Some Words for Thought

Its Thursday morning and its my first full day with my home-stay family. I’ll describe them in detail as well as our living conditions and few things we’ve done together. First, I want to fill everybody in on what I’ve been doing for the past couple of days…besides just visiting museums and taking pictures in front of palaces…I have been attending lectures provided by local experts at the World Learning Center in Al- Hail North, Oman. I’m getting a firm grasp on this place now. I think.

“Oman Then and Now”: The Last 40 Years:

            The lecturer started his talk by placing three items on the desk on in front of him…a bronze casted, ancient looking coffee pot… A large plastic thermos with some checkered designs on it and lastly, a Starbucks coffee cup. “This is Oman.”          
             Absolutely, it is so apparent in everything that occurs here. Ancient traditions combined with developments from the 1970’s are being forced to co-exist with modern industry and the capitalist market place. Men still wear the traditional ‘dishdaha’ (robe) and the ‘Kumma’ (little skull-cap). Women still cover up their skin and hair with the traditional ‘Abaya’ (black robe) and ‘Hijab’ or ‘Haaf’ (head scarf)…but they are ALL talking on cell phones and driving cars. McDonalds and DQ are popping up all over the place and the Internet is making its mark like a slow moving fungus.

            Times are seemingly changing in Oman as beneficial material wealth such as hygiene items and air-conditioners are being imported along with vanity…Rolex and the Gap. This material revolution is making way for the unpredictable invisible hand as it eclipses the once regulated consumer arena. Porsche, Toyota, Nokia, they are all here…and here to stay. So how is a country so routed in its time-honored mantras and alleged timeless belief system supposed to remain a unique and special region of the world in the face of the modern American template?? Well, I don’t think they are too worried.

            Omanis have specific values and beliefs that dominate their existence. These inclinations are deeply ingrained in their personalities and the nuances in their behavior are entirely a result of them. These hidden desires and cultural holdings are so opposite of ‘America’ to the point that committing an extremely offensive ‘fo-paw’ is entirely possible at most given moments.  Family, religion, gender hierarchy, traditions such as conservative dress and general all-around modesty, hospitality to strangers and respect for one’s elders as well as placing high regard on the collective ends of one’s actions are all very much valued and non-explicitly cherished in Omani society. They just are who they are and they are without feeling the need to justify it to those who are not. It’s kind of beautiful.

            American’s value freedom, individuality, commerce and materialism. Democracy and equality as well as minority and women’s rights are also put on a pedestal and bowed down to, if you want, if you don’t that’s ok too. I value these things. I love these things and I allow them to infiltrate my being. I would die for them. But in Oman, I cannot fight for them. I must learn to exist with these values in my head and not in my mouth or my fists. I must learn to describe what I experience, and interpret it inside and outside of my American lens. Ultimately I hope to evaluate my Omani experiences as they see them, from an Omani perspective.

            Omanis can and will find a way to incorporate their traditions into the modern era. Oman is special because it is uniquely facing a type of modernization and globalization that so overtly entices and coerces the acceptance of an ‘American’ template’… Oman is facing this inclination to conform with a steadfast zeal centered on fostering and maintaining their identity. Omanis love America, I’ve been told this on numerous occasions. But they love Oman more. And that’s also a beautiful thing.

           

Certain ‘fo-paws’ one can commit in Oman:

            Two big things stick out beyond the obvious mistakes…first the obvious: never insult someone directly, ministries and institutions can be insulted and even specific projects but never bring up a person’s name if it is in a negative context. This goes for Omanis in government and civilians… as well as some British officials…never, never ever insult the Sultan pretty much no matter what, that’s a given. Signs all over Oman, graffiti and official read “baba Sultan anta’ Oman” (Daddy Sultan you are Oman). Omanis hold a deep affinity for him and his benevolent leadership. But, George Bush is fare game in the verbal firing range. Anyway, two big less obvious things, just examples of how much one has to be on their toes and in possession of their wits if they want to fit in:

1.)  Islam is a religion of clean people. The Qur’an preaches bathing at least 3 times a day and men must clean themselves before going to pray. (Often there is a bath -house in the mosque). Consequently, if you are perceived as dirty you will be ostracized or looked at kind of like a leper. Staying clean is important. THE LEFT HAND IS THE PERSONAL HYGENIE HAND. This is huge. You clean yourself with the left hand so it is perceived as dirty. When eating, you never ever use your left hand. (No silver ware is used in Omani households we eat with our HAND, the right hand only). Also, never use your left hand to touch anyone or really even gesture in their general direction, it is disrespectful. If you ate with your left it would be like eating with your foot in America.  Speaking of feet, the bottom of your foot is considered to be the dirtiest part of the body.

2.)  Never sit with the bottom of your feet or foot pointing at someone because it too is considered disrespectful.

            I also attended two lectures by experts on the Omani media scene. I’m not going to write much about either one of them because of the sensitive nature of the topic. Media is monitored and censored. All media. Most papers exist to make money through selling advertisement space, not to challenge the status quo. There’s so much that goes into a discussion of this topic. But I like keeping this blog. The censorship present in Oman is necessary for the predictable and peaceful development of the society at large. It is a good thing.

So now to my home-stay family:

 Six people live here together including me. Mother, father, daughter, son, maid and me. All share a bathroom in a home the size of a small trailer. There are three bedrooms, but it is considered disrespectful for me to go into the mother and father’s room, and I have no reason to go into the children or maid’s room. So the living space is small but I have my own room. A space about 8’ by 8’. Most importantly I have access to an air-conditioner at night and cold water during the day as well as a personal power source to charge my phone and computer. There is no Internet connection.

