Saturday, August 29, 2009

The great unwashed of the Omani Sabla - Blasphemer 'exposed'

A nice post on Omani Legal Eagle BlueChi's blog, highlighting the recent experience of Omani blogger Muawiyah Al Rawahi and his post suggesting Omanis who wanted to, should be able to buy alcohol in an off-licence or booze store, in addition to the (currently legal) practice of Omani's being able to go to a pub and drink there. (unfortunately Muawiyah blogs and comments almost entirely in Arabic, but he did try in English here).

As Blue Chi says (reproduced here without license)

...
The Arabic community was outraged by Muawiyah’s public discussion of a social and religious taboo: drinking alcohol. Though previously celebrated in forums and other blogs for his commentary and criticism of public figures and government practices, Muawiyah has been criticised and personally insulted on a number of online discussion boards for his “unislamic and immoral opinions”. A single thread dedicated to criticise and attack Muawiyah on Omania2.net had more than 12 pages of comments AFTER deleting all the ones which were regarded by the staff members as ones that violate the rules of the forum. An Omani member of over a 1000 posts who claims to be currently in Australia asked the administration to ban Muawiyah completely from the forum because of his suggestions to disobey religion.

The outrage in the Arabic community is bizarre to some extent, mainly because the sale of alcohol is legal in Oman. Yet it remains socially unacceptable for most people, and it is of course prohibited by religion. The majority of commentators in Arabic forums cannot seem digest the idea that alcohol has always been legal in Oman. This reminds me of how I always tried to explain to my classmates earlier this year about different social norms in Oman, and how things could be legal, yet socially and religiously unacceptable (e.g. drinking alcohol), or legal and religiously permitted, yet socially no longer acceptable (e.g. having four wives)....



LMAOFOFL - and well said Blue Chi.

The sabla in Oman are - it seems to me - dominated by the very young (essentially unemployed students), with little in the way of true adult life experiences, and almost all the Omani members are typical products of the 'brains off' religious brainwashing that has been successfully applied to them.

It's like being lectured about smoking by your 12 year old sister.

Poor Muawiyah as been threatened with banning from the Sabla ('oooohhh!'), and accused of being non-religious, a traitor, evil, that he should be punished, etc etc. As if the act of having a few drinks is, by definition, Un-Omani, unpatriotic, or even, dare I say it, an idea worth considering.

And what he says makes A LOT of sense. Afterall. Who is making the money from the vast sales of illegal alcohol to Omani? [Because don't try to tell me it ain't happening kiddies, you SQU Pollyannas!]

And it is basically legal in Oman anyhow, even for Omani!!! (Its not like he's suggesting being an atheist, ie an Apostate, or something else that carries the death penalty to those religious wackos that unpatriotically follow diktats from Iran or Saudi instead of the Law of the Land).

His point was essentially that either it should be totally illegal and banned for at minimum all muslims, or that the authorities should get real and loosen up a bit, and not just allow the wastafarians and the rich to get access.

Man, what an uptight bunch of preachers these commenters are! (And funnily enough, the root cause is something that wouldn't let most of the female members even study in the first place, and certainly not overseas!). You'd think we were in Sudan, or Somalia, Pakistan or Saudi perhaps, rather than tolerant Oman.

Fascists everywhere would approve of such anti-free speech stuff. And especially the tactic of immediate personalisation of the issue, rather than debating in on the actualité. 'Playing the man, not the ball'.. as it were. "You are accused of being Un-islamic, and we shall therefore banish you but we're totally incapable of holding a civilisaed discussion based on facts, rational arguments", etc.

Unfortunately, these nutters have a lot of company. Even in the UN. (and it takes a lot to make me agree with the infamous right-wing nutter Lou Dobbs - America's own Essa Al Zedjali!!! But Chris Hichens is a star):




George Orwell would laugh too - well, he would have laughed in an artistic, ironic, sort of bitter sweet, tuberculosis way.

