Expats

There's been quite an uproar lately, around issues involving expatriates.
An emarati journalist, who is a Twitter superstar, made news for a proposal to give citizenship to expats.
And also it's stirring laugh, the initiative to make a gender test to foreign workers before issuing a visa for them, in order to avoid transgender or lesbians and gays entries in Gulf countries.

I would rather be sure, if I was in government representatives, that expatriates, were dealt with as human beings first.
I was quite naive to go to the Sultanate of Oman without too many precautions, thinking that at least a Muslim would be safe in a Muslim country.
Nothing of that sort.
Muslims are perhaps the ones to guard from, in an Arab country.
I did quite a lot of mistakes, but I think I was treated really unfairly.
The lady I was willing to make some business with, in the end tried to kick me out because we didn't reach an agreement.
She wanted revenge, so she did not tell me either, in those times a resignation letter should have been accompained by a no objection one.
She came to my house and made me sign.
Few days later she sent a guy with another letter saying I had to leave the country.
Had I not met some locals trying to help me legally, I would have been kicked out of Oman, and lost the money I entirely put, in order to raise a society.
And I did loose much more money than few thousands.
A Jordanian guy who pretended to help me, in the end just asked for money, without giving back.
Meanwhile my visa expired and I had no other way than accepting a deal allowing me to leave the country on the premise that I would not re-enter before three years.
Now that I was thinking that the blacklist period had expired, my friends over there found out that it is a lifetime ban, just for the very fact that I accepted the deal.
I was never told such a thing.
Neither the ministry of labour people nor the royal police, ever told me and my embassy representatives, that the deal would be like that.
The court was fair in issuing an order saying that the jordanian guy, who was already on the run, should give me back the money, but for the rest, I was dealt with like rubbish.
This is not acceptable.
I will search for justice in international courts.

Divorces

It is difficult to understand from this report how exactly education in Oman really influences the ratio of divorce .
It needs to be remembered that nowadays both men and women, are not only educated, but also travel abroad more easily, so there is a chance for both genders to be educated and more aware of modern life problems . And that explains also why they choose to have less children .
It is very possible that women with bachelors and masters, get married with men of their kind, and also later than they used to do, so they are definitely more experienced .
It needs to be seen also, on which range of tribes, the study was conducted and if in Muscat, or rural areas .
If mainly on those being reluctant to accept divorce, than the numbers can be low .
Still there is a significant part of men anyway, who decide to go for second wife, out of boredom or to show off, and their first wives do not oppose any kind of reaction, at least apparently .
There are many situations which up to now are kept in silence, because private life is sacred for Arabs and Muslims, and not all of them are pleasant .
But thanks God, education is indeed helping .

Allowed to go home

Talking to ‘Private News Channel’, the deportees said they remained in the custody of Muscat police for one month, adding they paid Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 to agents for reaching Oman.

‘We wanted to go Oman illegally through agents’, the deportees said.

Earlier, around 500 Pakistanis deported from Oman arrived at Ghass Bander Kemari after they were allowed to enter Pakistan on the directives of Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri.

FIA investigated them and custom officials scrutinized the documents of the deportees at the Ghass Bander and later they were allowed to go home.

Deportees allowed to go home

Unfortunately this is quite an ordinary story of misery and exploitation .
Hundreds monthly arrive to the Gulf coasts from Asian countries, hoping for a job allowing them to send money home for their families .
And there's a huge market behind this .
There are local agents who organize the whole thing, expatriates in the Arab country of destination, and of course locals, who help to provide either the visa later, or at least accomodation, that is one room for ten or fifteen people .
This happens also in every country of the world .

What is strange though, is the second part of the story, which is the way they were dealt with, to go back home .
There are different versions online on the episode, but I think we can assess they were all put on that boat called al Basit (oddly enough, it is one of the 99 names of Allah and it means the reliever) and sent back home, piled up like animals .
Now if it's correct, when it is stated that no one at the port of arrival knew about them, then the biggest responsibility of what happened, goes to Oman authorities .
My guess is they did not even alert the embassy on the issue .
Or the embassy may have just ignored and told them to provide by themselves .
But we are speaking about 500 Pakistanis, not just a bunch .
So I tend to believe the guilt is on Oman side .
In either cases, those people were one more time victims of injustice .
No one will go on barricades for them, as they are not pussy riots .
But it would be fair to investigate and punish those who did this .
In 2012 we cannot treat desperate people that way .
We must respect human dignity .

