry. I hope this blog will provide a platform for people to
discuss environmental issues in the region and, most importantly, promote action
to effect positive change. Together we can make a difference".

I'm very glad you've joined the Omani blogosphere and especially the extremely understaffed Dhofari blogosphere!

Oh. My. God

I just drafted a 4-page post for you and blogger lot it. WTH. I could kill.

Holiday Announced

Dear Readers,

Wednesday June 29th (as in, three days from now) is the official Islamic holiday for the Israa & Miraj in Oman. Yay. I assume the private sector will be Thursday (if you work on Thursday), and Wednesday if you don't. Happy long weekend!

Working Women Rock!

So.....my dear readers (haters, fans and silent observers alike) As many of you know, I am passionate (sometimes too passionate) about women's issues and women's rights in Dhofar, Oman, and the Middle East. Recently, while googling women and Shura (rumor has it Dhoari Gucci is running for Al Shura in October ... beware!), I came across this cool website which appears tobe the first online community for Arab working women. It's called Femeo and is associated with Bayt.com, the Middle East's largest job site.
The MENA region, unfortunately, has the worst track record in the world for women in the workplace, which obviously reflects on society in general. In Arabic we say
نصف المجتمع معطل
Here is a World Bank report about the topic: Femeo is as community aiming to help and empower working women in the Middle East. They offer daily tips and advice, a networking section, and Career Assessments. It is available in both Arabic and English and reigstration is free (Woohoo!). You can also read daily articles, tips, and advice on career development, work-life, balance, etc (Um Azzan! :) ... their quizzes are also worth trying out. But... the best thing is that you can interact with the online community of women to share thoughts and ideas. To me, networking = empowerment. Especially for women. If you're a woman, check it out. If you're a guy, forward it to your working women. Don't worry, we don't plan on taking over the world (yet). Oh, and they are accepting contributions from working women who would like to inspire others by sharing their experiences and ideas. If any of you are interested, you can visit this link.

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PS (I'm drafting a post on what is called white-prostitution in Salalah. I had the strangest experience on Thursday. Watch this space)

Custody for Salalah Protesters Extended

Eight activists arrested in Salalah in May granted 15-day custody to complete probe on unauthorised gathering
By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief (Gulf News)
Published: 13:14 June 22, 2011
;Muscat: The Appeals Court in Muscat on Tuesday granted additional 15-day custody for eight activists, who were arrested from Salalah on May 12. The prosecution had asked for an extension of the custody of the eight protesters as they wanted to complete investigations in the case of rioting and unlawful gathering near Governor's Office in Salalah in the south of Oman.
'The security agencies had broken up 77-day peaceful long sit-in outside Governor's Office in Salalah on last May 12 and arrested an unspecified number of activists from the sit-in camp. Now only eight protesters from Salalah remain in police custody and prosecution sought and got extension of their custody for two weeks. The eight are, Mussalam Saeed, Salem Mashani, Saeed Al Maahri, Mohamed Amiri, Ali Maahri, Shaikh Nasser Al Shakroon, Ahmed Tabuk and Shaikh Amer Hardan.
;"Each activist was called individually by the judge and was given time to explain why prosecution should be denied request for additional 15-day custody," Ismail Al Muqbali, an activist from Sohar, who attended the trial, told Gulf News. Ismail said that as solidarity with the Salalah activists, he along with the other Sohar protesters Ammar Hinai and Ismail Al Muqbali, attended the hearing. The lawyers for the eight detainees also argued against the prosecution demand and asked for bail for their clients. However, after two days in court, the judge granted an additional 15 days, maximum possible under law, detention for the all eight. Al Muqbali, who was also arrested twice and released, said that they hope the remaining detainees from Salalah would be released soon.

Thursday

Week from hell. So glad it's the weekend (it rained, though. YAY). To my reader, Spordiac Afterthoughts, if you're attending a Dhofari wedding, it is not common to take a wedding gift. Only close friends/family of the bride usually give gifts. In fact, our society really isn't big on gifts at all, so don't worry too much if you don't know the bride personally. If you do know her personally, the norm is perfume or a watch or a beautiful scarf (shaila), or jewellery.

