MEDIA REACTION: THE OIC, CONCERTS, AND LABOR LAWS

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: THE OIC, CONCERTS, AND LABOR LAWS

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A (Permanent) Seat At The Table
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1. The privately owned Arabic-language daily "Al-Watan" published
an editorial on June 29 entitled "Marginalization Is The Cause Of
Misunderstandings":

"The recently concluded meeting of the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) in Yemen was a useful forum to address common
interests and concerns, and the participation of the Sultanate of
Oman shows our eagerness to contribute to a unified vision among
our sister countries. This vision respects the interests of
other countries - despite the fact that many international
observers now paint all Islamic countries with the same brush of
terrorism. Arabs and Muslims need to resist this type of
marginalization. One possible solution would be to grant a
permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council to an
Islamic country. The OIC meeting focused on this point."

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Protest Song
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2. "Al-Watan" also carried an editorial on July 3 under the
headline "Music Concerts Don't Feed the Hungry":

"The world faces many man-made catastrophes: poverty, the
imbalance of trade, the launching of illegitimate wars, a
flourishing weapons trade, and environmental pollution. These
issues are not going to be solved by singing and dancing. The
"Live 8" concert will not be the solution for the world's pain
and suffering. We call again upon the leaders of wealthy nations
to make courageous decisions to alleviate global problems. If
the debts of all poor countries were cancelled, it would be
better for the development of the so-called Third World."

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Belaboring The Point
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3. The July 4 edition of "Al-Watan" featured an editorial
entitled "Adhering To Legitimacy Is The Omani Way":

"The concept of labor must be understood as a contract between
two parties: the employer and the employee. This type of
contract exists in every economic sector, in both the public and
private spheres. As long as the two parties agree on the
contract, both should abide by the laws and conditions of the
contract.... Likewise, member states of the United Nations have
committed themselves to an international labor law; forcing
people to work against their will is a type of human slavery that
is forbidden by all international agreements. The UN also
prohibits employing underage children. Oman has always adhered
to international labor laws, illustrating that obeying the law is
part of our culture, and caring for vulnerable citizens is
consistent with our values." (Note: Sultan Qaboos issued a royal
decree on July 3 ratifying the International Labor Organization
conventions dealing with forced labor and a minimum employment
age. End note.)

BALTIMORE