            The TV is always on. Everybody in the family loves watching TV and we get a lot of American channels. I watched the Simpsons in English this morning. Nickelodeon in Arabic is surprisingly helpful for learning the language because the characters never talk about anything other than what they are doing at that moment. I play with the two kids a lot. The girl is 12 and very smart…she laughed the other day and said “I get confused because I speak English to you, Arabic in school and to my friends and Swahili to my mother.” (Oman used to have colonies in Africa and now has a large Swahili population). The little boy, Marwan, is 6 and very fun to play jax and build blocks with. He loves TV and is pretty good at English. I gave them bubbles when I arrived and I think that bought their affection. Sometimes Marwan calls me Craig. I think that was the last exchange student to stay here. The father is a taxi driver in Oman. They may not have much money or material possessions but as cliché as it is…they seem to be rich in love and affection for one another and they are exceptionally kind to me. I am living very different than I am used to. Much much simpler. There is little to do for me in the house from day to day other than journal and read the Qur’an.  Currently it is Ramadan for the next 9 days. I am fasting with the family. It’s pretty tough. I hope to join a swim team after Ramadan. We live right next to the mosque.

           

            All Muslims consider reading the Qur’an a pious duty. Almost every literate person… man, woman, and child in Arabia has read a portion, if not the entirety of the Holy Text. I’ve started to read the Qur’an as an exploratory measure.

            Non-Muslims are not allowed in Islamic mosques, with the exception being Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. Signs are posted outside mosques exclaiming in both Arabic and English that non-believers should stay out. I want to go in. I want to see how Islamic men pray and perform the duties that so feverishly dominate every aspect of their lives. However, I can’t. Not unless I convert to Islam and begin the journey down life’s correct path. At least this is what my home-stay father told me when I asked to go with him to the mosque for Morning Prayer. He immediately asked me what religion I practiced. I stated that I was raised Catholic but that I was confused and aside from believing in God I was actually looking for guidance. He left the room and came back with a dark green leather bound Qur’an written in both English and Arabic. He said to read it and we would see…(he needed to go to the mosque for evening prayer and mingle, essentially to see if his friends and the Sheikh would allow a new convert to enter the mosque). He came back for dinner and we ate. Nobody really talks during dinner…the focus is generally on the food, which is understandable after nearly an entire day of fasting. After dinner, he spoke to me and said that I could go to the mosque “on a few conditions.” First, I have to start reading the Qur’an and secondly I have to start watching ‘Peace TV’. Peace TV is a channel that showcases various Islamic experts and their views on the religion as it exists in today’s world. Its focus seems to be on instructing Muslims how to live a pious and traditional Islamic life while maintaining a balance between increasing modernization/globalization and the religion’s many ‘conditions.’ I watched for awhile...the program was a talk-show interviewing a prominent religious doctor on how best to punish those who have committed the sin of “illegal sexual intercourse” or basically sex before marriage as well as how to best “deal” with and rid Arabia of the “homosexual infliction.” Sex-criminals should be ban from the community for one year. Homosexuals should be banished. I’m going to read the Qur’an.

            Quranic literature, and the book itself are so voluminous that I’m not sure if I can encompass a detailed perusal of the whole. I know I can’t. Nevertheless, I broke it down. The whole text is divided into thirty equal parts. The thirteenth part of the Qur’an is called ‘a Juz’. If I read the Juz every day, I can complete the whole reading in a month. Usually, the quarters of the Juz are marked in the book in Arabic (one-fourth, one-half, three-quarters) as ‘al-rub’, ‘al-nisf’, and ‘al- thalatha’. I’ll probably start here as opposed to the beginning. It’s easier to manage the time and meaning ratio; maybe I’ll get to go to the mosque in a month.

            The whole Qur’an is arranged in 114 Surahs of various lengths. Each Surah contains a certain number of Ayah or phrases. Surah one has 7 and Surah 2 has 286. You’re probably thinking of a Surah as a chapter, but this is not quite right. Surahs are a step in gradation. They should build in meaning on one another. So starting with a Juz may not be the most traditional way to read the text, but it’s the most efficient.

                                    In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah

The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds

Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Master of the Day of Judgment.

Thee do we worship and Thine aid we seek.

Show us the strait way,

The way of those on whom

Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace,

Those whose (portion)

Is not wrath,

And who go not astray.

-- Surah 1, The Holy Qur’an

            I’ve been speaking with a man who runs the local eatery or food store in my neighborhood. I know his name but I’m not going to print it. His shop is literally attached to the mosque, which is common in Oman. People spend a lot of time praying and socializing at the mosque so when they get hungry or have to break the fast during Ramadan they can do so conveniently.  He read the Surah 1 with me and said he would “shed light on the words for my English.” I didn’t take notes on what he said but this is what I got:

            When praying to Allah, the first words should always be ones of praise. If one truly believes in the praise they are bestowing on Allah, then they serve to get closer or in union with God’s will. After becoming close to God, Muslims believe that their eyes see only good and peace. They can be purged of “evil, rebellion, and conflict.” It is really interesting to me that my teacher explicitly spoke of being purged of rebellion. This may have to do with the heavy weight Muslims put on respect for authority and for one’s elders. Only after seeing “all good” and rising above notions of violence can one begin to worship and acknowledge God’s supreme existence. Then comes prayer for guidance.  What is most striking to me is that the laundry man ended his talk by saying that God needs no praise or acknowledgement and that he is above our “giving words to him.” This would imply that worship and prayer are not for Allah to feel special about presiding over his subjects…he needs no petition and thus probably knows each believer (and presumably non-believers) better than they know themselves. So I guess that prayer exists strictly for the believer’s personal confirmation of their faith. Everyone in Oman who is a believer, which seems to be almost everyone…has the capacity to be a religious scholar it seems.