OMAN ONLINE: PREAMBLES, PLANES, AND PRAYERS

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001341

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, IIP/G/NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SOCI MU
SUBJECT: OMAN ONLINE: PREAMBLES, PLANES, AND PRAYERS


1. Summary: The Omani Internet message boards "al-Sablah" and
"al-Majarra" are the liveliest and most comprehensive Arabic-
language fora for political and social discourse in the country,
touching on issues and personalities rarely addressed in the
conventional media. While not totally free, nor wholly
reflective of Omani public opinion, these popular sites
nevertheless offer a worthwhile window into the hot topics and
unvarnished views of the day. This edition of Oman Online
contains the following topics:

-- Iraq's Draft Constitution
-- RAFO's Purchase Of F-16 Aircraft
-- The Friday Mosque Sermon

End summary.

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We The People
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2. One al-Sablah author described the Iraqi draft constitution as
an "achievement" on the road to setting up a democratic system.
"If Iraq can reach an agreement, it will be the first Arab nation
to be governed by a constitution crafted by the will of the
people," the author stated. Roughly a third of respondents
agreed with the author, writing "We look forward to the Iraqis
recovering from their old wounds to rebuild their country" and
"We must discard pessimism and narrow-mindedness, and look at the
bright side of this constitution."


3. However, the remaining two-thirds called the constitution into
question. One contributor suggested, "It is not an Iraqi
constitution, but rather an Iranian/American creation. The
Americans opened the game by making the Kurds in the north fight
the Shiites in the south." Another wrote, "The real goal of the
so-called constitution is to rob the Iraqis of their resources,
divide them into separate ethnic groups, and erase the
Arab/Islamic identity of the Iraqi Sunnis."

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Into The Wild Blue Yonder
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4. In a topic that generated over 3,600 hits, al-Sablah
participants generally praised the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO)
for their procurement of F-16 aircraft. "Congratulations to RAFO
for their new equipment," wrote one member, "and I hope that we
will never need to use them." Another stated, "I support the
acquisition of the latest technology for our armed forces,
provided that there are enough experts and professionals to use
the technology properly." Other observers hailed the purchase as
"keeping up with the UAE," while a small minority complained that
some of the aircraft's parts are Israeli-made.

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Living In A Material World
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5. The theme of last Friday's mosque sermon raised the ire of
numerous al-Sablah members. Forum participants described the
gist of the Friday prayers as "Renounce worldly pleasures and
lead an ascetic life; in other words, be content with what you
have and don't think about improving your situation." Angered by
the perceived ulterior motive behind this theme - the Ministry of
Awqaf and Religious Affairs approves each Friday's sermon - one
respondent asserted, "It seems the `hamour' [slang for wealthy,
influential people] do not like citizens demanding even small
services from the government." Another asked, "Is the government
really asking us not to pursue salary increases, or even the
improvement of basic social services?" Declared one member,
"They have forgotten that money is the backbone of society, and
that through investment, society is nourished."

BALTIMORE