Muawiyah. Keep it up. You are a star too. I don't agree with some things you say, but I support your right to say it, and the fact that you are brave enough to even ask some questions has been highlighted by this episode. Maybe you'll see the humour in this video ...




Cheers. I'm having a Ramadan G&T and toasting you.


For info, Here's a typical rant from the sabla: apologies for the autotranslate... Basically, I understand the argument is that by suggesting such a thing, he's polluting peoples' minds with ideas that are un-islamic and therefore must be banned.


وجدت أنه من الأنسب التعقيب في موضوع منفصل -تسهيلا للقاريئ- على ما جاء من المدعو معاوية أدناه في موضوعه الاخير والذي نقله وأعاد تسويقة في سبلة عمان المدعو ليت لي جناح ، ومما لا شك فيه أن أي مادة تنشر هنا هي قابلة للنقد والرد والأخذ فأرجو ان الجميع يتقبل الأمر بصدر رحب . Found it appropriate to comment on the subject of a separate - convenience to the reader - it came from a certain Maaouya below last theme which was quoted and re-marketed in Oman called Ubuntu Refer me, there is no doubt that any material published here is subject to criticism and rejection and the introduction, I hope that everyone accepts it with an open mind.

أركز على الفقرة أدناه بعدما تجاوزت عدة فقرات لي أيضا تحفظ كبير عليها بيد أني تجاوزتها لضيق الوقت ولأن هناك إخوة آخرين قاموا مشكورين بالرد عليها . Focus on the paragraph below, after more than a few paragraphs I also significant reservations, however, I am overtaken by the time constraints and because there are other siblings have thankfully responded.






