Morris Dance in Salalah (2)

Keep in mind that this is 'modern' Morris dance .... apparently it includes rappers and lots of young people (?!!!)

Morris Dance in Salalah

The Ministry of Tourism is back with its winter performances in Salalah! I saw a brochure this morning. The first one is on Wednesday (the day after tomorrow):
Performance: Morris Dance
Country: England
Date: Wednesday February 29th, 2012.
Location: Salalah - Al Murooj Theatre in Ittin
Time: 8 p.m
Morris dance is spectacular to watch. I've never seen it live before so I'll try to make it (if I can escape yet another wedding). You can read more about this ancient dance here.
PS (if you're from the Ministry of Tourism and you're reading this, please bring Irish clogging next time ..... sincerely, Nadia)

First Anniversary: Dhofar Protests

I can't believe a whole year has gone by since the Arab Spring reached Salalah. So much has happened. So much changed. I have changed. On February 25th, 2011 a group of men went out onto the streets demanding change. They set up a few tents in the Governor of Dhofar's parking lot and stayed there until May 12th when the army arrested them. Between February 25th and May 12th, people demanded jobs, better benefits for orphans and widows, consumer protection, a new university, an end to government corruption, the ousting of several ministers. And guess what? They got what they asked for. During those few months my sleep was interrupted every few nights by messages from the palace announcing yet another Royal Decree from His Majesty changing this, changing that, firing this person, appointing that person, .... it was truly amazing to be part of that and no matter what anyone says, the protests were good for all of us. God bless Oman.

PS (I heard a few young men were planning to go out into the streets today to stage an 'Anniversary Protests'. Nothing happened. Not that I'm aware of anyway. There were plenty of police checkpoints though....)

Major Power Outage in Dhofar

Yup. That's how we started our weekend. Around 5 p.m yesterday we suffered a complete blackout in Dhofar that lasted until after 10 p.m. More than five hours. No explanation. I received a badly spelled apology from Dhofar Power Company after the power came back on. We've also been suffering from bad dust storms and heavy wind in the past three days, so spending the evening outside also wasn't really an option. Furthermore, imagine traffic lights on the blink, no street lights at all, and gleeful young men doing insane wheelies on the highway knowing they'll get away with it in the darkness. I was short on candles and my cell phone died, so I spent much of hte blackout on my back in the middle of the living room floor meditating and scolding myself (and humanity) for being so helpless without electricity. Did you guys up north hear about this?

Camel Beauty Pageant

(no, this photo was not published in the newspaper)

The Oman Observer never fails to entertain.

Sun, 19 February 2012 - Oman Observer
The 9th Annual Camel Festival organised by Royal Camel Corps of the Royal Court Affairs’ kicked off yesterday in the Wilayat of Thamrait in Dhofar Governorate. The festival’s activities include milking competition, camel races and camel beauty pageant. The festival is the biggest gathering for owners of thoroughbred camels and camel enthusiasts in the Dhofar Governorate, and is considered as one of the most important events to showcase and preserve part of the Sultanate’s heritage. — ONA

Omani Blogger Released

Muawiya Al Rawahi has been released. I'm not entirely sure what actually happened, but I know he's out after publishing a very odd (and slightly apologetic) letter from prison through a friend. Put down your weapons, international advocacy groups! (for background information on his arrest, read my post here)

More Photos: Festival of the Negroes

Thank you Mahfaif, over at Tahyati Blog for these photos. And our dear friend The Dragon is back with a post on detained blogger Muawiyah Al Rawahi. Check it out here. (PS - I'm mourning Whitney)

PHOTOS: Festival of the Negroes

Thanks to a reader (who wishes to remain anonymous), here are some photos from the festival yesterday. I received mixed reviews from my readers (read the comments on the previous post). I still find the whole festival bizarre.

Festival of Negroes this Friday!

Yes, there's actually a festival in Salalah called 'Festival of the Negroes' or مهرجان الزنوج. And it's happening this Friday. I hate the name and feel it's derogatory. Sometimes it happens once a year, other times twice a year. Sometimes years will go by without a festival. In all cases, it only takes place following a royal order from the palace. The festival basically is a gathering of hundreds of former slaves and their descendants in the centre of Salalah to perform traditional dances (influenced by their African heritage). I find the whole thing disturbing because it has 'slavery' written all over it. The dances are beautiful. It's absolutely fascinating to watch. That entire area will be extremely crowded, so if you want to watch, get there early.
. Location: The huge empty parking lot (at the intersection that joins Al Nahdha Street and Al Montazah Road). Keep driving past the Family Bookshop on Al Nahdha in the direction of the ocean, and the huge parking lot is on your left (opposite the Shell petrol station).
. Time: It starts after the afternoon prayers (4 p.m).
. Photography: allowed of course. Oman TV will be filming. If you're taking photos and want to send some to me with your name on the corner of the photos, I'll publish them on the blog. I'd love to see the dances, but it's definitely taboo for a Dhofari girl to go.

Blogger Arrested

Apparently controversial Omani blogger Muawiyah Al Rawahi was arrested two nights ago for criticizing 'authorities' (read between the lines) on his blog. The blog post no longer exists and according to a tweet last night from another controversial blogger, Ammar Al Mamari, he's still in prison. According to Global Voices Advocacy, he wrote about a number of things including being abused as a young teenager and other stuff I can't post here. You can read for yourself here. Over the years he's criticized Islam, the government, the Mufti, the 'high' authorities, and seemed to have gotten away with just about everything. Why now?

As for Ammar, his blog was also blocked in Oman since March 2011 after he posted death certificates of protesters from the protests in Sohar and other evidence that real bullets were used when authorities claimed rubber bullets were only used. What's surprising is that Ammar's blog seems to be open now. As for Muawiyah, he's rather eccentric. I've been following his blog since 2009.