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This week isn't a good week for bloggers around the world. If you haven't heard about the blog scandal from Damascus, let me enlighten you. There was a FAMOUS blog called 'Gay Girl in Damascus' which highlighted what it was like to be a lesbian woman in a highly conservative Muslim society (i.e. Syria). The blog caused uproar in the Middle East and there were tons of people in Syria trying to find the blogger. The blogger then started reporting on the protests and arrests in Syria and became a 'credible' source for news agencies abroad on what was going on in Syria. Finally, a post appeared on the blog from the 'cousin' of the blogger saying Amina Abdullah (the blogger) had been snatched/kidnapped/taken/arrested in Damascus. This post caused more uproar in Syria and abroad with over 150,000 people joining the facebook page to release her. Human Rights NGOs got involved, and it was all over the internet. The blogger then was forced to confess on his blog that no, he is not a lesbian Syrian, and no he is not in Damascus. His name is Tom McMaster and he's a US Citizen doing his Masters in Scotland. It has been ALL OVER THE NEWS and as far as I'm concerned, people are over-reacting to the whole thing. But at the same time, it sheds light on the credibility of bloggers. People now assume they can no longer trust bloggers. There has been discussion over the past few years on whether blogs can be credible sources of information. I have been quoted several times in newspapers and publications around the world as 'Dhofari Gucci'. What if I turned out to be an expat man in Indonesia? (see?). It's a mess and I'm not sure what to think, but dear readers out there, no I am not a man, and yes I am a girl in Salalah. Rest assured. Cheers!

Heavy Reading

Good Morning Folks! It's official. I'm moving to Alaska. I can't stand the humidity anymore. I'm packing my bags and won't be back until the rain starts in July. (or now? it started raining this morning! early monsoon? dare I hope?). I've stopped wearing makeup because it melts the moment I step out of the house. If you're planning on visiting Salalah during the monsoon, come during the last week in July. If you're Muslim, come during August and enjoy Ramadhan fasting in the rain. It'll be around 26 Celcius (and around 50 celcius in the rest of the GCC), so fasting will be easier. I'm serious.

. I have to pass on Linoleum Surfer's latest post on FGM in Oman. If you're Dhofari, read this. If you practice FGM, read this. If you're Muslim, read this. READ THIS. Spread the word. The more people talk about it, the better.

. Oh, and they're now selling camel meat at Lulu Hyper. Just thought you should know :)

Tuesday

1. My coffee maker broke this morning. I am not a happy blogger.
. 2. I'd like to welcome new radio station Merge FM to the Omani ... radio-sphere? Tune in at 104.8 .... they're fun. You'll notice that along with several other bloggers I have the ad up on my sidebar. Please note that all proceeds will go to charity. Lots of ways to make a difference :)
. 3. I was a little surprised by the Minister of Higher Education's announcement this morning. According to Dr. Rawiya, there will be a 43% (FORTY THREE!!) increase in number of seats at colleges/universities in Oman for the 2011/2012 academic year. A total of 28,400 seats will be waiting for fresh high school graduates in September. Where are they going to put all those students?! This brings us back to the royal decree announcing a new government university. People are wondering where it will be built, and if the government will simply take over one of the existing private universities (Buraimi, Nizwa, Sohar, Salalah). I wonder ....... dare I hope for Salalah?
. 4. No cyclone hitting Oman folks. Stop spreading rumors. At the most we're hoping for a little rain on Friday/Saturday. (see photo above)
, 5. The 9 protest prisoners from Salalah who are being held in Samail have not been released. Only one of them - Faheem Al Mashani - was sent home a couple of days ago for health issues.
, 6. I'm thinking about FGM in Oman (Female Genital Mutilation)... a very very VERY common tradition. Thanks to Mimi and Susan from Muscat Daily, we may just be able to bring it out into the open in a more public way. Stay tuned. Ideas most welcome (Thanks Linoleum Surfer!)

The Electric Mufti!