الكاتب أعلاه يعاني من تخبط في طرح أفكاره التي يدعو إليها ..فهو يرى أن كل فرد في المجتمع ..سيئ أم حسن طالح أم صالح فاسد أم مصلح ملتزم أم فاسق عاقل أم مجنون لص أم مؤتمن صادق أم كاذب شاذ أم معتدل مدمن أم صحيح قليل أدب أم مؤدب وضيع أو رفيع ..يجب أن يعبروا جميعاً عن أفكارهم وسلوكهم وأن يفتح المجال للجميع أن كل يغني على ليلاه ، إنها نظرة قاصرة ونظرة فعلا تنبئ بالخلط في فهم أن الخير والشر لا يلتقيان أبداً والخبيث والطيب لا يختلطان إطلاقاً ....معاوية هنا يشير بصورة غير مباشرة ويحتج الى الاخ العزيز موسى الفرعي عن رفع موضوعه الاخير والذي استقبل به رمضان وهو يطالب بتخفيض سعر الخمر !!! Author above suffers from confusion in putting his ideas advocated by .. he felt that everyone in the community .. good or bad or wicked or favor corrupt or committed to a reformed punk sane or insane thief or honest or trustworthy false anomaly or moderate true addict or a few literature or polite and wasted or thin .. must express all their thoughts and behavior and open space for all that each sing own fancies, they look inadequate and look really predict confusing to understand that good and evil can never meet and the good and bad do not mix at all .... Maaouya here refers indirectly to protest and dear brother of Moses to lift the sub-theme of the latter, which was greeted by calls for Ramadan, a rate cut wine!!! وحينما رصع موضوعة بصور آنية الخمر وحدد أماكن تناولها وأشاد بالخمر العُماني الأصيل أسقط دموع التماسيح على المساكين الخمارين والسكارين في البلد من فئة الفقراء والغلابا ...وصورها كأزمة يعاني المجتمع في اطار معالجته لمشاكل المجتمع في فلسفته الموسومة (الجدد) فكل شيئ عنده جدد (الشواذ الجدد ، المطاوعة الجدد ، الكتاب الجدد ، الوطنيون الجدد ، الخمارين الجدد ....الخ من قائمة الله العالم متى تنتهي ) لذا وجب القول ، أن موسى ليس هو المسؤول ...إنما هذا المجتمع العماني الاصيل الذي أسلم طوعا وحبا لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم منذ أكثر من 1400 عام ونيف يلفظ شواذ الفكر وشطحات النفس الخبيثة ...يلفظها لأنه مجتمع متحضر متجذر لا تصادر معتقداته وعاداته وتقاليده وغيرته بجرة قلم ...سيظل هذا المجتمع حائطاً منيعاً بإذن الله لكل من يحيد عن الطريق ...صحيح أن المجتمع ليس معصوما من الخطأ ..وصحيح أن هناك من يسرق ويفسد ووو...لكن الأصح أن المجتمع يبقى أصيل بعقيدته الاسلامية السمحة ...يحب الله ورسوله ...يغار على أبناءه ...والأهم يغار على عرضة ..لا يشرع الافساد أبدا ويسعى للصلاح والاصلاح دوماً ..فأبناء سبلة عمان هم ليس كلهم مطاوعة -إن صحت التسمية-...لكن هم كلهم يرنون الى طاعة الله عزوجل وقادرون على طرد الخبيث الذي يتغابى عليهم يكتبون ويتناقشون ...جميعهم ينتمون لهذا المجتمع فخورن به راغبون في تطويره وتحديثه ولكن في الاخير هناك حدود وهناك لقاء مشترك على مسؤولية الكلمة وأمانة الحروف لا عليهم إن قيل عنهم صبية فقد قيل أيضا عن صحابة رسول الله-صلوات الله عليه- صغار وصبية ..المهم يعكسون الشخصية العُمانية ..بكل ما تحملة من قيم ...وكل ما تحملة من إرث وبكل ما يؤرقها اليوم وتتطلع إليه في المستقبل ...أبناء سبلة عُمان سيظلوا أبدا ودائما ما يميزهم في الواقعية التي تنبض من مجتمعهم وليس ممن يريد تغير المجتمع وإحلال الفوضى مكانه ويصارع في ذلك طواحين الهواء ....بحثاً عن بطولة مزعومة وحرب موهومة ... When placed pictures of real-studded wine and select the locations covered and praised the wine, authentic Omani dropped crocodile tears for the poor and Alchmarin Alscaren in the country and category of the poor ... and pictures Algba society suffers a crisis within the framework of its treatment of society's problems in the philosophy of tagged (new), everything has a new (gay neo-neo-plasticity, new writers, new national, Alchmarin new .... etc. from the list of God, when will the world), therefore, must say, that Moses is not responsible ... but this authentic Omani society in which Aslam voluntarily and love for Allah upon him for more than 1400 year and a bit of thought and utter gay exaggerations Malignant Self ... uttered, because civilized society is rooted not confiscate his beliefs, customs and traditions and jealousy stroke of a pen ... This community will remain an impregnable wall, God willing, both deviate from the road ... It is true that society is not infallible .. It is true that there are those who steal and spoil Wu ... but rather that his faith community remains a genuine Islamic tolerant ... love God and His Messenger ... jealous of the children ... and most importantly for his jealous .. not prescribed corruption never seek for righteousness, reform always .. sons Ubuntu Forums are not all compliant - if correct name -... but they are all eager to obey God the Almighty and able to expel pernicious Itagaby write and discuss them ... all of which belong to this community are proud of the willing development and modernization, but ultimately there are limits and there is a joint meeting on the responsibility of the floor and the Secretariat of characters are not they told that their boys it was also on the companions of the Messenger of Allah - peace be upon him - and young boys is important to reflect the personal .. Oman .. in every sense of the values .. . and everything carries the legacy and all haunted by the day and looked forward to in the future ... people will continue to be Ubuntu Forums never always distinguish them in realistic pulse of society and not for those who want to change society and establish a place of chaos and fighting the windmills in search of .... Championship alleged illusionary and the war ...