Jailing the hearts

“Putting  offenders behind bars for 24 hours and confiscating their driver’s license for a week would be the ideal punishment. I have discussed these points with ROP and Muscat Municipality officials but nothing has been done so far. I also want people to come forward and fight for rights of the disabled rather than misusing them. People need to change the way they behave.”
Jail those who use disabled parking illegally, says activist - Muscat Daily|Oman Newspaper

Here in the West, anti-Islamic groups job, is made easier when speaking of Sharia .
Many think that Sharia is just a set of repressing laws, which will destroy our democratic system .
Few understood that Islamic law, is seriously part of that way of life we try to practice .
And so it is meant to strengthen morals and values , which is why Sharia applied to a Western system, just doesn't make sense .
I see that also in Arab countries now, people start to see repression as the solution to problems .
I understand the frustration, but it is all about education and going back to the origins, namely Islam and the good part of Arab culture .

Illegal gatherings

“We want our corrupt ministers sacked and replaced by members of the Shura, who’ve been elected by the people.

Many of them have been in power for a long time and have filled their pockets with funds that should have been redistributed amongst the people.”

Basma al-Kiyumi

The Sultanate of Oman, has always been, or better many see it this way, as a sort of Cinderella, in the complicated context of the Gulf region .
Sultan Qaboos has great diplomatic abilities, which turned useful when dealing with tribal issues, religious diversities within sects, and the reality of a country which compared with others, is very poor in oil and gas resources .
Oman can be defined as a very liberal country, a place where people from abroad, with different views, religions and cultures, live happily, despite problems, with locals .
Qaboos is the pillar supporting a reality made by many faces .
He is the one, keeping them all together .

Even though this is not passing through the mainstream international media, with the advent of the springs, also Oman and its ruler, started to have their panic moments .
The first moves made by H.M., were a double reshuffle of ministers, and later the promise of jobs and some bonuses granted to students and civil servants .
The government reshuffle was a solid sign that the ruler knows what is happening in the country and wants to help it .
The level of corruption in Oman is very high .
There is no step one can do, either in the public or private sphere, without bribing officials .
This is something happening everywhere in the Gulf and in the world as well, but when the country is small and has a weak economy, the consequences of corruption are felt even more .

Later on, after the people welcomed these initiatives, the crackdown on media and internet publications started .
The public prosecution jailed many for expressing strong public dissent, also against the Sultan .
This was also welcomed by the people who deeply love their ruler, and by nature, dislike confusion and chaos .
But on the long run, all this could turn against Qaboos himself .
Up to now, those jailed are perceived just as trouble makers, but insisting with repressive laws condemning "illegal gatherings", without clarifying what these exactly are, and imposing not so much veiled restrictions, on blogs and social networks, might be perceived like an obscurantist attitude, same as his father used to have .
So depending on how events will unfold in the rest of the region, also the legend of the peaceful Oman, might come to an end .

Oman : land of sand and Sultans

The story of Shahrzad Mir-Qolikhan, who has been freed these days from a long detention caused by her espionage activities, according to American authorities, confirms in my opinion what I stated previously .
Saudi Arabia and the US are trying to fix the Iranian issue , at least on the short term, in quite a peaceful way, in order to obtain some backing on the Syrian front .
And once again in a legal dispute between America and Iran, the Sultanate of Oman is the quiet protagonist .

Oman is a country with a great potential, but relatively poor in energetic resources, which is the reason for its balanced and mediation policies .
Sultan Qaboos, who came to power through a bloodless coup surrounded by legends, has this great ability to lead the country, keeping in account the needs of his people, and to lean on foreign help, specially British, on terms of equality .
He never allowed anybody to overcome his power and his country sovereignity .
The main issue, on the long run, is the riddle of his succession .
Omanis dream of a surprise heir who will come and lead gracefully same as he did after his father .
Reality is, that there is no official heir, and in case the family won't find an agreement, then a paper where he already indicated a name, will be opened soon after his death, so the successor will be installed .
In the light of recent developments brought by the Arab springs, a more interesting outcome might open, according to some commentators who pondered some reforms H.M. accomplished lately, by giving more power to his people : he may pave the way to a constitutional monarchy .
This will take quite a long time, as Oman has strong tribal traditions and is still very young in the exercise of the majilis ash shura (the small parliament having an advisory role), but it seems a very feasible solution .

