Hi Everyone,
I liked our discussion a few days ago, but I find that there is a lot more room for exploration and debate in some of the topics we discussed. In particular, I found it really interesting to see the differences in the level of individual freedom expected between our two cultures. While I understand the point made that if the Sultan of Oman is sensitive to the issues of the Omani people that democracy is not necessarily needed, it goes against what I have been brought up to believe. For me, it is my natural instinct to believe that I should have say at all times in political issues and that it is my right to voice my opinion. I was just hoping that maybe someone could provide a differing perspective so that we could come to some sort of conclusion (if there is one) on this issue.
Secondly, I liked the brief discussion we had in regard to Samuel Huntington's clash of cultures idea. I am unsure as to whether the international political climate is shifting to a more cultural perspective. It seems that currently there is most definitely some sort of tension between the Western and Arab worlds, but I am not ready to conclude that this indicates a future of cultural problems and fighting. I liked the point made in our last discussion that it is not that our two cultures are clashing, but rather we have an inability to accommodate and accept one another's values. Personally, I find that there is a lack of trust between our two cultures for a variety of reasons (
What do you all think? I am very open to criticism so feel free to respond, agree, disagree, or write about a completely different topic. Hope all is well and I am excited for our next DVC. Bye.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Last DVC
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5 comments:
Will,
In the last 14 years that I have lived in Oman, this is what I’ve come to learn. There is an unwritten rule that you do not talk about politics in Oman. The Sultan is a person who has literally transformed the country from a mere desert into a developed, self-sufficient oil producing country. I feel that every monarchy has spies just about everywhere. These are people who are part of a larger crowd who strike up a conversation to see how people react and what views they have about certain issues. These issues can range from salaries, to new roads being built, to new business ventures…anything and everything. This is one way that news reaches the Sultan. As much as this may sound like a fairytale of some sort, it is true and is still practiced in the Gulf.
The reason I am telling you this is because this is one of the reasons why people in Oman have never felt the need to voice out their opinions about the political system. Imagine complaining about how inflation is rising in Oman and how it’s so hard to survive because of meager salaries and then finding out a month or two later that there has been an increase of up to 43% in state workers' wages (true scenario). And then the question arises..what can people possibly complain about?
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/510709-oman-hikes-salaries-up-to-43
It’s not like Oman is perfect. We have our issues which relate to landlords increasing rent, houses being built in valleys (seriously dangerous) and so on. But people don’t point fingers at the Sultan for issues like these. They address their opinions towards the landlords, they write articles in daily newspapers about rent hikes, traffic, sewage problems. The blame is on the municipality, NEVER on the Sultan. The point is that this is a peaceful, quiet country and doesn’t really have any political issues to deal with, and I know for a fact that if ever there was an issue that did come up, people would leave it to the Sultan and his Ministers to deal with it. That’s the level of trust that exists here.
The Sultan is hailed as a person who brought about change, who developed a nation and made it visible on the world map. And yes we are visible..that’s why we’re the only city in the Middle East through which the Olympic Torch will be passing on April 14
When you talk about clash of cultures and that there is ‘an inability to accommodate and accept one another's values’, I feel that various actions have provoked a range of ideas in people’s minds. In my view, once an idea has been born, it trickles down this chain from governments to organizations who do global businesses to the local people..and somehow that message is distorted down the line (maybe because of the media, maybe rival political groups). By the time it reaches the local people, it’s completely changed and that local person ends up blaming a hell lot more than the original issue. This creates tension. This tension grows and spreads throughout a nation and every single person begins to think the same way. But I also know that sometimes, the message is perceived wrong only by a small group of people who make themselves visible in a way that the world feels that everyone in that nation thinks the same way that small group does.
Two weeks ago I went on a leadership development seminar in Tunisia and met students from the Netherlands. This particular Dutch student said in a group discussion that she was stopped by a random lady at the Tunisian airport who pointed a finger at her and said “You are a shame to the Muslim world for printing those cartoons about our Prophet”. The Dutch student went on to say that it was the first time she felt she understood how Muslims are treated and how Muslims worldwide are blamed for something they weren’t even involved with, just as she was blamed for something that another Dutch printed. She was blamed for an action that wasn’t even hers.
People are culturally sensitive, but only at the grass root level. They are learning about what’s right, what’s wrong, what to believe and what to ignore. Mutual understanding is growing. It’s a slow process and its happening one person at a time. It might take a very long time for this understanding to grow, but somehow I feel that progress is definitely being made. But then again, that’s my view based on what I observe and the people I meet.
I know this was a VERY LONG post..once I started typing, I couldn’t stop..but I just wanted to paint a picture of Oman and what I felt about this so called “clash” of cultures.
let me know what you think !!!