I think this is going to get ugly. You can't silence people. I can't say anymore. Keep in mind that I did not read his post and am not aware of the details.

Treasure Hunt Oman?

Morning folks! How are you spending the last day of the holidays? I came across this website online and thought you might be interested in reading about the Treasure Hunt Oman - International Media Challenge. Their challenge starts today and ends on February 12th. They're spending the last day in Salalah (Nadia approves).

Public Holidays Announced

To mark the Prophet Mohammed's birth (PBUH), the public sector gets Saturday and Sunday off while the private sector gets Saturday off. In all cases, it's a long weekend. Boy do I need it!

Polygamy in Dhofar

Since polygamy and female genitale mutilation have become trend topics in the blogosphere (Shawawi, OPNO, Susan) these days, here are my two cents on polygamy:

1. Polygamy is still very prevalent here in Dhofar. I know many polygamists. It's not a dying art. I know men who have two, three, even four wives.

2. Most polygamist families I know are unhappy.

3. Many polygamists I know never informed their first wives about their plans to re-marry (some marriage they had, eh?)

4. When a man takes on a second wife here in Dhofar, people in this society somehow have the audacity to accuse the first wife of not being a good wife and not keeping her husband on a leash. (Excuse me?!)

5. I'm not entirely against the practice if there are very strong reasons. As OPNO explained in her blog, it's Islamically acceptable to marry a second woman if she is a Sharia-defined orphan (i.e. a woman with no living male relatives who can support her, and who has no means of supporting herself). I assume it's also Islamically correct to 'inform' the first wife before you marry another. But let's be realistic here: how many men in Oman are marrying for Islamic reasons? I'd say less than 1% of polygamists.

6. I tend to agree that polygamy these days brings nothing but pain and heartache to the families. I know women are the main victims, but let's not forget the chidlren. In many families, children suffer as much as their mothers.

7. I think the Ministry of Religious Affairs + Social Development should cooperate and set clear rules and regulations for polygamy. You shouldn't be able to just walk into a court and marry any woman you like (without her approval or the first wife's approval for the matter). A 70-year-old shouldn't just be able to take on an 18-year-old as a fourth wife without authorities approving the marriage. Yes, I think there should be regulations. Clear regulations. (and yes, there are plenty of old geezers who marry young girls. Families are more than willing to hand their daughters over if the dowry is big ... I can think of one recent marriage between a man in his 70s and a young girl in her twenties.. the dowry was 60,000 OMR) .... see what I mean? It's disgusting and there should be rules.

8. Do you know if the Ministry of Social Development is sharing statistics these days? Divorced women? Handicapped children? Polygamists? Children born out of wedlock? Orphans?

New Blogger

A woman after my own heart! Ladies and gentlemen, Shawawi Oman :)

Ministry of Health: FAIL.

I've been off blog-duty for a little longer than expected. First it was weddings and funerals, then work became crazy, then I caught the flu.... but I'm back again thanks to Mimi who had my blood boiling this morning with her latest post on her sister's baby who was circumcized yesterday... at home. A little girl. A beautiful innocent little girl.

This topic has been discussed a lot in the Omani blogosphere, mostly by female bloggers here, here, and by former fellow blogger Reality in Oman who should re-open her site and start blogging again (hint!), but it isn't getting nearly enough attention. Muscat Daily & The Week have also made an effort to bring it out into the open, but that's about it.

Call it what you want ... female genital mutilation/female genital cutting/female circumcision..... It's a violation of human rights. It's shameful. It's ignorant. It is a CRIME. And yes, it is still widely practiced in Dhofar. BRUTAL genital mutilation. Whoever tells you otherwise is lying. They'll tell you 'it's only a small cut' to 'clean' the area. Who are you kidding?!

What disgusts me even more is that is it performed by women for women. Many men seem to think the practice no longer exists. The old woman in the hospital who charges 5, 10 , 15 OMR to chop up your baby's genitals has been there for years and the hospital KNOW about her. But are they doing anything about it? NO.

You know why everyone still does it? Because they don't know any better. No one talks about it, and the Ministry of Health isnt' doing ANYTHING to spread awareness. Most women think they're doing a good deed,... they really believe it's Islamic and that it 'purifies' the child. Whose responsiblity is it to educate them? Oman's Ministry of Health.

The ministry's 'Five-Year Health Plan: 2006-2010' announced that one of the ministry's strategies to promote women and children's health was to study the prevalence of FGM in Oman and design programs for community awareness. Did anything happen? As far as Dhofar is concerned, NO, even though the situation here is much worse than other parts of Oman. You can read the glorious five-year plan here. Scroll down to pages 8 & 9. A load of BS. The 2011-2015 plan isn't on their website yet, so goodness' knows whether genital mutilation is part of the current agenda or not.

Dear Ministry of Health. PLEASE pay attention:

1. Put up posters in all the maternity wards in this country explaning the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM)

2. Spread awareness through the Women's Associations in Oman

3. Get a doctor or a nurse to speak to every single woman who gives birth to a baby girl right there in the hospital.

4. Find the evil old ladies who hang around the maternity wards.

5. Spread awareness in school & universities.

For heaven's sake .. DO SOMETHING.

Yours Truly,

Nadia (Dhofar Feminist Movement)

Onken is Back ...

... at Salalah Lulu Hyhpermarket. Go grab your stock before it disappears for another month or so!

Jailed Omanis on Hunger Strike

MUSCAT (Reuters) - More than 20 Omanis have been on a prison hunger strike since mid-December, a local rights group said Sunday, in protest at what they say are unfair sentences for taking part in demonstrations last year.
.

Protests demanding jobs and an end to corruption hit the Arabian kingdom between January and May last year when Omanis, inspired by successful uprisings against veteran Arab leaders, took to the streets demanding political and economic reform.
.

