WHY DO I TRAVEL TO OMAN
WHY IS IT SO SPECIAL
When I sent emails from Salalah, Oman on a
recent stopover there, a good friend of mine asked: Why do you visit Arab
Countries like Oman?
My own brother, Eliyahu, will not come with
me to Malaysia, why visit a country that wouldn't let our relatives (in this
case Israelis) visit?
(Malaysia has no resident Jewish population;
a retired Tamil labourer and his family are caring for the Iraqi Jewish
cemetery in Penang!)
First of all, I am very sensitive to the insults
heaped upon Jews by Moslems, directly and indirectly in various parts of the
world. There is a video circulating, in which on a Public Transport Bus in
Paris, a group of young Arab men are shouting Allahu Akbar, and Death to the
Jews!
I want to remind you that it did not happen
in Iran but in Paris, France in 2013! I would be afraid to walk to the lovely synagogue in Malmo, Sweden because of the threat of young moslems and their collaborators against the Jewish worshippers!
But at the same time, we cannot put the
entire Moslem population of the world, the benign nounou from Mali who likes
her bacon or the Bangladeshi slave in Malaysia or Qatar. For these people it is
us Jewish people who should feel the greatest of sympathy and work towards their liberation since it was not
that long time we were treated, herded, murdered for just being Jewish.
(almost the entire jewish community of Thessaloniki or Salonica were murdered by Nazis. They had escaped the Inquisition in Spain 440 years earlier)
I am reminded of a quip from the Professor
of Kidney Transplantation at Medical School. When asked where he as born, he
replied
I was born in Saudi Arabia, but had had the
sense to escape very early. I also occasionally feel about the place where I
was born which was not Moslem at the time of my birth but later came under
Moslem Semi-Dictatorship which would never allow me citizenship, not that I
want it, of that particular country. I can also say: I saw the light very early
in my life and left at the age of 2 ½ for a better upbringing!
I always want to keep an open mind, however
difficult it is becoming in Europe now crowded with anti Semitic chants and the
gullible Asians imitating their Sunni Brothers from the desert. I want to pray
tribute to my friends from school in Sweden, Hadi al-khalaf from Bahrain in
particular who taught me that friendship can transcend the vitriolic of the
day!
So it is a pleasure for me to write about
Oman, an Arab country in the volatile Middle East where greater peace and
tranquillity exists than many countries in Asia!
Oman had been in my mental horizon ever
since I can remember, since it is the only one of two legitimate Sultanates in
the World. I was on holiday with my parents in the other one, Brunei, when my
father, olav ha shalom, may have alerted me to this fact. Sultan of Ternate or
Sultan of Jogjakarta do not count, because Sultans of Brunei and Oman are hereditary rulers and both have oil reserves and both are moderate even though
Oman is less conservative in its approach to Islam than the converted Malays of
Brunei.
I arrived at Oman from Zanzibar, literally
and figuratively. The Sultanate was one of the poorest in the region and the
riches of Zanzibar which attracted them, moved their capital to that lush
island in the Indian Ocean. To this day, the cultural and genetic exchange
between Zanzibaris and Omanis are apparent everywhere. The Stone Town of
Zanzibar is full of ornate doors which will not be out of place in Nizwa in
Oman and Omanis accept without problems the miscegenation with non Arabs that
happened for decades in the island and most of the Omani-Zanzibaris and their descendants
now make Oman their home, while maintaining a strong link to their ancestral
past.
This also must have set the foundation for
tolerance of the other that is not usually found in any of the Arab countries
and most Moslem countries of the world.
The other factor for the tolerance and
acceptance of the Other might lie in the fact that Omanis follow Ibadi Islam
rejected by other Arabs are heretic and shunned by Shias. So for centuries they
had known isolation and oppression, the common fate of Asian immigrant workers
in the other Gulf States.
There is no doubt the open mindedness of
British educated Sultan Qaboos is evident everywhere, He took over the Country,
at that time one of the least developed countries in the region from his father
who was under the influence of his advisors and deemed incompetent. Today he is
universally revered and has brought Oman a general prosperity and modernity
without loosing its cultural links with the past and history.
The improvements in Oman since the
ascension of Sultan Qaboos is impressive indeed!
"I promise you to proceed forthwith in the
process of creating a modern government. My first act will be the immediate
abolition of all the unnecessary restrictions on your lives and activities.
"My people, I will proceed as quickly as possible
to transform your life into a prosperous one with a bright future. Every one of
you must play his part towards this goal. Our country in the past was famous
and strong. If we work in unity and cooperation we will regenerate that
glorious past and we will take a respectable place in the world.
