Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MUSCAT1475
2005-10-04 04:46:00
SECRET
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

COMBATING EXTREMISM IN OMAN

Tags:  KDEM KPAO KMPI PREL EAID PHUM PGOV ASEC MU 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 07 MUSCAT 001475 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR R, P, NEA, NEA/PI, NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2015
TAGS: KDEM KPAO KMPI PREL EAID PHUM PGOV ASEC MU
SUBJECT: COMBATING EXTREMISM IN OMAN

REF: A. SECSTATE 159129

B. SECSTATE 152818

Classified By: Ambassador Richard A. Baltimore III.
Reason: 1.4 (d).

-------
Summary
-------
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 07 MUSCAT 001475

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR R, P, NEA, NEA/PI, NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2015
TAGS: KDEM KPAO KMPI PREL EAID PHUM PGOV ASEC MU
SUBJECT: COMBATING EXTREMISM IN OMAN

REF: A. SECSTATE 159129

B. SECSTATE 152818

Classified By: Ambassador Richard A. Baltimore III.
Reason: 1.4 (d).

--------------
Summary
--------------

1. (S) The Embassy's outreach and public diplomacy efforts,
filtering down into every social strata and region of the
Sultanate, have promoted a consistently positive image of
U.S. society and culture that have complemented the Omani
government's own effective actions to counter or prevent
extremist tendencies. As a result of this, and by virtue of
the Sultanate's unique cultural and historical legacy of
tolerance and peaceful coexistence, extremism is rare in
Oman. The Omani government's careful monitoring of religious
and political discourse, and its control over the media,
greatly facilitate our ability to provide a positive
alternative to the negative images of the U.S. so common in
other Arab and regional media. The USG has some excellent
programs in play that effectively discourage extremism in the
long run and some of them should be significantly expanded.
This message contains six recommendations how we could better
apply our resources to combat extremism. End summary.

--------------
Extremism
--------------


2. (S) Extremism is a rarity in Oman. A key factor is Oman's
embrace of disparate cultures and races through centuries of
proud maritime commerce and the countless trade outposts
established by intrepid Omani mariners throughout South Asia
and the rich East African coast. Immigration from these
areas and neighboring states brought Sunni, Shia, Hindu and
other minority populations into Oman, contributing to an
innate Omani tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity
that prevails to this day. Sultan Qaboos and his government
have further amplified this trend in their policies, public
pronouncements, and actions. Oman remains the only state in
history to have a majority population that adheres to the

Ibadhi branch of Islam, known in the Muslim world for its
unshakable allegiance to principles of tolerance and
compassion. Born in the earliest decades of Islam, when
ideological clashes frequently led to death or repression,
the early Ibadhi followers fled to distant Oman to practice
their faith in peace. In the rare instances when extremism
has reared its head in Oman, either among individuals or
cells, the local security services detected them and thwarted
any hostile actions. There have been no major terrorist
attacks either within Oman or involving Omanis.

--------------
Embassy Efforts
--------------


3. (S) The Embassy employs a wide and effective array of
engagement strategies that, combined with Omani government
efforts, have achieved an impressive record in preventing and
combating extremism.

--------------
IVLP: The Golden Formula
--------------


4. (U) The single most effective tool in the USG,s arsenal
of programs to foster more human ties is the International
Visitor Leadership Program. Sustained feedback over the
years has been nearly universally positive. The IVLP is
probably the most efficient vehicle to counteract the many
distortions in circulation about American society and to
build "human ties" with the American people. We should not
underestimate the power of showing foreigners who we are and
how our society really works. For example, a Ministry of
Commerce and Industry official visited Texas and met with
some Americans involved in a "halfway house" for battered
women. The Omani woman was so impressed with what she saw
that she is now planning to open a similar facility here in
the Sultanate. Another young lady was so moved by the
involvement of women in the American political process that
after she returned to Muscat she declared her candidacy for
the Omani parliament and launched a highly enthusiastic
campaign. In FY-05, Oman was allotted 15 IVLP slots, up from
11 in FY-04. The 15 participants constituted about a quarter
of all official exchange program participants. Demand here
for participation in IVLP programs has always exceeded
supply.

