ROP Denies 10-day Jail Sentence

I am royally confused. Yesterday the Times of Oman reported a 10-day jail sentence for anyone caught using their cell phones while driving. This morning the ROP denies it. Can someone explain?

Jail, anyone?

As someone who has had enough near-death experiences to last me a lifetime (all on Oman's insane roads), I was VERY pleased to read in today's Times of Oman that you can spend up to 10 days in jail if you're caught talking on the phone while driving. Last year I was driving through a quiet neighborhood at 20 km/h trying to find my friend's house. I was inching over a speed bump and eyeing the houses trying to find the right one when she called me to tell me I was outside her house. I picked up the phone and she shouted 'I can see you! Stop at the blue gate!" within 2 seconds I noticed a police car beside me. He gave me a ticket for using the phone while inching driving. I was so pleased, I thanked him. Now if there were more policemen on the HIGHWAY at rush hour instead of in quiet little neighborhoods, our world would be a better place. Please please please ROP, start enforcing. Ten days in jail won't hurt anyone. Take my brothers!

Storms & Wadis

When are Omanis ever going to learn to stay away from wadis (dry riverbeds) after heavy rain? The weather this week has been a little crazy in most areas up north with heavy wind, rain, hail, and of course ... running wadis.

I was just watching the news a little while ago and to be honest, I had NO IDEA how bad it was. The footage was dramatic, but the number of people who tried to cross wadis is just ... meh.

ROP updates:

1. The weather is expected to start calming down in the next 24 hours. Rain & hail still expected in some areas up north. The ocean is wild along the entire coast of Oman (including Dhofar). People are advised to stay out of the ocean until tomorrow night.

2. Running wadis are DANGEROUS.

3. Many vehicles (people in them) was caught in running wadis. Some people lost thier lives. Others are missing.

4. Several families were rescued by helicopter from the roofs of their homes after being surrounded by water.

5. A few people were airlifted out of Rustaq and to hospitals because the roads were blocked.

6. In North Sharqiya six people went missing in a wadi. Two were pulled out alive. The other four are still missing and it does not look hopeful.

7. Another vehicle in Sinao with a family of four was pulled into a wadi and the ROP are trying to rescue them now. Another four vehicles were pulled into Wadi Al Batha in Sinao with families. Helicopters are on the move to find them.

8. Nine people were rescued from Wadi Abu Dhalma in Al Qabil.

9. ROP helicopters are looking for the body of a 4 year-old in Al Batinah who fell into a wadi while playing nearby. WHERE THE HELL WERE HIS PARENTS AND WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING NEAR A RUNNING WADI?

10. In Al Dahira 3 bodies were pulled out of Wadi Al Fatah . One is Omani. Ther other two are from the UAE.

11. In Al Seeb a family got stuck in a wadi in their car. They were rescued and are doing well.

12. Nine light posts & a couple of electricity poles fell over due to heavy winds near Bait Al Baraka roundabout.

13. A truck full of people is stuck at Wadi Hotum in Bidiya.

14. Wadis in Al Khoudh are running like mad. ROP are trying to block roads there to keep people away.

STAY. AWAY. FROM. WADIS.

Wednesday

Morning!

1. Weather is crappy in Salalah (hot hot hot humid humid humid). You'd figure we'd get some rain along with everyone else?

2. Colleagues are shallow, irresponsible, naive humans. My colleague has been watching a Bollywood movie on their computer at work since 9 a.m today (4-hour movie). Why do I work my head off when I could easily be earning my full salary watching movies at work & doing the daily gossip rounds from office to office all morning? (Mr. Sythe knows what I'm talking about)

3. As far as I know, the honor killing case sentencing  (see post below) was postponed from April 17th to June. They think more time will help the 'powerful tribe' convince the family of the victim to accept the settlement. They've gone from male negotiations to female negotiations to try and convince the wife of the deceased.