فأي منتدى أو صحيفة أو أي ناشر إعلامي لا بد أن يتحلى بخط أخلاقي بما يمكن نشره ، هذا الخط يعتمد على القوانيين والاعراف وعادات وتقاليد وعقيدة البلد أو المجتمع (وفي حالتنا المجتمع مسلم والتشريع الاساس دين الاسلام ) ولا يمكن جعل هذا الخط فاقد البوصلة بلا حد أو حدود ، إن نشر أي مادة في منتدى ما لا بد أن يحقق عناصر النشر من حيث الهدف والمضمون والفائدة ، ان مادة النشر يمكن أن تتحول الى مادة غير صالحة للنشر إن هي خالفت ما أشرت اليه من قوانيين وعقيدة وذوق وأخلاق الشارع العام ولم تحمل لا هدفا ولا مضمونا يفضي الى شئ كما وهي غير موجودة في نظام أو إطار ما لحوار أو مناظرة أو نقاش ما ينتج علاجا أو حلا أو يوحد خلافاً ويتقيد به جميع الاطراف فيه بالحجة والبرهان ، إذا تأتي هذه المادة لتشكل فقط أداة هدم وهي بالتالي بذرة فساد وإفساد What kind of forum or any publisher of a newspaper or media must possess a moral line as it can be published, this line depends on the laws, norms, customs and traditions and the doctrine of the country or community (in our Muslim community and the legislation basically the religion of Islam) can not make this line lost without a compass or extent limits, the publication of any article in the forum do not have to bring elements of the deployment of where the aim, content and interest, a substance that publishing can be transformed into a substance not fit for publication if it is contrary to what I have referred and the doctrine of Guanyin and taste and morals of the street did not take an objective and content lead to something as it does not exist in the system or framework for a dialogue or a debate or discussion or the resulting treatment solution or otherwise unite and abide by all the parties to the argument and proof, if you come this article is only a tool and therefore the demolition of seed of corruption and corrupt

فهناك إذا من يعاني من خلل ما وخلط واضح وتناقض في تحرير المادة المنشورة ويتعامل معنا وكأننا نعيش في مجتمع ملحد أو علماني أو مادي أو بلا قيم ولا غيرة ولا قانون ولا دين ...وأن كل سفيه (المخاطب ليس معاوية لكن التسمية موجودة في أدبيات القرآن والسنة ) مجبرون على تقبل سفاهته وتطاوله على الاسلام والمسلمين بدعوى الفكر تلكم الشماعة التي يُرفع رايتها لتكون بردا وسلاما على نشر هؤلاء بضاعتهم الفاسدة التي تفيئ قيحاً وصديداً من نفوسهم المريضة التي هي أحوج للعلاج من التنظير لها على أنها فكر ..إننا بهذا نغتال الفكر ونحدده بسخف القول وبذائة المنطق وانعدام الذوق ...الفكر أسمى من ذلك والفكر يقبل الاختلاف ..لكن لكي شئ آدابة وأخلاقة وحدوده بما يشمل الفكر نفسه ..وإلا الفوضى هي المنتج الحاصل إن نحن شرعنا وقبلنا بمبدأ كل يغنى على ليلاه ، واعتبرنا ما نشره سلمان رشدي أو نشرته تسليمة نسرين أو رسام الرسوم الكاركاتورية عن الرسول فكراً واعتبرنا المواقع الاباحية وما تنشره فكراً ، واعتبرنا تفسير المصحف على أيدي الصهيونية فكرا ويجب الافساح له بين أوساط مجتماعاتنا وأبنائنا وإلا نكون منغلقين متطرفين متحجرين ، والاسلام دين السماحة والقبول بكل شئ !!! If there is to suffer from the disorder and confusion and clear contradiction in the liberation of the published material and treats us as if we live in a society or a secular or an atheist or non-material values or any other law and not a religion ... and that all impertinent (Interlocutor Maaouya but the name is not found in the literature of the Qur'an and year) are forced to accept Svahth and profaning Islam and Muslims under the pretext of thought that telecom Chandler championed to be coolness and peace for the deployment of these wares corrupt complies with pus and pus from the sick souls that are most in need of treatment from theory to them .. they thought we assassinate this thought, we identify Wackily obscenity of speech and the lack of logic and thought of my taste ... and thought it accepts the difference .. but nothing to etiquette, ethics, and its borders, including the same thought .. and chaos is the only product we started winning and if we accept the principle of all sing own fancies, and we consider the publication of Salman Rushdie or published by Taslima Nasreen or artist fees Rkaturip thought about the Prophet, and considered pornographic sites and published in thought, and we consider the interpretation of the Koran at the hands of the Zionist ideology and to clear him to be among our children and Mojtmaatna otherwise be locked Tjerin extremists, Islam a religion of forgiveness and acceptance of everything!!! هذا التنظير الخطير الذي يحاول البعض هنا التأسيس له على الرغم من أنه لا يقوم الا على هزيمة نفسية داخلية سيؤدي الى أخطار كارثية حتما إن تم التساهل معه ، إن سياج الايمان مهدد الآن ليس من الاعداء فحسب ..بل ممن يفترض أن يكونوا في الصفوف الأولى لحمايته في وقت فعلا أشبه ما نكون بالقصعة التي ينهشها الجميع . This dangerous theory that some are trying here Establishment him, although it is not based only on the internal psychological defeat would lead to catastrophic risks that inevitably been lenient with him, a fence is not of faith is threatened by enemies .. but only those who are supposed to be in the first row to protect him at a time really like what we Bakassap stricken everyone.