Re-posting this from The Linoleum Surfer because it deserves to be read and re-read.

Bits and Pieces...

(1) Everything is calm in Salalah this week. We're still waiting for the release of the 9 activists from the Sumail prison. According to someone who was in touch with them, they are together in one cell and are doing well and feel they will be released soon.

(2) Dear Expat wife who is worrying about attending a Dhofari wedding. My advice to you, don't worry! Don't try to blend in or dress up like the Dhofari women. They'll love to have you there and you'll probably end up being one of the wedding's main attractions. Dress nicely in a skirt or dress or something. The dresses at the wedding will be completely over the top, so you don't want to dress in something too plain. If it's at a house, anything will go. If it's at a hotel, dress like you're going to a gala dinner or something. Go for bling and glitter. Elegant yet modest. You'll see everything from Grammy Awards evening gowns to $10000 Dhofari thobes.

(3) Interesting article about Islamic banking in the newspaper today.

(4) What the hell is wrong with Saudi Arabia? Can anyone explain to me why I have to see this in the news this morning? Saudi woman DETAINED for over a week for driving? Do Saudi authorities realize what year we live in? There are so many things about our world that I will never understand.

(5) Please pray for our next door neighbors, Yemen. It's gotten extremely nasty over the past few days and to me it looks like the army have been blindly shooting at protesters at their own version of 'Freedom Square'. We have so much to be thankful for in Oman. So much. Watch this video.

(6) Check out Dan & Jillian's project over in Sohar. It's a good cause. If you can donate, please do.

(7) Read more about Oman's marriage fund project here. (it was one of the demands in the recent protests).

(8) Interesting post on prostitution in Arabia from new blogger The Linoleum Surfer. Definitely worth a read. Don't attack the guy. He's stating facts (whether we like to hear them or not)

Happy Weekend everyone!

The Coast is Clear

For the first time since February, the Governor of Dhofar's parking lot is clear. The army moved out last night. The protesters are not there. There are no tanks, tents, speakers, vendors, machine guns or soldiers. For the first time in three months, the employees of the governor's office can claim their old parking spaces. For the first time in three months, the central Salalah boys can play soccer in their favourite spot. Yay!

In the meantime, because Ramadhan will probably start on August 1st, the Salalah Monsoon Festival has been brought forward two weeks and will start on July 1st instead of the 15th. It will end on July 31st and not continue during Ramadhan (much better). I look forward to a chaotic July, a quiet rainy month of fasting, and a beautiful September Insha'Allah. Have a great day everyone!

Salalah: From Chaos to Cool?

Looks like the army are withdrawing sheepishly from Salalah. Dahariz Roundabout is clear. Nahdha road is clear. Entrance to Governor's road is clear. The only remaining occupied area is 'half' of Freedom Square. That's a pretty big difference compared to last week.

However, people are still waiting to hear from the missing protesters who were airlifted out of the square and to Muscat on May 12th. What are the charges? Where were they taken? Mahfaif has their photos up on his blog. Check it out here.

Salalah seems to be quiet. The monsoon has started. Not the rain, but the ocean is wild and soon we'll have no beach. Has anyone heard about a possible cyclone?

Prisoners Released

Wow. Just found this video of the release of some prisoners last night. You'd better watch before someone erases it from YouTube. Also made it to the news this morning. Salalah is very quiet today. I hope it stays that way. Amen.

BREAKING NEWS

All prisoners (between three and four hundred) are being released now in small groups of 20. I saw a busload with my own two eyes being dropped off near Bank Dhofar at Dahariz. They were held at Arzat Prison (no charges) for nine days after being taken from Freedom Square on Thursday the 12th and the morning of the next day. Welcome home guys!

Saturday News

It looks like prisoners from Arzat Prison are being released in small groups starting now. They're being delivered to their houses to avoid chaos. Of course, it's hard to keep anything secret in this town. Also, some people tell me it's almost confirmed that some of the head prisoners who were airlifted out of Freedom Square by helicopter and taken immediately to the North on the 12th have been released. There were 14 of them as far as we know. I have the list of names. I have no idea whether rumors of their release are true or not, but I'll try to get more information. You should take a look at Amnesty International's report on the arrests in Oman here. Looks like Omani authorities are in trouble :)

In the meantime, I was surprised to find myself quoted time and time again in Gulf News. You can read the article here. We also made it to the newspaper today here.

