OMAN ONLINE: STUDENTS HARASSED; SORRY TO SHAYKHA;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000025 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD(CWHITTLESEY),NEA/P, IIP/G/NEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO SOCI MU SUBJECT: OMAN ONLINE: STUDENTS HARASSED; SORRY TO SHAYKHA; SARCASM ABOUT THE CIA; AND SKEPTICAL ABOUT STATISTICS ¶1. Summary: The Omani Internet message board "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, this popular site nevertheless offers a worthwhile window into the hot topics and unvarnished views of the day. This edition of Oman Online contains the following topics: -- Harassed Omani Students in Amman -- Apology for Minister -- Sarcasm about CIA Hiring Methods -- Skepticism about Omani Government Statistics End summary. -------------- Students Harassed in Jordan -------------- ¶2. Al-Sablah posted an appeal from Omani students in Jordan to the Omani government, asking for protection from Jordanian students (particularly those of Palestinian origin) who have allegedly been harassing Omanis and other Gulf students. The appeal asks, "When will the Omani officials act upon our calls? The students are suffering threats, robberies and direct attacks once they are identified as Gulf students." Many members of al- Sablah reported various stabbing incidents in which Omani students were treated in hospitals with serious injuries. Some al-Sablah participants stated, "The Ministry of Higher Education should stop advising families to send their children to Jordan. They should know what is going on, and that the embassy is unable to do follow up on a student's condition in case of attack." It is worth noting that a similar topic was posted a few years ago in al-Sablah, when the Omani Defense Minister's son was attacked in Amman and the Omani government withdrew all Omani students from Jordan. Those discussing this latest round of attacks are frustrated that the Omani government is not taking similar action this time around. The topic was fixed at the top of al-Sablah's list, generating 2,579 hits and 47 responses. -------------- Minister Shaykha Gets Apology -------------- ¶3. Al-Sablah published a letter of apology by a member who had accused Shaykha Aiysha Al-Siyabiya, head of the handicrafts ministry, of exploiting her position for personal gain. "I apologize for posting non-credible information in al-Sablah, hurting Her Excellency's reputation. I apologize for the harm I did to her, and for not confirming the news from reliable sources. I am writing this of my own volition, not forced by anyone to acknowledge this mistake." An Al-Sablah supervisor responded that "We appreciate your action and the courage to acknowledge your mistake. We will post the apology for three days...because you have hurt the reputation of a person on a false basis, you deserve final removal from Al-Sablah membership. However, because of your apology we will suspend your membership for one month." The supervisor banned any further entries on this topic, which generated 4193 hits and 2 responses. -------------- Sarcasm about CIA Hiring -------------- ¶4. Al-Sablah posted an article from the French magazine "Paris Match" which published a CIA call for Arabic speaking agents. Over the article, al-Sablah wrote: "To the faint-hearted: there is a job announcement for work with the CIA if you want to join." Many members sarcastically asked where they could apply. However, the topic then led to a more serious discussion about terrorism. Those who condemned terrorist tactics were denigrated as "Americanized" and "enemies of humanity for supporting America in its destructive ideologies." One member stated that "We are tired of people who always repeat the words of the American Embassy." This topic generated 1430 hits and 67 responses. -------------- Skeptical of Government Statistics -------------- ¶5. Many Al-Sablah participants were skeptical about an editorial published in the government-owned daily newspaper "Oman," which stated that the per capita personal income for Omanis is 23 times greater than it was in 1970. Still, one member stated that, "It could be correct. If we calculate that a person received 5 Omani Riyals as a monthly salary in 1970, and multiply this by 23, we come up with 115. That is the actual salary we get, so His Excellency (Oman's minister of national economy who made the statement) was right!" All 20 respondents from the 1957 people who viewed this topic agreed with the statement that "government officials have the tendency to exaggerate their statements, but if they want us to believe what they say, we will. We don't lose or gain any thing from such statements." STEWART