Protests in Salalah: What do we want?

Published Monday February 28th, 2011
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On most days my office windows look out onto beautiful mountains, palm trees, pretty government buildings, and quiet Salalah traffic. This week, however, the view is a little more interesting. It includes protesters, banners, tents and police vehicles.

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 A few weeks ago I would have laughed off the mere thought of an uprising in Oman, let alone the peaceful town where I live. Nonetheless, on Friday hundreds of protesters marched from the Grand Mosque in Salalah to the central area of town where most government offices are.

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Banners with clear demands were plastered to the gates of the Minister of State's headquarters and the protesters set up camp for the night opposite the gates. It has been four days already and from what I can see it doesn't look like they're going anywhere soon. Not only have they increased in numbers, but they've actually set up one of the most organized protest camps I have ever seen. The quiet collection of donations and the distribution system for food and water is something to be admired. When I drove by last night, the protesters were sitting in groups, talking quietly.

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So what is it that they want? Well, some of the demands seem perfectly realistic and feasible to me, whereas others may seem a little ambitious for the time being (canceling all personal and housing loans?). First and foremost, protesters are demanding an end to administrative and financial corruption in the government and private sector. Believe it or not, Omanis finally want to crack down on wasta (influence). I never thought I'd see the day.

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 Other major demands include the need for more jobs, higher wages, and lower prices for basic commodities such as water and electricity. Do I blame them? No. I live a comfortable life but all around me I see people who live from paycheque to paycheque. Most people I know are in debt, and by the end of the month many of them don't have money to even buy petrol or groceries. Countless young people I know with university degrees are unable to find employment anywhere. Other demands include better healthcare and a complete revamp of the public schooling system. The list has been posted on every local internet forum and is being sent around in the form of emails and SMS.

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Before getting all excited about the protest drama, I find it's extremely important to make a clear distinction between the situation in Oman and recent events that have taken the Middle East by storm. We cannot in any way compare ourselves to the people of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. It's completely irrelevant. Omanis have much to be thankful for. We live in peaceful country which has come a long way since His Majesty took over 40 years ago and we are truly blessed. With these current protests, Omanis are simply demanding changes to a few government policies.

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 The exaggeration I've seen in the international media regarding the protests in Oman is uncalled for. Simply put, Omanis are peaceful people who have recently discovered that protests actually work. Does that mean our protesters should become violent? No. Should we drop everything and go out into the streets? Absolutely not!

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I'm a young Omani woman with very little experience in politics or anything of the sort, but I do know one thing; if we establish clear goals and collectively work towards them, they can be achieved. I'm hoping Oman can become a shining example of how protests should end up; in a win-win situation. We can't demand an end to government corruption unless we as individuals stop depending on wasta ourselves on a much smaller scale. We cannot demand more jobs unless we prove that we are willing to really go out and work. There are definitely jobs out there but in many cases Omanis are too proud to go out and become shopkeepers or join other occupations which they consider to be beneath them. The age of comfortable office jobs for everyone is over.

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Oman is not a huge country with an overwhelming population. With less than two million citizens, it's definitely possible to work together in order to make positive changes. If we have the right attitude, change can happen. It'll be interesting to see how the situation unfolds, but deep inside me I hope Omanis realize that by being proactive, lots can be achieved. Fingers crossed.

Young People & Depression

Published February 15, 2011

The first time I ever thought of depression as a medical condition was nearly a decade ago when one of my high school classmates here in Salalah suddenly stopped attending classes halfway through the semester. She’d always been a loner and didn’t participate much in class so it took a few days before anyone realized she was gone. Two weeks later, she still hadn't showed up. Slowly rumors began to spread about her sudden disappearance and despite her family's desperate attempts at concealing the truth, we found out she had tried to end her life by swallowing bleach. She had been suffering from severe clinical depression and heaven knows what else, but her family refused to acknowledge it. Instead, they took her to local witchdoctors whose diagnosis was simply demonic possession. After undergoing a couple of exorcisms she decided she couldn't cope with life anymore and wanted to take the easy way out. She was seventeen at the time.

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Sadly, situations like this one are not uncommon here in Dhofar. I can think of at least ten young people I know who have suffered from severe depression but weren't brave enough to tell their families or go to a doctor for fear of being talked about and criticized. In our conservative society, people with depression or any form of mental illness are looked down upon, and if they do speak up they are immediately taken to a witchdoctor or religious sheikh. I agree that keeping your faith strong works in many cases for adults, but isn't shoving a prayer book into the hands of a depressed teenager who is struggling with suicidal thoughts a little harsh?