Recommendation: Seek funding to double the number of IVLP
slots for all NEA countries.

--------------
Battle of the Bulge
--------------


5. (U) By definition, the IVLP program is aimed at those whom
we believe are poised to assume some sort of leadership role
in the future. As in the rest of NEA, Oman has a demographic
bulge, with the majority of its population under the age of

25. An exceedingly small percentage of this bulge enters the
higher educational system. Most of them either try to join
the workforce after high school or opt for vocational
training. When it comes to the image of the United States,
few in this group have an opportunity to personally know an
American. Their parents probably were not educated abroad,
and embassy activities are most likely perceived as aimed at
the wealthier "haves" of Omani society. Yet, they are just
as exposed to and remain vulnerable to the false sirens of
radical extremism and distortions about the U.S., especially
from regional media sources such as Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabia.
In a discussion about this situation with the former head of
ECA, the Ambassador proposed taking a "man in the street" who
would not fit the IVLP criterion and see what would happen if
he visited the U.S. ECA agreed to fund the experiment on a
trial basis if we could identify a typical, small-town Omani
citizen who would be willing to be our guest in the U.S. We
selected a middle manager of a small textile plant who
believed he "knew" what the U.S. was about but was willing to
take the trip and test his views. The experiment was a
success. His attitude began to change after he discovered
some jeans made in his factory in Oman for sale on the
shelves of a Gap Store in Washington. Now that he has
returned, he is eager to share his changed worldview with his
countrymen and his enthusiasm has not waned. For example, he
recently flew over 600 miles from the south of Oman just to
attend a reception at the EMR for all participants in
USG-funded programs. Without losing the excellent focus that
the IVLP program has, initiating a program for people like
this blue-collar worker could broaden the target pool and
reach an audience that merits attention.

Recommendation: Include a non-traditional participant
component in the existing IVLP.


6. (SBU) The Embassy uses various other exchange and
educational programs to expose Omanis to America's tolerant
and democratic traditions.

--------------
English Training
--------------


7. (U) We have used the ACCESS Microscholarships program to
provide English language training in FY05 for 120
economically disadvantaged Omani youth throughout the
Sultanate. In FY06, the number of participants will grow to

320. This program will have long-term impact, particularly
as English-language skills are key to future employment
opportunities. Oman is hungry for English language
instruction. With more funding, we could double the size of
this key outreach program again. The fact that it reaches
underprivileged children multiplies its positive impact on
Omani society and the positive impression of the U.S. it
leaves with people throughout the Sultanate. By working with
the Ministry of Education to identify the neediest students,
we have also sown goodwill with teachers around the country,
who have considerable influence over their students. Upon
learning details of the program, the Under Secretary for
Foreign Affairs personally committed himself to overcoming
any obstacles the Embassy might encounter with
implementation.

Recommendation: Provide additional funding for another
significant broadening (no less than 50%) of the ACCESS
Microshcolarships program.


8. (U) Another hugely successful training program was
directed at Omani judges. We sponsored an English Language
Fellow at the Ministry of Justice to conduct a course in
Legal English for 17 Omani justices. The Ministry was so
impressed with the training that it has contributed $13,000
of its own funds to support a second English Language Fellow
in FY06. This is a long-term project that will help expose
often conservative, Islamic Shariah-trained justices to
broader precepts of international law.

--------------
Cornering the Market
--------------


9. (U) We have established NEA,s first &American Corner8
plus four more throughout the Sultanate. The Corners are
stocked with publications and audio-visual material dealing
with U.S. culture, history and literature. The potential
positive, long-term impact of these Corners is tremendous.
During the course of a one-year anniversary at one of the
earlier Corners in a private university, an official stood by
beaming as a group of young Omani women explained how only
the USG-donated computers had the capability of handling a
software program that they were developing.