Asma,
I have two responses to your post.
My first response may seem kind of silly, but I am just unsure of something. When you say that the Sultan has "spies" that gauge public opinion, are there ever any negative consequences for words spoken against the Sultan in front of them? As in, if you were to criticize him, would these spies take any action? When people were upset about salaries, how did they convey the upset so as not to offend the Sultan but still get the message out?
And secondly, I just wanted to say I agree with your reasoning on the way negative ideas are spread throughout a society and the tension it creates among countries. I also think that general understanding of different cultures is growing as well. We ourselves are examples of how grass roots initiatives to better understand other cultures genuinely do begin to limit ignorance and decrease tension. I know that I have shared our discussions with you and your peers with my friends and they are very interested in the Omani culture and what I am learning from you all.
See you Wednesday,
Shannon
Shannon,
like i said..politics and the Sultan are never discussed in Oman. But news does get around. I'm sure there are consequences if someone speaks ill about the Sultan, but I don't really know what happens to them. Spies or informants merely gather information, they don't take any action.
Some people wrote articles in the newspaper about the rising rate of inflation and how hard it's becoming to survive in the city. No one blamed the Sultan for economic conditions.
I guess I can't explain that issue properly because its a very closed, hush hush topic.
Asma,
Thank you for your post. It clarified a lot for me in terms of understanding how information the complaints of the people are understood by the sultan. I also found the distinction that's made between the municipalities and the sultan interesting. It reminds me a of how in the United States we distinguish between the state and federal levels of government. It's really interesting to see you write things like "it's a closed, hush hush topic" because in the United States, these sort of issues aren't at all "hush hush." Fingers are pointed in every imaginable direction.
I don't think cultural sensitivity is only at the grassroots level, however. I think it's widespread throughout all levels of bureaucracy. Nevertheless, I do agree with Shannon (and you implied this as well) that it is at the grassroots level that the understanding of other cultures is the most pronounced and serves to mitigate negative feelings based on differences between cultures.
I liked your post, Asma. I still understand that people are content with the way the sultan responds to things, valiantly raising worker’s wages to keep up with inflation upon common complaints heard by his “spies”, but I wonder if there is a worry that something will go wrong. I don't think it was that long ago that the present Sultan took over in a military coup from his father, who apparently wasn't a very nice guy. A phrase that has stuck with me as far as far as the representative government goes is that it serves at the pleasure of the sultan. Universal suffrage is a pretty new thing, yes? Also, I understand that the "constitution"/ Basic Statute of the State is pretty new, was presented by the Sultan (did the representative body have a hand in its drafting?) and that the question of succession is still a big topic, in wondering if the rules set down for it by the sultan will work properly.
I guess my point is, does the whole system of government, of knowing that the Sultan looks out for the best interest of his subjects, seem tenuous to you all? Is there a possibility that this could all change in the future when Sultan Qaboos inevitably passes away, and if so, would you feel like you all had the tools to change things?
I don't know what to think about this whole thing. It is hard, I think, to consider things like the past events of the sultan that didn’t occur in your lifetimes. The things in our history that one might point to as examples of the US's recent problems, like the relatively recent civil rights movements to fight prejudice or the Kent State shootings by the Ohio National Guard in response to a student protest against the US invasion of Cambodia were not in my lifetime and so feel far away. I feel relatively confident, however, in the knowledge that these past problems are relatively resolved, but there are still worries.
I agree with Natalie that here, fingers are pointed every which way, and that very little, like the worries about spying, would be kept hush hush. Especially with the news the way it is nowadays, anything is fair game. The was a time, for example, when the extramarital affairs of presidents were completely taboo, but ever since things like the Watergate scandal, President Clinton and his impeachment, even the president is not above personal criticism. The recent wiretapping laws within the Patriot Act for means of homeland security, among other civil rights infringements, were much talked about and lambasted in the media, for example.
I also realize that not every system of government is applicable in the same places or even desirable, so the kind of participation/ democratic institutions that I see as ideal may not be for everyone. There is a lot of talk here, concerning the attempt, for better or for worse, to help Iraq set up a representative government, of the importance of the building of civil society, etc., and that these things do not simply happen over night. I can see how maybe having a Sultan might be more desirable. It sometimes feels here that things are talked and talked to death and still come to naught, and that reform comes slowly. A royal edict simply goes into effect, and that is that, and one can only hope that it is one for the better. I would think it would be more efficient.
I like learning about this, and I like talking politics. It is a little uncomfortable for me, because here, in polite company, topics like money, politics, and religion are usually avoided. But this is not a normal circumstance, so hopefully you all aren't too uncomfortable.
Cassandra
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