إنه لمن الخلط الواضح أن ندمج النقاش والحوار والفكر مع فحش القول وبذائة الكلام وسوء الخلق تجاه ما يعتقده المجتمع وما يحمله من إرث وحضارة طوال قرون خلت ومضت ليأتي من يأتي مثلاً من به لوثة عقلية وانفصام أخلاقي وعقائدي لا ليطرح قضية ما وإنما ليطلق الاحكام بالتخلف والرجعية ويعمد عن السخرية والتطاول على الله عزوجل والرسول والقرآن والسنة والمذهب وعلماء المسلمين . It is clear that combine to confuse the debate, dialogue and thought with the obscenity of speech and obscenity and bad manners to speak about what society thinks, which encompasses the heritage and culture for centuries and proceeded to come from, for example, comes by the psychic mental and moral and ideological dichotomy is not to present the case, but called for sentences backward and reactionary, and the packers the ridicule and insulting the Almighty Allah and the Prophet and the Qur'an and Sunnah and doctrine and Muslim scholars. وهو بهذا لا يتجاوز أسس وقواعد الحوار فحسب بل ويستغل هذا الخلل لتعميم هذا الشذوذ والمرض مستخدما ملكة الكتابة والتعبير في محاولة لاستقطاب من يعاني من ضعف الايمان وغياب الوازع الديني ، إذن هو لا يبحث عن جدال أو نقاش أو حوار أصلا ..لأنه يعلم خواء الافكار التي يعمل على طرحها وضعف منطقه فيعمد على المراواغة ويلطش هنا وهناك ، ليواصل هكذا سبره وغيه دائما ليلقى بضاعته الفاسدة وينشرها لا أكثر ..وبالتالي من يقبل هذا على أي منتدى سيتحول المنتدى بالتالي إلى وعاء حافظ وناشر لهذا النوع الذي يطلق عليه اجحافا فكر وسيجري على تصوير الامر على أنه تيار ايضا اجحافا للمجتمع المسلم الذي نحيا ونتربى فيه ، فيزيد الامر سوء على المجتمع أصلا الذي بحاجة الى التقويم والاصلاح ..فضلا عن توطئة أقدام المفسدين والمخربين بدعاوي الفكر والحوار ، لهذا حينما نقول على أن إدارة أي منتدى يجب عليها تفرق ولا تخلط الامور ولا تعمل على تطويب هؤلاء المرضي المفسدين ولا تحاول أن تفرغ المجتمع من خط دفاعه الداخلي ليتقبلهم كأفراد عاديين ، لأنها بهذا تعتبر شريك في جرم الإفساد ولا يمكن بحال أن يتساوى الفرد الصالح مع المفسد والا لما اختلف الخير عن الشر ، نعود فنقول أن الفكر موجود إن وجدت الاليات التي ترعاه وتنظم أطره ومساحاته ليكون نقاش يفضي الى نتيجة يستفيد منها المجتمع وليس دجل بيزنطي لا يعمل الا على تهيئة بذور الفتنة والشقة والعداوة أو نشر الفساد والافساد ومحاولة خلخلة المجتمع من قيمه والباسه لبس غير لبسه فقط لرسم نرجسية حالمة تعاني من ارهاصات نفسية أكثر منها فكرية وشطحات أكثر منها رؤى موضوعية تحاور وتناقش وتنقد ذاتها ولا تخجل أو تأخذها العزة بالاثم من الاعتراف بالحق وتصويب الخطأ This is not to exceed the principles and rules of dialogue, but also exploit this flaw to have this abnormality and disease using the talent of writing and expression in an attempt to attract to suffer from weakness of faith and the absence of religious faith, then, is not looking for debate or discussion or dialogue at all .. he knows the emptiness of ideas that working to put forward and the weakness of logic and scale up to Alemrawagp Iltc here and there, to continue so Sabrah and relapse is always to deliver his goods corrupt and published no more .. and therefore accept this on any forum Forum will turn to the pot thus maintained, and publisher of this type, known as the thought and would be unfair to portray it that the stream is also unfair to the Muslim community in which we live and where Nterpy, increasing it's already bad community who need to calendar reform .. feet in anticipation as well as spoilers and saboteurs claims of thought and dialogue, and for this when we say that the management of any forum must not confuse the separate issues and does not working on the beatification of these patients is not trying to corrupt society to complete the line of defense for internal accepts them as ordinary, because it is a partner in this offense can not in any corruption that even the individual with good spoiler and it would not have differed good from evil, we return, we say that thought is, if any, mechanisms which is sponsored and organized frameworks and Messahath to be a discussion lead to the result of the benefit of society, not hanky-BE does not work, but to create the seeds of discord and hostility or apartment and the proliferation of corruption and corruption and trying to undermine the community values and wear clothes that is worn only to draw a dreamy narcissism suffering from the beginnings of a psychological rather than intellectual and the vagaries visions rather than substantive dialogue and discuss and criticize itself and not be ashamed or guilt, take pride of recognition of the right and correct the error