10. (U) We also use the Corners to host visiting U.S.
speakers and for digital videoconferences with experts in the
U.S. One visiting speaker at the Corners this year was an
American Fulbright scholar who spoke to youth about Muslim
life in America, dispelling noxious assumptions of America as
hostile and antipathetic toward Muslims. Other speaker
programs included the State Department's Deputy Spokesman,
plus programs on foreign direct investment, the Iraqi
elections, and Black History Month.


11. (U) With increased funding, we could extend the Corners
into the vocational training colleges, a large and untapped
audience that to date has English-language materials solely
from the United Kingdom. The Omani authorities have already
asked us to assist in providing American publications, texts
and reference material into their vocational system; if we
had the adequate resources, we estimate that we could easily
open two new American Corners per year.

Recommendations: (a) Study the prospect of securing
less-expensive American Corners for vocational students and
(b) Investigate the prospect of corporate funding of
additional Corners.

--------------
Exchange Visits
--------------


12. (SBU) We have had considerable success in our initial
experiences with MEPI-related exchange visits. For instance,
a small grant offered under the Middle East Partnership
Initiative (MEPI) sent five young Omani student council
leaders from a Muscat college to U.S. universities in three
states to share student leadership as well as cultural
experiences. The Dean of the Muscat college is so delighted
with the results that he is organizing a press conference to
publicize the tremendous benefit that the exposure to the
U.S. has brought to his campus. The program's impact is
medium/short-term.


13. (U) In 2004, we sent over 40 Omanis to the U.S. on
various exchange programs, such as the MEPI-funded Business
Internships for Young Middle Eastern Women, and the Youth
Exchange and Study (YES) program, which sends Omani high
school students to an American high school for one year. One
of these Omani YES participants returned so enthralled with
the program that he insisted on participating in the
pre-departure orientation for a subsequent batch of Omani
students. Another student who spent a year in Virginia set
up "orientation sessions" for interested Americans in his
town in which he outlined the traditions, history and culture
of Oman. He held his sessions in the basement of a local
church. The mother of yet another student reported that her
daughter struggled academically at first and had trouble
relating to the local community, but eventually got her
bearings and "became a much more responsible young woman"
while successfully completing her one year of American high
school education.


14. (U) In 2005, we expect the total number of Omani exchange
participants to grow to 50. The impact of this program is
long-term, given the transformative impact that spending a
year in a U.S. high school or interning at a corporation like
Disney has on young Omanis. Moreover, we keep in contact
with alumni of these programs through representational
events. We also hosted a group of ten U.S. military
chaplains in August 2005 as they attended lectures and
seminars with Muslim intellectuals and discussed interfaith
tolerance issues at the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious
Affairs.

--------------
Rule of Law
--------------


15. (C) In response to an initiative launched by Senator
Hutchinson of Texas, and in conjunction with Dallas-based
Southern Methodist University, Oman was the first country to
send a large high-level delegation to Washington, New York,
and Dallas to participate in a "Rule of Law Forum" as well as
the first country to repeat the experience the following
year. In FY04 and FY05, the Ambassador accompanied
high-ranking delegations of Omani officials and
private-sector leaders that included several conservative
officials from the judicial and legislative branches of Omani
government who had been schooled in Islamic jurisprudence.
One such participant was the president of the lower house of
parliament. A conservative Sunni Muslim who never let down
his guard in previous meetings with any U.S. official, the
Sultan himself had to convince the parliament leader to
participate in the SMU program. Other Omani participants
cautioned us that the president was too old to change his
surly attitude toward the U.S. Our gamble paid off.
Subsequent to his return, he routinely greets the Ambassador
with a warm embrace and speaks glowingly of his travel in the
U.S. Omani colleagues of his have told us that they are
amazed how much he has changed since returning from the U.S.
It was indeed a telling moment when this same fellow who
could rarely be moved off his Palestine diatribes accepted an
invitation from the Ambassador earlier this year to dine
aboard a visiting U.S. Navy warship.