At least five people died in clashes with police, according to medics, and scores were arrested, however the scale of the protests and scope of their aims was much lower than elsewhere.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), set up by Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 2008, said it gained access to the jailed protesters after activists posted news of the hunger strike on social networking websites.
.

"The prisoners complained about the sentences and demanded to be released," a statement from the Muscat-based NHRC said. "While some conceded their guilt, others said they were not happy with the sentences handed out," it added.
They were sentenced to between six months and five years on charges of possessing explosives, blocking roads, and forcing government employees out of their offices, said an activist who was held with the prisoners before being released in May.
.

The activist, who declined to be named, said the 22 men filed an appeal in July but received no response.
The men are being force fed in a prison hospital in Samail, west of the capital.
Sultan Qaboos, a U.S. ally who has ruled the Gulf Arab country for 41 years, has promised economic and political reforms, raised state-sector salaries, initiated unemployment benefits and created thousands of jobs to ease discontent.
Elections for the Shura council, which has limited legislative powers, were held in October, but the body is largely consultative and political parties remain banned.

/
Last month authorities demolished a roundabout in the northern industrial town of Sohar, which became a hub for protests last February. That echoed events in nearby Bahrain, where the government tore down a monument that was the center of pro-democracy demonstrations there.
.

(Reporting By Saleh al-Shaibany and Nour Merza; editing by Sami Aboudi and Ben Harding)

Thursday Note

I'll be back in a few days. Drowning in weddings and funerals (typical) this week. In the meantime, I found this article interesting. I'll add my two cents when I emerge.... Have a great weekend!

Royal Opera House

The new Royal Opera House Muscat program is out (January-March). More details here on Muscat Mutterings, or on the ROHM website. Tickets range from 3 OMR to 55 OMR.

Sultan Qaboos Soccer Cup

And we won .... :)

Dhofar Tonight

Pay attention if you're an expat living in Salalah!

Tonight is the final soccer match for the Sultan Qaboos Cup. Both teams that made it to the finals this year are Dhofari teams (Al Ittihad/green - Nadi Dhofar/red). This is HUGE for us. In both cases, Salalah is going to be on fire tongiht because the cup is staying here.

Furthermore, because both teams that made it to the finals are Dhofari, the final match was moved to Salalah. It's taking place at the Saada Sports Stadium (next to Dhofar university). The game starts at 7:30 (live on TV), but doors open at 3 p.m and people are advised to get their early. Entrance is free, and there's a special section of the stadium for ladies. I'm tempted.

If you notice an abnormally large number of police cars around town, don't worry. However, if you want to avoid traffic jams and thousands of crazed boys hanging out of car windows painted red/green, I advise you to stay home. It's going to be wild when the game is over (around 9:30 I guess). Be prepared to see lots of Madar (Dhofar celebratory dance, usually seen after soccer matches).

In case you were wondering, Dhofari Gucci is a loyal Dhofar club fan, so I'll be wearing my brightest red thobe tonight.

I'M SO EXCITED!

Christmas

Ten weeks into my freshman year at college a few years ago (overseas), I experienced my first 'Christmas'. The commercialism confused me because we had nothing like that during Eid in Oman, but I tried to understand. I spent Christmas day alone reading.

During my second year of college, I was invited to spend Christmas with a Christian family and it completely changed my perspective. They welcomed me into their home with open arms and introduced me to their family traditions during this festive time. Televisions were put away, laptops switched off, and mugs of hot cocoa were made. They isolated themselves from the modern world and settled into a few days of pure family. We baked, we decorated the Christmas tree and wrapped gifts and gave to the poor and played Christmas music. I also went to Mass with them out of curiosity. It was snowing and there was a fireplace in the living room. Every moment from that magical time has remained intact in my memory.

From that moment, I have been working (in my own way) to promote religious tolerance among my friends, family and wider audience. I am proud to be a Muslim but I also deeply respect peaceful people of other faiths. Believing we are superior to others in religion or race or culture will not get us anywhere in this life. What this world needs is more tolerance.

I would like to wish all my Christian readers a blessed Christmas and a blessed Chanukah to members of the Jewish faith (the celebration started on December 20th and will continue until the 28th).

Peace - Nadia

Dhofar's DNA

(view from Taqah lookout point, half an hour east of Salalah)

I'm very much looking forward to buying Maria Dekeersmaeker's new book titled 'DNA of Salalah, Dhofar. A Tourist Guide'. Has anyone been to the Family Bookshop in Salalah this week? Is it available? I know a Kindle edition is available on Amazon.com but I'm not a fan of e-anything. If you find the actual paper book please let me know!

From today's Times of Oman:
.MUSCAT: What has Pointillism, a neo-impressionist painting technique got to do with the Khareef? How many tiles were used in the Mihrab of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Salalah? Which particular role do Dhofar women play in the traditional music of the region? Why is the camel, the ship of the desert, everywhere in Dhofar? What are the crying stones? Why is the Rub al Khali, the Empty Quarter also called the Valuable Quarter?
.All these answers and much more can be found in the ‘DNA of Salalah, Dhofar. A Tourist Guide’ written by Maria Dekeersmaeker and printed in Salalah. “Like DNA is a blueprint of living beings, this book tells in 191 pages, with 57 pictures and with particular maps, stories about the past, the present and the future of the southern part of the Sultanate,” says the author.
.As DNA influences most of the characteristics of living beings, every chapter in the guidebook contains a ‘main theme,’ a so-called cliffhanger. The particular information expressed in ‘Essentials’ can be interesting for new discoveries or for further explorations. The references to other publications and websites are the tools.
.With this book the Belgium author and journalist Maria Dekeersmaeker, based in Salalah, Dhofar, has fulfilled again another dream come true. In 2008, she wrote the novel The Earth has Fever her debut and first dream. ‘The DNA of Salalah, Dhofar. A Tourist Guide’ is available in bookshops in Muscat and Salalah.