What is going on?!

Yes, that photo was taken inside the prison and those are some of our prisoners. Looks pretty tight in there, don't you think? Two days ago authorities agreed to release the prisoners without forcing them to sign the commitment form. Hundreds waited by Dahariz Roundabout (closest accessible area to prison - since ROP blocked the road). Fathers, brothers, friends,..... waiting. But.... No release. What does that mean? Well, families are angry. They've been waiting at the roundabout for two days. Meanwhile, the rest of the town is also anxious. The situation in Dhofar is tense. After Friday prayers today, I hear of a planned peaceful march demanding release of the prisoners. The march will start at Al Jama Mosque (a Rawas tribe mosque). It's amusing that the action will take place at Al Rawas tribe's mosque because just two days ago they published a full-page color greeting to His Majesty in the newspaper renewing their loyalty and love to him. Holla, people. Who said he'd lost any loyalty and love in the first place? And why 'just' Al Rawas tribe? And was every member of Al Rawas tribe informed of the ridiculous page? The next day the 'Al Kathir' town tribes did the same thing. PEOPLE! So does that mean mountain tribes, Bedouins, and black people of Dhofar are not loyal? Ridiculous. They picked the wrong timing. We all love His Majesty and he knows we do.

Big question is: where will all the action take place today? At Al Jama square (mosque)? At Dahariz Roundabout near the prison? At the still-occupied Freedom Square? On Al Nahdha street? Army commanders must be scratching their heads. Sources tell me the Firqat forces are moving into the centre of town. To those of you who don't know, Firqat forces are unique to Dhofar only and they were established after the Dhofar Rebellion in the 197os. If they really are being moved into the centre of town, it means the army are expecting chaos today and need their Jebbali mountain comrades to calm things down (i.e the Firqat).

Update just now from fellow blogger; the Dahariz Road (where people have been gathering this week) is blocked by the ROP. Hah. That's all for now folks. I'll let you know what the updates are.

4:00 p.m on Thursday

Mini-update: so after the tribal sheikhs went to the prison yesterday to negotiate the release of all the protest prisoners without having to sign the damned paper, it was revealed upon their return that by 4 p.m today releases would be made. While they were inside, hundreds had gathered at the road leading to the prison since the ROP blocked the highway so no one could get anywhere near the prison.

The delegation of sheikhs emerged and informed the crowds that releases would be made overnight and this morning. They gave the army a deadline which was 4 p.m today. So the hundreds who gathered vowed to be back at that spot at 4 p.m today to either celebrate the release or raise hell.

It's 4:20 right now and nothing has happened. According to fellow bloggers who are there now there are hundreds at the roundabout already waiting. I hope the authorities were honest about the release, and I hope no violence occurs. It's the last thing we need.

Possible release?

Rumors have been flying around today about a possible release of our prisoners from Arzat Prison. We won't know for sure until it actually happens, but according to witnesses, there's a lot of extra activity around the prison today (ROP, army, tanks, etc). So, maybe they're preparing for something.

Also, hundreds are gathering right now at Dahariz Roundabout (near prison) as you can see in the photo above. They're waiting because there are tribal shiekhs at the prison now trying to negotiate changes to the committment form that prisoners have to sign in order to walk out. If the authorities don't agree to eliminate parts of the form (i.e admitting you're a criminal) the hundreds of supporters from Dahariz will be ready to head to the prison. If you're in the area, steer clear of Dahariz Roundabout and the road to Taqah.