16. (SBU) Other members of the delegation, including the
president of the Supreme Court and the dean of Oman's law
school, were so taken by what the U.S. has to offer in terms
of commercial legal training that they are eager for us to
provide more training under the Middle East Partnership
Initiative. Another participant was appointed as a new
Minster shortly after her return. The impact of these two
"Rule of Law Forum" visits will be long-term, though the
program itself is of limited duration.

--------------
Religious Themes
--------------


17. (SBU) Virtually all of the Embassy's outreach and
engagement activities include Muslim participants, who form
the vast majority of the local population. We have
nevertheless gone out of our way to form close ties to the
Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs and other
institutions to spread positive information about tolerance
and religious diversity, particularly as it exists in the
U.S. On the heels of a recent visit to the U.S. that was
hosted by an interdenominational organization, the Minister
invited the Ambassador for a private dinner at the
Minister,s home. In the course of the evening, the Minister
signaled his willingness to work with the embassy to promote
religious tolerance in Oman.


18. (U) We engage in special public diplomacy efforts during
the holy month of Ramadan, and the Ambassador routinely
includes statistics and images of Muslim life in America in
his annual addresses to the Omani Command and Staff College
and to the Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Institute.

--------------
Study USA
--------------


19. (SBU) Another means of dispelling the falsehoods
incumbent in extremist ideology is to encourage Omanis to
experience America first hand by studying in the U.S. The
Embassy invests great effort to get Omani families to send
their young students to U.S. colleges and universities. To
further this goal, the Embassy provides full-time educational
advising services free of charge, and we employ a number of
Omani graduates of U.S. universities among our Embassy staff
to help promote the advantages of a U.S. education. In
September alone we assisted the visits of two large U.S.
university fairs, exposing Omani students to over 40 American
higher education institutions. We are also facilitating
philanthropic initiatives by some visiting U.S. businessmen
to reserve spots for Omani students at one of America's
leading schools of business and in a private preparatory
school. This is a long-term program.

--------------
More MEPI
--------------


20. (SBU) Our numerous programs under the Middle East
Partnership Initiative (MEPI),spanning educational,
political, economic, and legal fields, combat extremism by
helping to generate a modern, prosperous Omani economy and
educational system, and promoting democratization. For a
number of years now, the Embassy has provided MEPI Small
Grants, typically in the amount of $25,000, to Omani civil
society organizations. One program in 2004 promoted the
economic empowerment of Bedouin women, another helped promote
the rights of the disabled community, and a third went to a
civil society organization spreading awareness about road
safety. Small grants this year are going to civil society
organizations that support environmental and consumer
protection rights. A vibrant, engaged, civic-minded Omani
society is one that will be less susceptible to the spread of
extremist influences. The small grants program is long-term.


21. (SBU) Another active MEPI program involves our close work
with the Ministry of Education to help reform schooling in
the Sultanate. Omani and U.S. experts have undertaken
reciprocal visits to help finalize our "Partnership Schools"
initiative that will modernize curriculum in Omani middle
schools. Another MEPI project, working through the NGO
Children's Resources International, has been successful in
transforming childhood education at primary schools around
the Sultanate. MEPI is likewise deeply engaged in legal
reform in Oman. A training program offered by the U.S.
Department of Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program,
combined with our "Rule of Law" forum (above),helped spark
Oman's decision to transform the country's lone College of
Shariah and Law. Seeking to reduce the overtly Islamic
nature of its curriculum, the school is now simply the
College of Law, and has been brought under the nation's
leading public university. The College is seeking USG help
in creating an entirely new commercial law curriculum, both
for new students as well as for remedial training of judges
and lawyers. This is a long-term program.

--------------
Cultural Preservation
--------------


22. (SBU) The Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation has
been a very successful program in reaching Omanis with the
message that America respects and seeks to preserve their
cultural heritage. In the context of combating extremism,
this is particularly important insofar as we can play a
constructive -- and public -- role in helping preserve Oman's
Islamic heritage. The positive effects of this program are
long term. Although we have gotten excellent mileage out of
this program, we have also found the nomination and selection
process exceedingly burdensome and protracted. Furthermore,
because of the name of the program, there is a local
assumption that the embassy has the final say in what awards
are granted.