There are two issues being reasons of concern for the stability of Sultan Qaboos reign : one is the relationship with his people, and the other is of religious nature .
Omanis do love their sultan deeply .
A foreign citizen, entering the country for a short vacation, will immediately feel this loving atmosphere which doesn't come out of fear, but by the awareness of what their ruler has done for them .
Nevertheless the young generation (mostly in their 30s and 40s) acknowledge that still he hasn't been capable to realize their dreams, in terms of freedom of expression .
Still control on media and internet is very tight .
They attribute this, either to H.M. advisors, or to his fear to grant complete freedom .

The religious issue comes from the South, where people follow all the Sunni sect, rather the Wahabi type, unlike the rest of the country which is, according to the official annual census, Ibadi .
Their belief is very close to the Sunni, but with some differences .
The danger from the south, is that they often claim their right to separate and join their fellow Saudi Muslims .
It has happened in the past, that they followed the dates of Islamic celebrations as per Saudi calendar, rejecting the Omani religious authority .
For a couple of years, H.M., slightly irritated by this attitude, did not go and stay in Salalah, despite this being one of his favourite spots, as his mother was from there, and he spent his childhood in the palace with her .

So truly Oman is a sort of happy paradise for both locals and expats, but presents some criticality points, which needs to be addressed and handled with extreme caution, or they might be detrimental for the stability of the country .

Distress

It is not easy to be a foreign worker in the Gulf area .
If one has a first class nationality, say American or Canadian, and goes there on a contract for a big company, then will get all things done, since the day of arrival .
But for other nationalities, like for example Asians, life can be a nightmare to say the least .

This of course happens everywhere here in the West .
The difference is that we have a wider set of laws to combat it and many groups, political parties, unions, religious charities, ready to fight for the rights of minorities .
The peculiarity of some Arabs, of course not all but many, is to think of the "expat", like a second class citizen, or not a citizen at all .
Sometimes foreigners are merely a number, people to fill positions which can't be taken by nationals or that must be given in exchange for commercial partnerships with foreign companies .
Another factor is the level of corruption in public offices .
Actually, to get a document or a visa, it is necessary to go through "wasta", connections, in the police or government departments .

Some time ago, during a joint press conference with the Italian prime minister, the Emir of Qatar stated, that what had prevented him from investing in Italy in earlier times, was the corruption .
I must agree with him, that the level of frauds in the land of Colombo is pretty high, but what makes it worse in an Arab country of the Persian Gulf, is the penetration in the social tissue .
Corruption there, is not just a matter of broken legality , it is a state of mind .
It is rare to meet a local who starts a new business or engage in any challenging activity, without resorting to a little help, by paying bribes .
This of course damages the entire country not only for how it comes to be known abroad, but slows down its economy .

Living in such system, for an exploited person, is cause of great distress .
One must run here and there to find the right sponsor (person or company in charge of his sponsorship) .
Must pay small amounts when requested and so on .
It needs to be noted that there is also the other side of the coin, that is for example the foreigner coming from out, who is welcomed by a family , all of a sudden runs away, making huge damages to his employer who must give account to the ministry .
The sponsorship system has proved to be a big failure, but up to now, no government has been able to plan anything more feasible .

India is the nation with the highest number of workers in the Gulf .
Although it will level down with time and nationalization , still they have an important role .
I was happy to read how they helped one of their citizens in Oman .
It is just one story of many . They do a lot of these .
But to be completely honest, the government of India is primarily responsible for this situation .
As there is little or no work at home, they try to send as many people as possible, outside .
And some of those who are already living overseas, take advantage of the it, as they for one, exploit their fellow nationals .
With a tighter control and better will, they might put an end to these trafficks .