Onken is BACK

..... at Lulu's in Salalah. With new flavors. Forgive my obsession with yoghurts. 'Nuff said.

Tim Hortons

So according to today's Times of Oman article here, Tim Hortons is opening an outlet in Muscat in early 2012. You heard me right. Muscat Mutterings is going to be a very happy man. They also said an outlet or several in Salalah would be a possiblity. If that's true, then the future of coffee at this end of the country just got brighter. At the moment there are no cafes here that serve real brewed coffee. Brewed beans. Not paper packages you tear open and add to a cup of boiling water. I'm talkin about real coffee. Tim Hortons are also famous for their wide variety of doughnuts *drool*. They hope to open thirteen outlets in Oman by 2013. THIRTEEN. Surely one or two of them will be in Salalah, right? Happy Saturday!

Dhofar findings challenge ‘Out of Africa’ Hypothesis

By M Najamuz Zafar - Muscat Daily - 05/12/2011
The recent discovery of stone artefacts from the Dhofar region has challenged the long-held theory that modern humans expanded across the world from Africa. The new findings now point out that humankind ventured into the Arabian Peninsula instead of hugging its coasts, and did so thousands of years earlier than long thought. Lead researcher Jeffrey Rose, a paleolithic archaeologist at University of Birmingham in the UK, who has been in Oman since 2002 and runs the Dhofar Archaeological Project (DAP) in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, told Muscat Daily that the new findings provide irrefutable evidence of a population expansion from northeast Africa into Arabia.
l

“The question remains, however, if this was a successful colonisation that led to our expansion to the rest of the world. To answer that question, we must continue exploring Dhofar, and to the north, within the Rub al Khali,” said Rose. He added that the new discovery has led to a few surprises. “First, no one has ever considered the Nile Valley as the source of human expansion. Until now, we expected the group to have come from somewhere in East Africa. "This was based on genetic evidence,as well as very early modern human remains found in Ethiopia. “However, with our discovery, it now seems the colonising population moved out from the Nile Valley.
;

"They were not fishermen, but large game hunters who were particularly well adapted to the open savannah. It is for this reason that they flourished in Dhofar, which was experiencing much wetter climatic conditions at that time.” Second, the expansion took place tens of thousands of years earlier than predicted by geneticists, forcing Rose's team to re-evaluate the genetic dating methods. “This early date may mean the 'great expansion' that occurred 70,000 years ago originated in Arabia, and not Africa. Third, the expanding groups moved into the interior. Not one site was found anywhere near the coast, completely overturning the prevailing coastal expansion hypothesis,” he said.
;

Confined to the Nejd Plateau in Dhofar, Rose's team has unearthed more than 100 sites classified as Nubian Middle Stone Age (MSA). Nubian MSA artefacts are well known throughout the Nile Valley, but this is the first time such sites have been found outside Africa. A dating technique called 'optically stimulated luminescence,’ which measures how much radiation a mineral has absorbed over time, revealed that the tools are roughly 106,000 years old. “This is considerably older than present biological data that indicates men left Africa between 70,000 and 40,000 years ago.”
So far the researchers have not discovered the remains of humans or any animals at the site. “The conditions are not very conducive to preservation, as all bone breaks down here. "However, Nubian Complex artefacts are associated with modern human remains in Egypt, so it's pretty safe to assume these toolmakers are the same species that was in Arabia,” said Rose.

Grand Mufti of Oman Condemns Royal Opera House (Part 2)

Further to our discussion yesterday, many of you know that in a recent video, His Eminence the Grand Mufti of Oman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalili deemed it unacceptable for muslims to visit the newly opened Royal Opera House in Muscat. This has caused an explosion of debate on local internet forums and the Arabic blogosphere here in Oman. I just read a letter to the mufti written by fellow controversial blogger Muawiyah Al Rawahi on his Arabic blog. I'm secretly pleased with all the discussion His Eminence has triggered. It's very important for Omanis to talk about this and figure out where they stand. (and no, I don't think we must stand united)
Following a request from one of my readers, thinker & blogger Balqis, here's the transcript of what he said. It's a pretty short video (48 seconds).

He was reading a question from a paper:

Question: My Mother, may God grant her health and long life, wants to visit the newly opened Royal Opera House to admire the architecture and beautiful designs. Is this acceptable, given the fact that such venues host musical events known to the world as 'opera'. This is the main purpose of the venue.

Mufti: since the dedicated purpose of this venue is music and dance, then visiting it is not acceptable. As for the architecture and designs, they're not exclusive to this location only and can be found at other locations, and Allah knows best.
If you're a conservative Muslim, don't read any further. It may upset you, but I think many younger Omanis share my sentiments. Let me get one thing straight; His Eminence has been around for as long as I can remember and is a very much loved and respected person in Oman. This isn't the only opinion he's voiced which has caused public debate. Earlier this year when Malik Al Mamari, former ROP chief was replaced, His Eminence expressed hope that the new chief would ban all bars in Oman. When cyclone Gonu struck Oman in 2007, he said it was because of our accumulated sins. He's allowed to express his opinions like everyone else. It's a free country.
On one hand, I truly respect him and feel his opinions are valid, but on the other hand sometimes I feel they're irrelevant for me.
The concept of the Royal Opera House is alien to many Omanis, especially ones living in rural areas and villages. In Salalah, most locals don't know what to think so they've chosen to ignore it altogether. According to the last newspaper column from fellow blogger here, a decent number of Omanis are boycotting the ROHM because they feel the money could have been spent on more useful ventures that would benefit Omanis.

Whether His Eminence is keeping up with the modern times is questionable… and whether Islam should keep up with modern times in the first place is also a topic for debate, but in my honest opinion, if you want to instill sound Islamic beliefs in the new (and coming) generations of Omanis, religious leaders must make their teachings relevant.