14 comments:

  1. Muawiyah's point of view isn't really about opening up the sale of alcohol to Omanis in order to subvert the black market. His point of view, which is the exact one which I've been repeating for years, is explained as follows:

    Regardless whether alcohol was forbidden in islam or not there will always be muslims who drink. It's been happening since the days of the Prophet. Oman which doesn't ban the sale of liquor and has a licensing system foreigners apply for and get licenses whic allow them to buy alcohol from specially licensed retail outlets. So why is it that the Omani who wants to drink has to go drink in a bar or a restaurant and pay much higher prices for the same drink that the expat can buy at retail prices? Why must the Omani drink outside, much higher prices for his drink, and then become a risk to himself and everyone when he drives home under the influence? Why can't the Omani ge a liquor license as well and buy from the same stores that expats buy from? Why the double standard?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember one of my most shocking moments in Oman was sitting in an Italian restaurant that served alcohol and watching two omani men come in and be presented with a bottle of wine. They sniffed and sipped like pros. And then proceeded to get wasted the rest of the evening...along with about 7 other Omani tables doing the exact same thing. I was shocked...I thought that was illegal.

    I don't think that Muawiyah's point of view is off...Oman needs to decide which way they are going to have it. One way or the other.

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  3. MC, you've been awarded the Freakin Fabulous Blog Award. How gay is that! Check out my blog.

    As for Muawia, I read his post on alcohol when it first came out. I knew it would cause World War Three in Oman, but he does have a point. It's like Saudi Arabia, where everything is Haraam and banned, yet the Royal Family (women included) get to consume alcohol for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It should be up to the people to decide how religious they want to be. Alcohol shouldn't be available openly. The secret little (not!) stores in MQ seems like a fine little solution, but yes I agree that Omanis should be able to buy alcohol and drink it at home without having to go out and then DRIVE home. Let them keep their drinking habits private. I hate it when I see Omanis in full dishdasha sitting in bars. It doesn't fit.