4. BREAKING NEWS! Salalah airport to introduce paid parking by the end of this month. Finally.

5. Have a great weeknd

Dhofar & Honor Killings

Oh yes. Honor killings / tribal killings still happen in Oman and Dhofar in particular if I'm not mistaken. Tribal honor is a big deal down south. I remember hearing about tribal killings when I was younger. A guy from Tribe X would do something to a guy in Tribe Y (could include stealing animals, sleeping with his sister, etc) and so the guy from Tribe Y would go home and get his weapon and kill the guy from tribe X. (I'd say almost every household owns a weapon - things got a little crazy after the Dhofar Rebellion)  

Naturally, dude would go to prison. Then the tribes get together and negotiate for weeks or months to determine an appropriate settlement. The settlement could be anything from cash (we're talking 50,000 - 500,000 OMR) to camels and land. Once the settlement is agreed upon, the family of the deceased drops the charges and the murderer is released from prison.

Here's the part that drives me nuts: in most cases the entire tribe of the accused chips in FOREVER to pay the settlement. Each family is instructed to pay a certain amount every year to support the killer. It's called 'Tribal Support'. My family has been paying for the past ten years or more to support a similar case.  

Obviously killing a human on purpose is cold-blooded murder whether the word 'honor' is linked to it or not. Oman maintains the death penalty for murder and drug trafficking.

The reason I'm discussing this today is because nearly a year ago a man from a very very powerful tribe murdered another man in the middle of Salalah. Everyone believes it was an honor killing. I hate using these terms, but the victim was a black man. Naturally, the powerful tribe were sure that they'd be able to negotiate a settlement with the victim's family.

Salalah has been buzzing with this case for the past year. Most people were sure the victim's family would give in and accept a settlement. To everyone's shock the family refused. They will not take the millions (yes, millions) of rials worth of settlement money/bribe. They want justice.

 Tuesday April 17th (that's 48 hours from now) is the final sentencing. I think they're going to go ahead with the execution. The family has refused to budge. Approval for death penalty comes from His Majesty + The Grand Mufti. If you've been following the news, His Majesty left the country yesterday and will be touring Europe. Obviously a decision has been made.

Your daily dose of Dhofar. Are you familiar with any recent honor killings in Oman? If yes, what's your opinion?

Friday

And tsunami warnings were called off  around 6:30 p.m on Wednesday. Al Hamdulillah. That part of the world didn't need another tragedy. Not after the 2004 tsunami and the Japan earthquakes.

On a brighter note, Salalah Tourism Festival has been brought forward this year. It'll start on June 21st (the official start date of the monsoon season) and will end on July 19th as far as I know. Ramadhan - the holy month of fasting - is expected on July 20th. Rain and cooler temperatures will definitely make it easier to fast from sunrise to sunset.

Back to my Friday cooking ...

Dhofar Tsunami Warning

As most of you know, 28 countries are expected to be affected by the earthquake/tsunami that hit Sumatra early this morning. An 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck about 200 miles off the coast of Sumatra. Another one just happened now with a magnitude of 8.2 according to Oman News Agency (ONA).

The coast of Dhofar & Al Wusta will probably be affected tonight starting at 7 p.m. ONA has advised all citizens to be prepared and to stay away from the ocean from 7 p.m tonight and until tomorrow morning. 

This probably means that tide will go out a few hundred meters. That's what happened in the 2004 tsunami. 

Please pray for those affected. Let this not turn into another catastrophe.  

Fire in Salalah

A massive fire broke out in Salalah yesterday afternoon in the industrial area of town near the festival. According to my sources, it took over 3 hours to put out and one person may have died. I don't see anything in the newspaper yet. This photo is the only one I have at the moment.

Iraq National Dance Troupe

Just a quickie! Iraq's National Dance Troupe will be performing in Salalah at Al Murooj Theatre in Ittin tomorrow night at 8:30. Entrance is free. It should be fun. Bring on the Dabka!!

Friendship

The first two quarters of the year are always hectic for me. I know I should be blogging more, but I truly feel drained by the time the week is over and I've been trying to avoid using the computer on weekends because life is just too short. However, this morning I'm going to dust off my pink grill shades and write a post. I envy people who can write everyday. Sometimes words flow easily with me. Other times, I feel blank. I'm such an intense person, I feel I need to 'plan' my posts. Then I get stressed in the planning process and end up not writing at all. You'd be surprised to see the number of draft posts in my inbox. Can I just point out that I've really been enjoying daily posts from A Nomad in the Land of Nizwa lately? Thank you Catbird. You inspire me to write. I especially enjoyed your bucket list post.