Our current version of Islam was adapted by religious thinkers over a thousand years ago and many of the laws were developed for political reasons. We follow the Quran, and the Hadiths (Sunna), our second source of Islamic theology. Hadiths are reports of what the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said and did in his lifetime. Whatever questions the Quran doesn't answer, the sunna supposedly does. Over the centuries, hadiths have been catalogued by Islamic scholars for our consumption. All we have to do is submit to them (or the ones our Imams choose for us). Does that mean we shouldn't think? What if entire phrases have been misconceived? The reality of Muslims hundreds of years ago is very different from our reality today.

There, I said it.

Islam supposedly encourages 'Ijtihad', i.e. the art of independent reasoning, but scholars today don't. Believe it or not, the 9th century Baghdad caliph (highest Islamic authority) Al Mamun encouraged a version of Islam that promoted rational thought. Those were the days of Avveroes (Ibn Rushd) and Ibn Sina, some of Islam's greatest liberal philosophers. A few generations later, the gates of ijtihad were closed and therefore the tradition of independent thought. In the guise of protecting the Muslim nation from disunity (fitna), Baghdad-approved scholars agreed to freeze debate within Islam. From their politically motivated perspective, everything muslims needed to know was already known. If you had a question, that four existing Sunni schools of thought would address it for you.

Here we are hundreds of years later living with the consequences of a thousand year old strategy to keep the Islamic 'empire' from imploding.

Let's get another thing straight; I'm Muslim and I will always be Muslim. I believe in a pure spiritual and peaceful Islam. I also believe in independent reasoning. The Quran may be sent from the heavens, but does that mean man's interpretation of those holy verses is also holy? Of course not. Quite often I feel the interpretations we have of the Quran may not be as accurate as we'd like to believe. The Quran may be sent from God/Allah/A higher being but most Islamic teachings are man-made. You want to refuse to believe that and continue hiding with your head in the sand? Be my guest.
Our problem with young Muslims these days is that we have a new generation of kids who are smart, worldly and able to think for themselves. Like me, they're not ready to be spoon-fed a version of Islam from a thousand years ago. For example, back to the question of music being a sin. Do I believe it's a sin? Not really. Do I believe listening to music non-stop is bad? Yes, because life's too short and I should be out in the world doing good. Do I believe rap music (it's not even music) with crappy language is good? Of course not. Why would I listen to something so negative? But I think I'm able to choose what kind of music I listen to and whether it contributes to me being a better person. It's a question of morals, ethics and independent reasoning. I don't need an Imam to tell me I'm sinning by listening to Tchaikovsky while I do housework.

Another issue that drives me nuts is the battle of religions. I don't believe Islam trumps over Christianity and Judaism because the Torah and the Bible are from God too, right? How can they be infidels when they follow the same God we do and believe in the same prophets we believe in? Do I think Muslims are the only humans who are getting into heaven? Uh, no. Do many muslims think that? Uh, yes. I think having faith, doing good, and being a good person are what matters.
There are aspects of Islam that I feel have been altered. I'm uncomfortable with Islamic teachings related to killing and war. To me as a young Muslim in this day and age, it's irrelevant and disturbing. The Islam I want to follow is peaceful, spiritual and relevant. And I maintain the right to think for myself.

Back to the Mufti's statement about alcohol, I spent five years in a western country at college. College life is all about drinking. I'm confident in saying that I hate alcohol and wish it never existed. I was saddened to see how utterly stupid my peers became after two or three beers. They say it made them feel better, but if you need alcohol to make you feel better than you have a problem. I was saddened to know that most forms of socializing revolved around alcohol and only alcohol. There were no meaningful activities or conversations when alcohol was involved. And furthermore, drinkers made fun of people who didn't drink (even for health reasons, like a dear friend of mine who had a serious heart condition). I stayed away from alcohol and made friends with people who were willing to do things that didn't revolve around drinks. Did I openly condemn drinkers? No. It's their business. Did I go anywhere near alcohol? No. If you drink, that's your life, but my life is so much better without it. The world would be a better place without it.
.Another issue that I choose to apply independent reasoning to is the whole chaperone idea for women. In Islam, women need chaperones when they leave their homes. According to Saudi clerics, women should never drive and should be chaperoned even when surfing the internet. To me, that makes no sense at all. Did I sin by spending five years abroad? I was raised well and my family trusted me. Did I get into trouble? No. Is it a sin to work with men? Apparently yes. But guess what? I don’t want to believe that. . . and I won't. If I apply independent reasoning to this, it just doesn't make sense to me that God would create men and women then condemn women to their homes. I'd like to think that men and women were put here on this earth to do good and work side by side to make this world a better place. Those are just some of the issues that have forced me to re-think the Islam I was taught in school here in Oman.

But you know something? I respect His Eminence the Grand Mufti. I respect all Muftis. Their hearts are in the right place. We need Sheikhs and Imams and Muftis and religious leaders because very few Muslims want to dive into independent reasoning. They want to be told what to believe in. Their faith is what keeps them going. Never mock that. If that's what suits them, then let them be. If that guy really was worried about taking his mother to the opera house, then bless his heart, and he's lucky he has the Grand Mufti to turn to. And I truly respect the Mufti for taking the time out to answer people's questions.
I was born with a mind of my own and I'm sure God intended for me to use it. I read a lot and think a lot and I truly believe the Quran is a beautiful and wonderful holy book and that Islam is a beautiful religion.... true Islam. However, original Islamic practices have mingled in with our Arab traditions over centuries and today we find ourselves with a version of Islam that isn't necessarily the one we were intended to follow. The pillars of Islam and the faraidh فرائض are clear, thank goodness, but so many other teachings leave me with a huge question marks above my head. I choose to apply my own independent reasoning to some teachings of Islam that were developed by men over a thousand years ago and that seem irrelevant to my reality.