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  4. Several thousand years ago and accepted practice in Babylon and Iraq was for the Brides father to give the son-in law honeymead,a beer made form honey. He would give a months supply and recognition of the families coming together, the month was based upon the Lunar cycle. Today this is called ''Honeymoon''. So alcohol has been around in the Middle East as long as if not longer than the....West!

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  5. Dragon- you said "Its like being lectured in smoking by your 12 year old sister."

    I once had a work friend who was a chain smoker- 2 - 3 packs per day. One day I noticed that he was not smoking and asked him about it. He said he was home smoking and his young son looked up at him and asked "Daddy, when can I start smoking like you?" He said "I threw the pack away and haven't touched one since." Dragon, the Truth can come in many different forms from many sources- even twelve year old sisters.

    More to the point, one thing I have noticed about the 'religious people' around here is that they all know the 'bad stuff' goes on, but since it doesn't affect them, they choose to ignore it. But threw it up in their face and they will react and over-react.

    Muawiya need to realize that Omanis and expats have equal access to tobacco and drugs. Omanis and expats have equal access to prostitutes. It is only in access to acohol where there is a difference. So "don't be sad, two outa three ain't bad."

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  7. I don't believe that if Omanis are able to buy alcohol they will stop going to bars and just get drunk at home. It just wont happen. Drinking is a social thing.. It is also part of a hidden culture in Oman.

    I think the government needs to look closer to this issue. Many people are killed because of drunk driving. I know many people that drink and drive. They get caught and are let out of jail the next day... "wasta"

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  8. Quality post.

    All I want to contibute is, that this is the same scene thats played over and over in most of the 'forums' of Oman.

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  9. The key point is that drinking is a social thing. The hops, Barley, yeast and water was planted on this earth by God, it would be a shame to waste it. Better use it and show respect by celebrating its gift ;-)

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  10. UD,

    Something that might interest bloggers.

    Model who sued Google to unmask anonymous NY blogger
    AP
    Published: August 20, 2009, 09:04

    NEW YORK - A magazine model has finally confronted an anonymous female blogger who called her offensive names on a Google Web site.

    Liskula Cohen, who successfully sued Google to unmask the blogger, told "Good Morning America" Wednesday that she called her tormentor and said she forgives her.

    Cohen did not reveal the blogger's name but said she was an acquaintance whom Cohen saw at parties and restaurants.

    The Vogue cover girl says she has not ruled out suing the blogger.

    The anonymous remarks targeting Cohen's hygiene and sexual habits were posted on Google's Blogger.com.

    The blogger's lawyer, Anne Salisbury, had argued that although the comments may have been disgusting they were opinions and protected as free speech.

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  11. Nadia - "I hate it when I see Omanis in full dishdasha sitting in bars. It doesn't fit."

    I really like it. To me, a Brit, the pub is a place to make friends and have good conversation, so when I see Omani chaps in dishdashas at the bar I interpret that as a statement of good social intent, ie they are there to be friendly and sociable.

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  12. Just read all of the posts. nothing to say i wish that my English is better that the broken one i have right no, any way i choose alcohol and re-write about it again and again because it is a subject with many (تداخلات) religiously, socially, economically and culturally. although we all know that Oman is a little liberal but it seems that some people in denial and wants all of us (writers) to say what the think is write and what is ok to them is to say (ban it from oman) and we all know that it is not even a dream to ask for.

    some has to face it to say what he really believes in not cover our ideas with some mask to be (politically right) as usa ppl say.

    Ok now finally an article has been published in alroya newspaper about the same subject that step (the one from 10000) is the thing make all this fus worth it to me at least.

    thank you my friend and sorry i know that my english needs 7 repairmen and one plumber to fix all these mistaks

    with my great respect to everyone

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