I've been thinking a lot lately about friendship. Society here in Dhofar is still very conservative. Men & women still don't mix. Friendship itself with people from 'outside the tribe' is also a relatively new concept, even if it's men with men and women with women. I'm not talking about the guys you hang out with at the hookah (shisha) cafes or the girls you glue yourself to in college. I'm not talking about your sisters. Or your mothers. I'm talking about true friendship. Friends you can call at any time of the day or night when you're upset. Friends you can confide in. Friends you know will stand by you through thick or thin. Friends you can discuss your deepest fears with. Friends who can see your true colors. Friends who won't judge you. Friends who will be honest with you.

Sadly, many of us have never been able to experience that kind of friendship. Last week a colleague of mine came to my office here in Salalah at the end of the workday for something and he was clearly upset about something. I don't know him too well, so I helped him with whatever he was doing but towards the end of his visit, I told myself "to hell with customs & traditions" and decided to ask him if he was ok. He said 'fine, fine' without looking me in the eye. I've studied NLP, so I used my magic techniques to get him to talk. I told him he looked upset and even though we don't know each other too well, we're all humans and as a fellow human, it upset me to see him like that. You have to understand that in Dhofar, it's highly inappropriate for a female to ask a male those kinds of questions. Naturally, I don't give a damn how inappropriate it is.

After about 5 seconds, he made eye contact. Tears had gathered in the corners of his eyes and he started to tell me about the problem. It was a very personal family problem that was weighing heavily on his heart, but he wasn't able to tell anyone about it because people 'talk'. He said he realized he had no friends to confide in and no one he could talk to normally. He told me that men in Dhofar don't discuss personal problems with each other no matter how close they are. It's considered 'un-manly'. He called it 'The layers and layers of prestige & protocol'. After about 20 minutes, he'd let it all out and he leaned back in my guest chair and closed his eyes, then he thanked me for just listening and not judging him. I felt like crying myself but managed to remain calm and collected. I was humbled. How horrible it must be to not have someone to talk to. Bottling it all up inside must feel like crap.

Interestingly enough, we spent the next half hour or so discussing whether true friendship can exist between men & women in Dhofar. I think it can. He thinks it can't. I told him I didn't think God had created a world of men & women only to have them live in two parallel universes, as is the case in Dhofar. Humans need humans. Relegating men to the role of husband only would leave me mighty lonely. After having several very good platonic relationships, I feel qualified to say men and women can be friends. Very good friends. The problem is that there aren't many role models for these kinds of relationships (ESPECIALLY IN OMAN), so at times it's hard to navigate. Trust me, though, it's possible.

In Salalah, it's hard to maintain friendship with members of the opposite sex because of how society views relationships between men & women. The general feeling in this region is that any form of relationship between men & women outside of marriage = bad. This will change over time. 

This post may not make sense to many of you out there, but I'm sure at least a few of you will understand what I'm talking about. So, tell me, do you have a good friend of the opposite sex? If no, then why? If yes, how do you maintain the friendship and do you feel any kind of pressure?

Nadia  

Turkish Music & Dance Tonight!

Yet another event from the Ministry of Tourism for those of you living in Salalah. Event starts at 8:00 p.m at Al Murooj Theatre in Ittin tonight. Entrance is free. You can check their Facebook page here.  

Clean Up Oman this Weekend!

Reposted from Dhofar Eco Bug:
This weekend (Thursday 29th March) will see Oman's biggest ever clean-up taking place nationwide! Here in Dhofar there will be 4 clean-up teams at the following places:
(1) Al Dahariz Beach, Salalah
(2) Next to Municipality Playground, Taqa
(3) East of Fisheries Harbour, Mirbat
(4) Next to the Mosque in Town Centre, Maqshan
Start time is 4.30pm. Please go along and help out and spread the word to your friends/family and colleagues. This should be a fun event which will also raise much needed awareness of the problem of littering. Water, T-shirts and bin-bags will be provided to participants and the Municipality rubbish trucks will be there to collect the bin bags at the end.
To find out about other locations across Oman check out the Oman Clean Up group on facebook

Weather Alert!