Humans aren't perfect, and the men from centuries ago who developed the Islam that we follow today had their hearts in the right place, but that doesn’t mean they were right about everything. Man's interpretation skills can suck sometimes.

Again, I respect the Mufti's opinion and I wish him health and long life. He has every right to speak his opinion and that applies to me and you as well. He's a remarkable person and very dear to us Omanis. His deputy, Asst. Grand Mufti Dr. Kahlan Al Kahrusi is expected to become the Grand Mufti of Oman in the event of Al Khalili's death (may Allah grant him long life). For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dr/Sheikh Kahlan, he is also a truly remarkable person. Believe it or not, he's quite young and very educated/worldly. He spent years studying (and teaching) at Oxford and obtained his Masters and doctorate in Islamic studies from there. Along with his academic credentials, he has a wealth of research experience working at the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs in Oman as a researcher and advisor for His Eminence the Grand Mufti. He was only appointed as the Assistant Grand Mufti in 2010. I had the honor of meeting him briefly right after his appointment and I think the future of Islamic research in Oman is in good hands. I really liked him.

And finally, as outrageous as this post may seem, keep in mind that I'm still learning. That's the beauty of it. That’s the beauty of Islam. I will continue to study and think. The minute your opinions become fixed, that's when you stop learning.

Regardless of what you believe in, I encourage you to post your opinions in the comment section. It's a learning experience for me.
Peace - Nadia

Grand Mufti Condemns Royal Opera House

A couple of days ago a video surfaced in YouTube of the Grand Mufti of Oman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalili (mufti meaning religious leader or highest religious authority in a country) while he was answering people's questions on religion. A guy mentioned that his mother wanted to visit the newly opened Royal Opera House Muscat to admire the Islamic architecture and the Mufti stated clearly that because the venue hosts evils like dance and music, that is it forbidden for muslims to visit such dens of iniquity. Ouch. I wonder what His Majesty feels about that. If you speak Arabic you can see the video here. Your thoughts?

Dear Sultan Qaboos ....

Folks, if you haven't been over to Linoleum Surfer this week, check out his latest letter to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, ... here. Don't worry, 'tis all good.

Siam Kitchen!!

Referring to my notes in the previous post about Salalah's first Thai restaurant, the owners posted a comment with directions and a website! I'm so excited! It looks like a very homey place. Pad Thai here I come!
Siam Kitchen: Authentic Thai Cuisine
Location: Dahariz (map available on website)- Al Montazah Road
Website: Siam Kitchen
Delivery: they deliver to the three Salalah colleges (SCT, Applied Sciences & Dhofar University) five days a week for lunch.
Menu: available on website.
Contact: 9331 4736

Happy Holidays Everyone! (and Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers & those of you at the US embassy who read this every morning :-P)

Tuesday Clippings 22/11/11

(Darbat Waterfalls in Dhofar during a good monsoon)

Good Morning! It looks like Tuesday may end up being 'clippings day' for the moment.

1. Abalone season ended two days ago. Production this year stood at 135,000 tons. Yup, that's a lot of abalone. Someone sent me an email asking me to point out that many of the abalone divers in Dhofar are women. Yes, it may sound strange coming from a conservative society like ours, but our women are excellent divers. (and now that the season is over, not only are they excellent divers but very rich divers as well! Most of the abalone is exported to East Asia (usually China & Japan), and is usually sold at around 80 Rials per kilo, but it can go up to 100 Rial or more depending on the type).

2. If you're planning on visiting Salalah for the upcoming very long weekend (Thursday 24th - Monday 28th), the weather is pleasant but dry. No cyclones or winds or dust storms. But you'd better book your tickets/hotels now because there are tons of European tourists here at the moment.

3. In addition to making it to Lonely Planet's top 10 places to visit in 2012, National Geographic has named Oman among the top 20 destinations in 2012. Wow. Read the full list here. This makes me very happy.

4. There was an event two nights ago in Salalah honoring "100 Women from Dhofar" for their achievements. The Minister of State cum. Governer of Dhofar was the guest of honor according to this crappy article from Oman Observer, (who writes these articles? A computer? Or do they use Google Translate?). Who were the 100 women? Details, anyone?

5. Camel Burgers: never thought I'd see the day, but apparently there's a restaurant in Salalah that has become rather famous for its camel hamburgers. Camel actually tastes good but I can't quite imagine what a burger would taste like. The directions someone gave me earlier were actually wrong. So, if you have any idea where this restaurant is, let me know please and we'll spread the love :)

6. Speaking of restaurants, apparently Salalah has welcomed its very first Thai restaurant as well. It's a tiny restaurant called the 'Siam Kitchen' and it's located in Dahariz (I was told on the beach, but I'm not sure). It's run by the Thai wife of an instructor at one of the local colleges, and rumor has it that she's bringing her aunt over from Thailand to cook. Thai food cooked by Thai people? YES PLEASE! (if you have directions, let me know and I'll post them here).

7. I've posted this before, but I'm reposting again because I think it's hilarious. "15 Signs You Might Have Been in Oman Too Long".

Holidays Announced

Oh yeah ... oh yeah ... oh yeah ..... as predicted the Islamic New Year holiday and National Day holidays have been merged into one long weekend. Folks, the holiday starts on Saturday the 26th and ends on Monday the 28th. Add the weekend to that. FIVE WHOLE DAYS. Congrats!

Oman: The World's Hostage Negotiator

Interesting piece published in Foreign Policy Magazine a couple of days ago following the release of the three French hostages who were being held by Al Qaeda militants in Yemen. Oman is trying reeeal hard to get that Nobel Peace Prize.

