Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MUSCAT28
2005-01-05 10:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

OMAN ONLINE: CHATROOM CREDIBILITY, CLASS CHOICES

Tags:  KPAO SOCI MU 
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UNCLAS MUSCAT 000028 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI (TROBERTS),NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY),NEA/P
(FFINVER),IIP/G/NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SOCI MU
SUBJECT: OMAN ONLINE: CHATROOM CREDIBILITY, CLASS CHOICES


UNCLAS MUSCAT 000028

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI (TROBERTS),NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY),NEA/P
(FFINVER),IIP/G/NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SOCI MU
SUBJECT: OMAN ONLINE: CHATROOM CREDIBILITY, CLASS CHOICES



1. Summary: The Omani Internet chat room "Sablat al-Arab" -- or
simply "Al-Sablah" -- is the liveliest and most comprehensive
Arabic-language forum 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, Al-Sablah nevertheless offers
a worthwhile window into the hot topics and unvarnished views of
the day. This edition of Oman Online contains the following
topics:

-- Call To Publish Al-Sablah Topics In Omani Newspapers
-- Criticizing The New Educational System

End summary.

--------------
Al-Sablah In The News
--------------


2. With the continued growth of Al-Sablah, including most
recently the addition of regular contributions from two banned
Omani journalists, there is a growing sentiment among members
that the forum is gaining credibility and becoming a potential
news source. One member proposed that the forum discussions --
specifically those relating to politics, economics, and social
issues -- should be published in local Omani newspapers. Several
contributors embraced this idea. One member noted, "Some of the
newspapers already deal with the issues we discuss in the forum.
However, the issues are dealt with superficially and are often
poorly reported." Another offered, "Once we establish a free
press in Oman, this kind of reporting could happen." Other more
skeptical members wrote, "Though we support this idea, we know
that it is virtually impossible for the government to grant
people, especially non-journalists, the right to put forward
their thoughts in the news media, particularly if these
thoughts/sentiments go against the Sultan and the Majlis." The
discussion concluded with the following comment: "The newspapers
published in Oman do not belong to the Omanis. We think they
actually belong to other countries, because these newspapers do
not discuss the needs, demands, or problems of the Omani people!
It appears they would rather get news topics from other places in
the world, instead of looking internally."

--------------
Change Isn't Always Good
--------------


3. Another topic that generated a large number of responses was
the creation of a new educational system for Omani high schools,
under which students choose certain subjects to prepare for
higher education, rather than follow a predetermined curriculum.
Initially introduced as a pilot program in a few select schools,
it is now being implemented nationally. Al-Sablah members
criticized the new system, with one writer stating, "This new
system is confusing for people who were brought up through the
old system. This system hasn't been fully reviewed, and they are
already imposing it on the students, less than a year after the
last curriculum change." Another contributor responded, "The
teachers and school administrators were not properly trained for
such a sweeping change to occur so suddenly. Now the students
have no real resource with which to clarify any doubts or
questions they may have about the new system." One Sablah
member, who also happened to be a student affected by the change,
wrote, "We do not see the benefits of the new system to students.
How does it really help us when it comes time for us to prepare
for entrance into higher education?" A respondent summed up the
general feeling of forum members by observing, "This system is
even faultier than the previous one. What is the Ministry of
Education doing to Oman?"

BALTIMORE