"I call upon you to continue living as usual. I
will be arriving in Muscat in the coming days and then I will let you know of
my future plans.
"My people, I and my new government will work to
achieve our general objective.
"My people, my brothers, yesterday it was
complete darkness and with the help of God, tomorrow will be a new dawn on
Muscat, Oman and its people.
"God bless us all and may He grant our efforts
And so began the reign of Sultan Qaboos
on 23 July 1970.
The gains made in the country are
impressive, from no roads to paved highways that connect various towns in the
Sultanate. Modern airports of which the new Salalah airport would be up to
International Standards connecting Dhofar directly to the world.
I have visited Oman three times, twice
in the last two years.
On my first visit, which was not that long ago, I had to
get a visa from the Omani Embassy in Washington DC and when the flight arrived
from Zanzibar at 3 AM, the immigration officer was quite puzzled.
Purpose of your visit?
I said, Tourism
How can it be, we don't have tourists
here!
A poor doctor attached to the airport
had to be woken up and brought to the airport so that he could verify that I
was a doctor!
Now it is visa on arrival for Australian
citizens, 5 OMR (1 omr is about 2.6 usd).
It is also common to see Omanis working
along side the contract workers from Asia! A sight not often seen in other Gulf
countries.
I saw Omani drivers, bus boys at the
hotels, shop assistants, and airline agents.
(Bellboys at Marriott Beach Resort at Mirbat,two Bangladeshis and one Omani)
Without exception they were friendly. On
my recent visit I was in Muscat, Salalah and Mirbat and at each place I was
greeted with great enthusiasm.
Omani government wish to decrease their
reliance on expatriate workers and has an active programme to do so.
Unlike Qatar, Abu Dhabi or Dubai where
western expatriates are differentially treated in professions, I could sense
that the professionals from non-European countries such as Doctors from India
or Pakistan were not subordinated. Unlike the other Gulf States, where the
majority of the residents are expatriates from Europe or workers from Asia;
only ¼ of Omani population is from other countries. Plus the plurality of Oman
is seen in its languages: Arab, Baloochi, languages unrelated to Arabic such as
Jibali still spoken in the Dhofar region in addition to various ancient tongues
such as Bedu.
To this pleasant mixture is added the
smiles of Bangladeshis, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Indians, Burmese, Philippines
and Indonesians.
It was no surprise to me when I received
a call from Muscat this morning from my good friend HP of Bogor. He was
visiting Muscat for a few days.
Without doubt, Oman has exceeded all
expectations, he exuded. Both Malaysia and Indonesia has lessons to be learned here, he added
This morning, he continued, at the
Shangri La hotel the receptionist was from Myanmar who told me: I was a worker
in Malaysia and I couldn't take it, so I left early and I came here and I am so
happy here!
On a recent stay at Hilton Hotel in
Salalah, I could sense the happiness of the staff. They were happy to be there,
because they were being treated well by the Omanis and the guests. The GM was
from Egypt and there were all other nationalities and I talked to many of them
and not a single one complained. How unusual, I thought having seen the misery
of the domestic workers in Singapore and Malaysia. Yes citizens of those
countries could take a lesson in tolerance and friendliness from the Omanis!
Instead of complaining about Immigrants taking jobs away as they are doing in
Singapore, be grateful for the presence of the workers who are helping you live
a better life, so share your good fortune with them a little bit.
It is this aspect of the general welfare
of the contract workers that makes me want to go back to Oman more often since
it says volumes about the generosity and kindness of the hosts, the Omani
people.
Hospitality is a key characteristic of
Omani culture and my friend Joe recounted the enormous feast of a dinner his
Omani friend had laid out for him in his home in Muscat: Zanzibari and Omani
dishes
Now you know I am already looking
forward to my next trip to Oman!
The gentle and friendly nature of the
Omani people that is manifested in general friendliness including the
friendliest contract workers in the Gulf (or Malaysia or Singapore)!
One other thing I am looking forward is
to welcome Omani students coming to Cuba to study Medicine as well as Cuban
doctors coming to Oman to work as Specialists in their hospital for shorter and
longer terms. Cuba has already such an agreement with Saudi Arabia.
As I was leaving Muscat airport, I
stopped by to chat a south East Asian looking shop assistant who was wearing a
hijab, naturally assuming her to be from Indonesia. I recognized her name to be
Filipina and during our conversation, she told me that, she converted to Islam
after she came to Oman, because she felt respected as a woman and treated well!
Is there a better recommendation!
I also noticed that all workers at the
Hilton Salalah Hotel Front Desk used the expression, Inshallah, whether they
were Moslems or not! Of course, in Malaysia that would constitute a crime
against the religion by the infidels!