Written by Uri Friedman for Foreign Policy Magazine - Nov 14th, 2011
Yes, it's Oman to the rescue yet again. Today we're learning that the Omani government helped negotiate the release of three French aid workers held by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen. A Yemeni tribal mediator tells the Associated Press that Oman and a Yemeni businessman paid an unspecified sum to the militants, who had been demanding $12 million in exchange for the hostages.
The state-run Oman News Agency reports that Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, directed officials to "provide all facilities" to help France in recognition of the "distinguished relations" between the two countries. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, for his part, has "warmly" thanked the sultan for his "decisive help." The aid workers crossed the Yemeni-Omani border by car, flew to Muscat on an Omani military plane, and then left for France.
If this scenario sounds familiar, that's because it is. In 2010, Omani sources paid $500,000 bail to win the release of American hiker Sarah Shourd, who had been detained by Iran along with her fiancé Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal a year earlier for straying across the Iran-Iraq border. This fall, Oman shelled out close to $1 million for the release of Bauer and Fattal. A diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks indicates that Oman helped secure the release of British sailors captured by Iranian forces in 2007 as well.

How did Oman become the Denzel Washington of Middle East hostage situations? The answer lies in Oman's pragmatic, Switzerland-esque approach to foreign policy. In 1970, Qaboos -- who maintains a tight grip on power and who Robert Kaplan has described as the "most worldly and best-informed leader in the Arab world" -- overthrew his father in a palace coup and set about transforming an isolated and unstable country into a nonaligned regional power. In the 1980s, for example, Oman somehow managed to maintain diplomatic relations with both sides in the Iran-Iraq war while backing U.N. Security Council calls to end the conflict.

This diplomatic balancing act has enabled Oman to enjoy good (but not excessively cozy) relations with both Iran and the U.S. and its Western allies. Qaboos, a supporter of the Shah before the Iranian revolution, has eschewed the hostile stance that Gulf neighbors like Saudi Arabia have adopted toward the Islamic regime. Instead, Oman and Iran cooperate to secure the Strait of Hormuz, which divides the two countries and transports 40 percent of the world's oil and gas.

"Oman views Iran as the strategic threat to the region but has chosen to manage the threat by fostering strong working relations with Tehran," a 2010 U.S. diplomatic cable explained. Iran, for its part, may not view the small sultanate as much of a threat and may value the alliance as it grows increasingly isolated. Oman has pressed Iran to negotiate with the U.S. over its nuclear program and even offered to facilitate secret talks.

America's friendly relationship with Oman, meanwhile, dates back to at least 1841, when Oman became the first Arab nation to recognize the U.S. The sultanate has a free trade agreement with the U.S. and has permitted American forces to use its military bases in the past (in 2010, however, Omani officials strongly denied reports that they had discussed deploying U.S. missile defenses in the country).

Oman's role as a key interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. was underscored last month when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Qaboos following the revelation of an alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. "We would expect that Omanis would use their relationship with Iran, as they have in the past, to help the Iranians understand the implications of what they're doing," a U.S. State Department official noted during the visit.

The hostage deals, then, may represent just one more weapon in Oman's arsenal for neutralizing threats to regional stability like the political paralysis in Yemen and deteriorating U.S.-Iranian relations.

In a 2009 diplomatic cable, the U.S. ambassador to Oman informed an Omani foreign affairs official that securing the release of the three American hikers in Iran would "remove an unhelpful irritant" between Washington and Tehran. When Bauer and Fattal arrived safely in Muscat two years later, an Omani foreign ministry statement expressed hope that the deal would promote a "rapprochement between both the Americans and the Iranians" and "stability in the region." Oman's millions have yet to accomplish those elusive goals, but they have purchased several people their freedom.

Tuesday Clippings

(photo taken in Taqah Castle)

Good Morning Everyone! Only one more day until we hit a much-needed weekend. Going back to work after Eid Al Adha holidays was ... blah. Here are some bits and pieces from this week:

1. I did not write a Eid Al Adha post because this Eid was truly uneventful. Men went to prayers, animals were slaughtered, meat was distributed, several family visits took place, and the pilgrims came back from Mecca. That's about it. I think because Eid Al Fitr was only eight weeks ago, the atmosphere wasn't too exciting. The Eid that follows Ramadhan is big because we really feel we earned it ... and unlike other parts of Oman, Dhofaris don't have specific Eid Al Adha traditions like Shuwa although sometimes I wish we did :)

2. MORE HOLIDAYS! Since National Day is November 18th and the Islamic New Year is on November 26th, rumor has it that both holidays will be merged into one long weekend at the end of November. Makes sense since His Majesty can postpone National Day holidays, but he can't change an Islamic holiday. So, Dhofari Gucci is predicting a holiday from the 23rd to the 27th. If that's the case, I might catch a plane to Muscat and do some much-needed therapy shopping.

3. I know I'm late and other bloggers such as Andy have blogged about it, but can I mention how stoked (happy) I am about Muscat being voted 2nd best city to visit in 2012 by Lonely Planet? Makes me so proud of Oman. I think the Royal Opera House just took tourism in Oman to a whole new level.

4. Speaking of tourism, I'm not a huge fan of medical tourism since I prefer to be treated at home, but apparently there's a huge market. (if you have at least 10 relatives who've been to Thailand for treatment and tourism raise your hand!) I blogged about this before, but it keeps popping up in the news everyday, so I'm just reminding you that Salalah is going to host a HUGE medical complex worth ONE BILLION dollars (Saudi investors). The project - covering 800,000 sq m- will include a 530 bed hospital as well as a regional organ trasnplant and rehabilitation centre. The thought of having an organ transplant centre here in Salalah totally creeps me out, but that's just me. I'm just wondering what kind of people this project will attract .... (to read more, here's an article from Arabian Business) .... any idea where the project is being built?