Recommendation: Within reasonable guidelines and full
accountability, restructure the program to give Chiefs of
Mission the authority to select grantees instead of a
committee in Washington. Consideration might also be given
to limit the program to countries that have scant access to
traditional sources of archeological and cultural
preservation funding.

--------------
Information Outreach
--------------


23. (SBU) To help counteract misleading regional media, on a
daily basis the Embassy distributes the Washington File press
clips to dozens of Omani media outlets and key government
contacts. We also launched our new Embassy website earlier
this year, which offers the latest news from Washington,
highlights the Embassy's work in the community, and
advertises educational and business opportunities. We could
reach an even larger audience were the Department to provide
more of this material in Arabic translation. This is a
long-term program.

Recommendation: Provide more Arabic translations of items
for general dissemination.

--------------
Security Cooperation
--------------


24. (S) While USG assistance to Omani military and security
agencies is not always tied directly to combating extremism,
it does substantially improve Omani government capacities and
capabilities to deter and defeat extremist violence. We have
been successful in recruiting Omani journalists to spend a
day at sea on U.S. naval vessels on patrol in the Northern
Arabian Gulf. Those visits have generated numerous articles
explaining the efforts of the Coalition to help keep Oman's
maritime boundaries safe and secure. Our military assistance
programs focus substantial resources on aiding Omani border
security to help halt the entry of potentially extremist
foreign elements by either land or sea. Assistance includes
fast boats for maritime interdiction, tactical
communications, national-level command-and-control
architecture, and night-vision and thermal imaging gear.
Through DOD's IMET and FMS programs, over 250 Omani military
members annually attend U.S. military institutions of
learning, during which time they and their families are
exposed to U.S. military ethics of tolerance and diversity.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security's Anti-Terrorism Assistance
program likewise builds confidence and capability among
Oman's law enforcement agencies. Specific programs have
targeted investigative techniques and crisis management.
Security services confident in their capabilities will be
more effective in all aspects of their work, including
combating extremism. These programs are long-term.

--------------
Monitoring the Media, Religion
--------------

25. (C) Extremism in a society is often reflected in its mass
media. As part of our constant monitoring efforts, the Front
Office holds a press review every morning, which includes
reporting sections and military agencies. The sessions
include discussion of hot topics on Oman's leading Internet
message boards. Visiting officials (such as Assistant U.S.
Trade Representative Cathy Novelli and CA A/S Maura Harty)
have conducted some very effective on-line question and
answer sessions via these same Internet message boards,
effectively dispelling myths about trade and visa policies,
for instance, and reassuring a cross-section of Omani society
that the U.S. genuinely cares about their concerns and
attitudes. A number of Omanis contrasted the ready access to
American officials to their very limited access to the local
authorities. Friday mosque sermons prepared by the
government are published openly and scanned for sensitive
topics. Embassy officers are also in regular contact with
Omanis representing all three locally prevalent sects of
Islam, as well as the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious
Affairs.

--------------
VIEWING AMERICA IN THE OMANI PRESS
--------------

26.(U) Whereas Embassy activities in some Middle Eastern
states can become lightning rods for public criticism, the
Omani press has been replete with examples of our good works.
The Ambassador is regularly featured in newspaper
photographs attending charitable, community, and other
cultural events. While the individual impact of the following
press coverage may appear short-term, over time they have
created an enormous pool of goodwill that helps defuse
extremist tendencies and deflect unfair criticism of the U.S.


27. (U) In recent weeks, for instance, we have received
enthusiastic credit in the press for bringing an "American
Voices" jazz quartet to Oman for several free performances
and workshops for students at two local schools. Newspaper
pictures of the jazz musicians' improvisation with an Omani
folk orchestra were the embodiment of our efforts to build
bridges of understanding, diametrically opposite to extremist
ideologies.