Dear Government,

Thank you for writing up this letter yesterday explaining the possibility of a sandstorm hitting Oman. For the next three days, it will be dusty and windy and visibility beyond 500 meters will be poor. Thank you for saying it might be dangerous for fishermen to go out to sea this week. Now how about sharing this information with the public?!!!! I'm still waiting for an SMS from the government to inform citizens. In the meantime, dress for windy weather and don't go fishing!

Today in Salalah!

Hi Everyone! Wednesday at last. Thought I'd remind you about two events that are taking place in Salalah today. Both are free and require no registration.

THIS AFTERNOON: Ministry of Health & National Association for Cancer Awareness & Salalah Nursing Institute are organizing a 'Walk for Cancer'. Gathering at Salalah airport parking lot at 3:30. Walk starts just after 4 p.m. The group will walk to Al Nahdha clock tower and back again.

THIS EVENING: Ministry of Tourism is hosting a South African event at Al Murooj Theatre in Itteen. Event starts at 8:30. Entrance is free. I hear the Ibuyambo Ensemble is very good. Look them up on YouTube

Walk for Cancer

The Ministry of Health + National Association for Cancer Awareness + Salalah Nursing Institue have joined forces and are organizing a 'cancer walk' this Wednesday in Salalah. The event will be hosted by Sheikh Salim Aufit Al Shanfari (Dhofar Municipality). The purpose of this event is to (a) encourage people to walk and stay healthy (b) to spread awareness about cancer. In Dhofar cancer is still a pretty taboo subject and there are many people who can't even say the word.

Please come if you can. It's for a good cause. I'm sure every single one of you knows someone who has had cancer or is currently struggling.

Event Date: Wednesday March 14, 2012

Time: Gathering at 3:30. Walk starts at 4:30

Location: Airport parking lot is the starting point. The group will walk to Al Nahdha clock tower and back to the airport again (about 2.6 km).

See you there! (PS No registration required)

Holy Mother of Duststorms

Salalah is engulfed today in a cloud of dust (or several). The mountains are completely invisible and most trees are bent sideways. I'm warning you to stay away from Al Baleed Road (the one that connects Dahariz to the Corniche). My windshield almost succumbed to a flying coconut about an hour ago.
PS (yes, I safety-pinned the bottom of my abaya to the laces of my converse sneakers. that's how bad it was)

Friday Morning

Good Morning from sunny Salalah where yours truly is on the beach with her feet in the sand working on her laptop (heaven bless wireless modems that work on Dahariz Beach - Amen):

1. As many of you know, offices in Oman were pretty much empty on Wednesday after 11 a.m because everyone went home or to their favorite Sheesha (hookah) cafe to watch the Oman-Thailand game. To everyone's surprise (and sheer delight), Oman won 2-0. We might actually have a chance to participate in the 2014 FIFA World Cup (Brazil). His Majesty the Sultan was so pleased, he immediately gave each player 10,000 Rials and announced he's investing 2 million Rials to prepare them for the next stage. (# Only in Oman)

2. Another busy day on Wednesday as the Sultan re-shuffled the cabinet of ministers yet again (following last year's post-protests shuffle). The Minister of State & Governor of Dhofar is no longer H.E Mohammed Marhoon Al Mamari. This came as a surprise to all of us down south. Our new Governor is H.E Sayyed Mohammed Sultan Hamood Al Busaidi. New Minister of Information, new Minister of Justice, new Minister of Tourism, New Minister of Commerce, etc, etc. Following the whole scandal with Al Zaman newspaper, I'm surprised to see the Minister of Justice gone.

3. I enjoyed the Morris dancing on Wednesday. It was fun and I have a soft spot for clogging. Did I think they were very very talented? Not really. Thankfully, no beer-bellied men. The cast were a mix of men and women, most under the age of 25 it seemed. Thank you 'Clashing in the Gulf' for sending videos. I'll post a list of future events soon.

4. I enjoyed this article. My sentiments exactly. The only other article I saw about the first anniversary of the protests was in the Gulf News (Sunil Vaidya). You can read it here. I was even quoted for some odd reason.

5. And finally, did you all receive a really weird SMS about civil defense yesterday? This is what all Omanis numbers got on their phones yesterday morning "Be Aware that the civil defence equipment are important - to block this service SMS 2*Civil Def to 90096". What the hell is civil defense equipment?

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.
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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.
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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.
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"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.
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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.