5. Yesterday, three French aid workers were freed from Yemen after being 'lost' for several months. The official Oman News Agency kept sending messages out saying they were 'lost' in Yemen (in Arabic مفقودين) ... so I googled it and as it turns out, they were held hostage by Al Qaeda militants. Why couldn't ONA just say that? And is the Sultan going to continue rescuring hostage westerners on a regular basis? I wonder how much these three cost. The three American hikers whom he freed recently from Iran cost us $1.5 million. So, yeah, Sarkozy called last night to thank him. Dear Western hikers/aidworkers/volunteers ... please stay away from dangerous Middle Eastern countries.

6. This article on empowering women in Oman was published yesterday. If you have the patience for Oman Observer lingo, read it. (lingo? Example: "the realisation of the proposals have started to gain momentum as a result of holistic approach of addressing the concept"..... who writes stuff like that?!)

7. Our papaya woes may soon be over here in Salalah! As you know, Salalah is famous for papayas and bananas, but unfortunately about a year ago, over 400 papaya farms were attacked by the evil mealybugs who ruined our papaya crops. For a year, it's been hard to find papaya and when you do buy some, it's usually very expensive and not very good. I haven't eaten papaya for a whole year, and I live next door to several papaya farms. Apparently, international scientists have been brought in to look for a solution and they will be distributing 100,000 new papaya seedlings to farmers in Salalah in the coming weeks. Folks, we may have our farms back a year or so from now! Read more here.

8. Only five more days to go before abalone fishing season is over! As you may already know, Dhofar is famous for abalone. After a 3 year ban (to renew reserves), this year over 5600 divers (Yes, all in Dhofar) fished for abalone. The cyclone warnings and angry sea slowed the divers down last week, but they're back in full force. Read more here.

9. Lulu Salalah is out of Onken. Sad day for me.

10. There's an Arabic calligraphy exhibition taking place this week at the Oman Society for Fine Arts (next to KFC on the highway). The exhibition is on till November 25th. Check it out if it tickles your fancy.

11. Last but not least, the sweetest piece of news.... Trygve Harris makes me happier everyday. After her success with selling frankincense ice cream in Al Haffa Souq in Salalah during the monsoon festival, she's starting up a business in Oman and will be producing frankincense ice cream (and candy) on a large scale by February. This is so damn exciting!!!!!!!!! My frankincense creativity has been limited to a drop of frankincense water in my tea, but ice cream? Oh yeah! Can't WAIT to try it. I'll let you know when I hear more. Read the Times of Oman article here.

Weather

Uhhh.... despite the cyclone warnings for Dhofar, NOTHING HAPPENED. Sheesh. Not one drop of rain.

more weird weather

forgive me for i am again laptop-less and unable to use proper punctuation on this wretched phone. just wanted to let you know that there are still storm-warnings out for the whole of oman this week. the north of oman is still being affected by the storm from iran and it was raining in sohar and muscat. believe it or not, there was even a hail warning. hail in this heat?!

meanwhile, the second tropical cyclone out in the indian ocean is expected to affect the sharqia and dhofar regions in the next three days. anything from light rain to thundershowers. the police have sent out warnings to all fishermen to avoid sea at all costs. i hope they take the warning seriously, and goodness' sake please please please stay away from wadis. i'm sure most of last week's deaths (were they 14?) could have been prevented if people just stayed away from the wadis.

that's all for now folks. a little more eid visiting then yours truly is going to collapse for a couple of days.

Saturday in Taqah

Good Evening & Eid Mubarak! If you're in Salalah this week, go check out Darbat waterfalls just outside of Taqah. Despite all the Ministry of Tourism advertisements, the waterfalls only run every few years, so it's a real treat to see them come alive after random rainstorms.

saturdày

more crappy iphone typos! my laptop is away being formatted, so until then bear with me.

according to the ministry of climate (i know the name is longer), there are two new storm activities that may affect oman in the next few days. the one we've had these past few days is now weak and moving towards yemen. there's a new cyclone moving from the north of iran towards oman and according to the official statement from the government, we should expect rain in oman on the second day of eid. as for the third weather issue, there is a cloud formation off the western coast of india that may develop into a cyclone in the next 3 days. they promise to keep us updated! what a week for oman, eh?

Friday

more updates on the weather situation:

1) according to authorites approximately 20 minutes ago, the danger is over and rain is expected in dhofar in the next 24 hours. the storm is weak and life can go back to normal.

2) it rained last night and this morning in salalah until 11 a.m.

3) the waterfalls at darbat are running (first time in years). for some incredible photographs, check out faithful mahfaif at tahyati.blogspot.com (see my blogroll)

4) the flight situation yesterday was insane. my cousin (in the dhofar football club) was stuck with the team for 7 hours yesterday at muscat airport. the 10 am flight took off for salalah, arrived in salalah then turned around and came back without landing. the 2 pm flight was delayed and they still didn't know whether they were going to salalah at 9 pm (8 hours in the airport!). the 3:30 flight was delayed until 8:35 pm then delayed again. the 7:20 flight was delayed then evidently took off and landed safely as well. all those people were stuck at muscat airport. not many left the airport because then they'd lose their bookings and may not be able to find another flight before eid. thing is, all of them were checked in before they heard their flights were cancelled. and no, oman air did not send our text messages to passengers nor post information on their website. in fact, the 2 pm flight wasn't even on the flight information screens. those poor passengers.

5) the reason my punctuation sucks today is because i'm typing thjis on my iphone and it won't let me blog using capital letters. forgive me.

cheers, nadia

ps (his majesty freed 156 prisoners tonight)

More news

it's official folks. 11 people are dead until now and there are several people stuck in wadis. ... all flights to salalah were cancelled today and there are hundreds of frustrated passengers in departures roaming through duty free. evidently a plane landed roughly yesterday at salalah airport during bad weather and damaged the runway. does anyone have more information about this?