28. (SBU) We received extensive press coverage for the
donation of 280 wheelchairs to Omani charities, arranged
through the International Wheelchair Foundation. On another
occasion, photos and interviews extolled the latest grants
from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation to aid a
local NGO,s efforts to protect vulnerable archaeological
sites. We also received warm public appreciation in
September from the Al-Noor Association for the Blind during
festivities marking the &International Day of the White
Stick8 for our ongoing assistance to that organization.


29. (SBU) In the past year, we used two former Georgetown
University basketball players to hold workshops and connect
with Omani youth, male and female, in public schools and
athletic clubs. Along with thrilling, virtuoso performances
on the basketball court, they promoted universal themes of
teamwork and scholarship, leading Oman's Minister of Sport to
insist that our young athletes' expand their Oman program.


30. (SBU) We were pleased this year with the opportunity to
bring Mary Wilson of The Supremes to Oman to work with music
students, offer lectures on American culture, and screen an
acclaimed documentary film. We provided U.S. titles and
speakers for the annual Muscat Film Festival, showcasing the
more thought-provoking side of the U.S. movie industry.
Meetings with U.S. screenwriters, producers and directors
have helped to inspire a member of the Omani Film Society to
make the very first Omani feature film, which is currently in
production. Each year we take advantage of seasonal
festivals in Oman's largest two cities to offer American
books and to create a "children's art tent" to reach out to
the youngest generations.


31. (U) We received considerable press coverage of a "Black
Inventors USA8 exhibit that made its international debut in
an Omani provincial city before moving to Muscat. A number
of our visitors readily admitted that they had no idea,
especially from media accounts (including American sources)
that minority communities have consistently contributed to
America,s scientific accomplishments.

--------------
Host Government Efforts
--------------


32. (S) The Omani government's policies and actions present a
formidable bulwark against extremism, and have been very
successful to date. In terms of religion, for example, all
mosque sermons in Oman (regardless of sect) must follow a
text drafted by the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs
that rigidly adheres to themes of tolerance and moderate
thought. Sermons in non-Muslim places of worship are also
monitored. All imams, including the supreme Ibadhi religious
leader (the Grand Mufti),are employees of the state, closely
vetted and constantly supervised. The Ministry further
promotes religious tolerance by hosting guest speakers from
foreign institutions (including such notable American
scholars as Bernard Lewis),and publishing a quarterly
scholarly journal entitled "Tasamuh" ("Tolerance"). Visiting
clergy must be sponsored by formally registered local
religious organizations. Religious publications are subject
to strict oversight. Civil society organizations are
explicitly forbidden from engaging in religious activities.
Islamic banking and financial instruments are proscribed in
the Sultanate.


33. (S) The political realm is likewise constrained. No
political parties or organizations are allowed. Civil
society organizations are limited by law to activities in a
small field of subjects, and face a lengthy registration
process that includes security services' scrutiny of both
membership and financial resources. While Oman's media
includes state and privately owned press establishments, all
are subject to censorship. Criticisms directed at internal
matters, institutions or personalities rarely appear.


34. (S) Nevertheless, the Omani government seeks to apply
safety valves for public discontent. Internet message
boards, while monitored, contain frank expressions within
certain permissible parameters. The parliament serves as a
consultative mechanism between the government and the public,
and the lower house is freely elected via universal adult
suffrage. The government has invested heavily in health
care, education and infrastructure. Women enjoy many
freedoms and are treated equally under the law in many
respects. The "Basic Statute of the State" -- Oman's de
facto constitution -- enshrines basic civic rights and
responsibilities. The Sultan typically undertakes an annual
"meet the people" tour at which time citizens around the
country can directly petition the head of state.

--------------
Comment
--------------


35. (S) In combating extremism, there is no substitute for a
history of tolerance and diversity, such as has long
characterized the Omani scene. A government that leads by
example in promoting women and minorities to high office and
that uses judicious oversight of potential seedbeds of
extremism can also be extremely effective. Active Embassy
engagement with all segments of Omani society is an effective
means of countering extremist, anti-U.S. ideologies. We must
stress, however, that exchanges, cultural outreach, reform
efforts, and building security and military ties all require
time and money. There is no quick fix.
BALTIMORE