Updates

Hi everyone. Yes, this morning I tried accessing Muscat Confidential and his recent post 'Oman's heavy handed treatment of peaceful protesters may catch global media's attention'. However, it was blocked and I got the usual message from the TRA. Now it seems it's open, so I'm confused as to what happened. We've already made it to global media from the very first day.
In the meantime, according to Mahfaif, the three-day 'no violence' period (agreed between army and boys throwing rocks) in central Salalah is over. I pray nothing happens today. Don't get mad at the soldiers. They're just doing their job. Yesterday's letter was delivered to the governor and read out loud (filmed by many including Oman TV). See video here from YouTube. The letter demanded (1) Removal of military from Salalah (2) release of all prisoners.
Please keep our country, His Majesty, and all the people of Oman (army and locals) in your thoughts and prayers.

Updates from Salalah

Right... things have been calm these past few days in town. A hundred or so tribal representatives/sheikhs marched past the army to the Governor's Office yesterday and delivered this letter (see above) for His Majesty. The letter was signed by "All Sheikhs & Leaders & Thinkers of Dhofar". In the letter they ask His Majesty to withdraw the army and to release all the hundreds of prisoners. They in return would calm the people of Dhofar. The governor promised to deliver the letter (which was 90% praise, 10% substance). We'll see what happens.

In the meantime, hundreds gather outside the prison everyday (mostly families and friends of those inside). Yesterday there was a lot of commotion because evidently rumors were flying around that the prisoners would be transferred to a prison facility outside of Salalah closer to Thumrait (in the desert). The families were furious so they sat outside the prison all day surrounded by tanks and army. Then, there were rumors from inside the prison (our prisoners still have their cell phones) that the army were trying to break up the group. At the moment, the recent prisoners are occupying huge tents on prison grounds and are sticking together as a group. Last night it seemed like they were almost being forced into cells that can accomodate up to 15 people, but they refused. Rumor had it they were being beaten up, so the group of supporters outside the prison demanded to be let in to check up on the prisoners and believe it or not they were. A small group of sheikhs were let into the prison to make sure the prisoners were ok and not being abused. According to a guy who went in, they are fine.

As for central Salalah, it looks like the army are slowly withdrawing. Al Nahdah street is now open and not lined with tanks. You can now access the area around the governor's office without going through 100000 checkpoints. Number of soldiers has decreased significantely over the past 24 hours. I wonder what it means ....

Tomorrow (May 18th) is the trial for some of the Sohar conspirators as far as I know. Some tell me there will be huge protests around the country tomorrow morning. We still have not heard from the 12 chief protests speakers who were taken to Muscat.

Tension in Salalah? Yes. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Note (Oh, and it rained heavily this morning again. Hooray)

Tension in Salalah

And I'm still baffled. After Thursday and Friday's drama, things calmed down a bit. However, the army are still occupying central Salalah and making anyone in the area feel like an offender. Hundreds of protesters were taken to Arzat Prison and are still in there. Their families/friends are outside the prison all day demanding their release.

From what I've seen, many locals are upset because it almost feels like an invasion (my opinion). Worth noting that the soldiers and security forces are (no offence) are from the north of Oman. Not one southern face (and of course it's easy to tell the difference because southerners are a completely difference race). I'm talking about 'soldiers'. The only Dhofari security forces seem to be the Firqat Forces (unique to Dhofar from post-rebellion era) and they're not visible at all. I've driven around the 'occupied' area at least a dozen times and have not seen one. The relationship between the North and south has always been a weeee bit sensitive because people remember the rebellion in the 60s-70s. I'm not against people from the north at all, don't get me wrong. Some of my closest friends are from the north. We're all one country and we're loyal to one leader. I'm just saying this clear discrimination is worrying, and it leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Dhofaris. However, there's no point getting mad at the soldiers because they're just doing their job, regardless of where they're from. Remember, this is my PERSONAL opinion only.

Several head speakers from the protests were arrested and sent to Muscat immediately (namely Nasser Sakroon, Bakhit Al Mahri, Fahim Al Mashani, Salim Al Mashani, Amer Hardan , and others). God only knows where they'll end up. As for the remaining several hundreds who are in prison here, they're refusing the sign the committment form until the Muscat bunch are released. So, I don't anticipate them leaving prison anytime soon.