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There's no point denying the fact that depression is an illness that is definitely on the rise among young people and adults in Oman and all over the world, but the good news is that medical treatment is available. Believe it or not, there are some really excellent psychologists in our government and private hospitals and clinics who can help patients suffering from clinical depression. According to SQU Hospital in Muscat, over two thousand women were diagnosed with depression in 2010. The fact that they sought medical help at all is a huge step in the right direction. I can only wish the same were true for Salalah. We have a long way to go before people here open up about mental illnesses. Sure, it's discussed in secret and anonymously in local internet forums, but we need to publicly shed light on the situation. Our kids need to be educated about their mental wellbeing. They need to know when to ask for help. Most young people are reluctant to seek help and don't realize that proper treatment (i.e. not branding or exorcisms) can alleviate the symptoms in most cases. Yet because it often goes unrecognized, depression continues to cause unnecessary suffering.

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Several decades ago life in Oman was much simpler than it is now and depression wasn't much of an issue, but nowadays life can be too whelming for many young people. Some of us are able to cope but others simply can't. We all have our low days every now and then, but when one or two days become several months, it's time to seek help. The frightening thing is that many young victims in Oman feel they have nowhere to go for help. Most parents aren't able to recognize the symptoms, let alone school counselors and teachers.

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I am in no way an expert on anything related to mental health but I have witnessed enough cases in this town where severe depression has been mistaken for demonic possession and hushed to protect the family's reputation. We need more mental health professionals in rural areas outside the capital and we need to shed more light on the secrecy surrounding mental illness in Omani culture. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

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On a final note… since one of the strengths of society here is the fact that we're so intricately connected, surely we can use that to our advantage by providing collective support to people who suffer from mental illnesses? When someone dies, we rush to support the family and when someone is in need, we do the same. Surely if someone is suffering from depression, we could provide support as well?

Why The Black Abaya?

Published February 8, 2011
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Have you ever wondered why women in Oman and in the GCC wear the black abaya? I certainly have. We started off pretty well. Take a look at photos from Oman in the 1960s and 1970s. Women wore modest, traditional and colorful clothing. I’m not quite sure when the black crept its way into Oman, but many people blame Iran and Saudi. Today, the concept of the black abaya has become so engrained in our society that we can’t imagine our lives without it. Most girls in are told by their families to start wearing it when they turn thirteen or fourteen and are stuck with it for life. Once you start, there’s no going back. 

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I started wearing an abaya in grade eight because all the girls in my class wore it, and I didn’t want to stand out. Now, ten years later I can’t even drive to my sister’s house down the street without putting it on. Why? Because I’m afraid of what will happen if I don’t wear it. I feel as if I’d be committing a crime against society by not wearing it. In fact, I’m pretty sure society here in Salalah would also feel I’m doing something wrong, and someone would surely feel the need to report my scandalous behavior to someone from my tribe!   

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 I asked my male colleagues (regular victims of my random feminist outbursts) why they think women should wear the black abaya.  Most said girls must start wearing the abaya when they reach puberty to protect their 'reputation'. I asked them to explain what they meant by that but they just went around in circles repeating the argument about reputation. A couple of others believe society looks down upon girls who don’t wear it. My favorite answer was from a guy who said men wouldn't be able to concentrate at work if their female colleagues wore colors. Really?! 

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Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not against the abaya at all. In fact, I love wearing it. It’s practical and comfortable and I can wear whatever I want underneath it. Furthermore, it’s extremely fashionable. Black happens to be very elegant especially when studded with jewelry or adorned with silver or gold linings and other designs. The cost of abayas can range from twenty to two or three hundred rials depending on the detailed hand embroidery, designer brand, and crystals. Wearing the abaya is also an easier way to cover up without having to worry about coordinating an entire outfit. On the other hand, it gets dirty easily, gets stuck in the wheels of my office chair at least twice a day, and is a constant tripping hazard. Furthermore, during the summer the abaya becomes your own personal heating pad. Black absorbs heat like a sponge absorbs liquid.

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 So, why do we wear it? Because we’ve gotten used to it and are afraid of what people will say if we don’t? Why the obsession with conformity? Society in Oman has always had a problem with anyone different, more so here in Dhofar where it’s almost taboo to stand out of the crowd, especially for females. As a young woman who practically worships individuality, I find this very hard at times. I'm sure many young women out there share my sentiments. 

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 From a religious point of view, wearing black isn’t strictly required by Islam. Muslim women should wear loose fitting and modest clothing that covers the body. Can that not be achieved with green or purple? I knew a woman here in Salalah who made beautiful colored abayas and tried to market them to the local women a few years ago but most claimed their husbands would never let them. The word ‘let’ is what gets on my nerves. Abayas are beautiful, but every woman should have the right to choose whether she wants to wear it or not.  What concerns me is that girls all over Oman are being forced to wear black from a young age by their families. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a little color. In Muscat, things have changed and it’s not uncommon to see women in color but as for the rest of us, black rules. I don’t predict any changes in the near future in Dhofar because we haven’t even started tackling the issue of the black face veil, let alone the abaya!  Goodness knows how long it’ll be before women here can start choosing what they want to wear. Food for thought…