On a more cheerful note, it poured and poured and poured this morning. Rains of change, we say. Rain brings good things. The mountains are looking greener and visibility today is unbelievable. Poor soldiers though. I hear they got really wet.

Please pray for Salalah and pray this ends peacefully. No more injuries (and yes there have been injuries). These sit-ins were peaceful for 10 weeks. Completely peaceful. There's no reason to turn violent and bring the whole friggin army down here to 'break it up'. Salalah protests were never a threat to security. They stuck to the same parking lots for 10 weeks, and life was not disrupted. Bringing all these security forces to intimidate them was a bad move as far as I'm concerned. Dhofaris are hot-blooded, proud, and don't appreciate being intimidated. Remember this is my personal opinion only. I have nothing against the army and I believe the protests should have ended but not in such an aggressive manner.

We made it to international news at LA Times here, here and Al Jazeera here. And for a more balanced opinion in Arabic, read Mahfaif's post here.

URGENT: Army arrest hundreds in Salalah

I can't believe this is happening in Salalah. Looks like our town has pulled a Sohar on us. Last night helicopters, army tanks, riot police and other security forces pulled in to Salalah around 8 p.m. The main highway and roads were blocked. The entire area surrounding the 'People's Square' was isolated by army tanks. Just after 8, all protesters were arrested and loaded onto buses and taken to the royal airforce base. The worst part of the whole ordeal was that all phones were dead (on purpose of course). The entire mobile network was down for two hours. No one knew what was going on. The town was full of people out on the streets trying to make sense of what was happening. The internet was down until just a few minutes ago, hence the late post. (thank you Muscat Mutterings for getting the message through)

After everyone was arrested, the Army continued to occupy the area. Hundreds of ,men walked (no point driving since traffic was backed up, so they abandoned their cars) to the People's Square to see what was happening. Gunfire was heard by no one was hurt last night. After midnight the locals pushed past the riot police and occupied the square once more.

This morning at 5 a.m some of the young men who were arrested last night were released from RAFO. However, many of them refused to leave until their friends were released. Around 11 am the army surrounded the remaining protesters in the square and circled in on them and finally arrested them all. They were taken to Arzat prison.

After Friday prayers today (no prayers held at square since hundreds of soldiers are there - and yes there are hundreds), protesters marched to the square entrance to demand release of their friends. Some threw rocks at the soldiers I believe, and (witnesses confirmed this), the released tear gas at them. There were more clashes in the afternoon and this evening more tear gas bombs were thrown at the protesters and bullets were fired into the air to frighten them. No success.

I'm glad the internet and phones are back up but as far as I'm concerned, the government should have warned people that there would be NO COMMUNICATON for two friggin hours on Thursday night. What if an emergency happened?? All that just to arrest a few protesters?! The entire PROVINCE of Dhofar was out of reach. Everywhere from Hasik to Rakhyut.

There are army tanks and riot police all over central Salalah. Police have blocked off Al Nahdha road. Locals are confused/furious/anxious/no knowing what to think. If you're an expat, stay away from central Salalah. Everywhere from RAFO (fountain) roundabout to the Grand mosque and the whole area surrounding the governor's office. The army are arresting anyone who looks suspicious.

WTF.

Top Blogs in Oman

Hey! I made it to Oman Collective Intelligence's #4. I'm flattered. According to OCI, Oman's most popular blogs are:
.
1. Muscat Confidential
2. Muscat Mutterings
3. Andy in Oman
4. Dhofari Gucci
5. Oman Travels into Oman
6. Muscat Jet Driver
7. Omani Cuisine
8. Shy Rebellious Arab Girl
9. How to live like an Omani Princess
10. Susan Al Shahri
11. Digital Oman
12. Angry in Oman
13. Sultanate Social
14. MoOn Smile-English (who?)
15. Blue Chi

.

Reminds me of our Times of Oman interviews back in the day.....
Anyway, thank you OCI for remembering us, and I'm surprised you're not on the list since you have more than NINE HUNDRED (!) followers :) .... And next time remember Jillian & Dan's blog! It's extremely popular in Oman, especially after the protests.