Go for it readers of MC!
Send him a short email NOW in answer to his questions. If you can, cc me on your answer!
Photo: Harry. He wants to ask you about Oman. He's Dutch, isn't that weird?Dear friends,
Do the new powers of the Shura mean anything? I would like to know since our queen is coming to your country. Please mail me at hvbommel@sp.nl
Best regards
Harry van Bommel MP
---------------
Dear friends,
Her Majesty the queen of the Netherlands is planning a state visit to Oman. Of course this is giving food for thought in my country. Our prime minister today said the situation in your country is 'stable enough' for a visit of the queen. What is your opinion? Have recent political changes really made a difference? Please mail me at hvbommel@sp.nl with your opinion.
Keep up the good work!
Harry van Bommel MP
He's a real live Netherlands Member of Parliament, and he wants to here from you. Give it a go. You might get on CNN...
[no other news BTW.... hope you enjoyed Eid and National Holidays!]
Oman? It's nothing but a 'shell game'.
ReplyDeleteMove on folks.
The African Queen
Omanies don't really care about international affairs, if anything happen, it would be a minor internal issue that would be resolved easily with no violence that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Mr. Van Bommel should come and see for himself what Oman is like.
ReplyDeleteBeing Dutch myself all I can say is that Oman is much safer than The Netherlands has been for years. Oman is stable and as far as I can see the Sultan is widely respected and has a strong drive to develop the country while holding on to local traditions.
Look forward to seeing the Queen in Oman.
I hope that the Government of Oman also considers Holland stable enough. Nobody would ever think of throwing a smoke bomb to HM as happened during the Queens wedding.
ReplyDeleteSlightly bizarre, does this guy not have better causes to fight for than preventing the dutch queen from visiting Oman? If I understand it well, he thinks that the new powers of the Shura don't mean much. Did he look around in the region, and check other states? Oman is now clearly ahead. Does he not understand how introduction of democracy works best? Oman's development model of the last 41 years was incremental. The Sultan prepares things well, takes care that the population is ready for the next phase, and moves on. The curve goes up all the time, now also regarding democracy. The Shura got some real new powers, they can even propose new bills. The Sultan did not go for the Algeria model of 20 years ago, i.e. full introduction of democracy in one stroke which led to one vote, one man, one time plus a bloody civil war. Here you give people time to understand the new phase, to learn how to legislate. This step will be followed by new ones, as always in the last 40 years. Mr Bommel seems to be the guy who believes: if everything is not totally perfect, then everything is totally disastrous. We have seen in the past what reformers of this kind have wrought. Here you have a nice country where the Sultan responded remarkably to new demands, and the guy is whining that paradise has not yet broken out in Oman. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI would like to ask Harry, Did you visit Oman before. I'm living currently in the UK (Third Economic) and I can clear said Oman is more and more better in everything. Its more secure country in term of public life and even in term of services provided by Government. In addition Omani's behaviors is always friendly with all (Not like western countries).
ReplyDeleteDragon,
ReplyDeleteHe could do worse than read the Surfer's latest essay: http://thelinoleumsurfer.blogspot.com/2011/11/dear-sultan-qaboos-1-things-to-make-you.html
I have a feeling Part 2 will be less positive, but the combination should give our friend from the Binnenhof as balanced and complete view as he's likely get anywhere.
Adnan
Isn't this MP part of the Socialist Party? If so he might be anti-Royal Family. He might even think that having the Queen go on state visits is unnecessary and costs too much. My guess is that he doesn't really care whether Oman is safe or not.....
ReplyDeleteWell, Dragon, I sent mr. Harry an email outlining most of what the other people here have pointed out. I will be checking the news to see if he says anything beyond the 'Oman is ruled by an evil dictator' that I usually see in the Dutch newspapers. Sadly an informed opinion does not sell as well, so I am not getting my hopes up.
ReplyDeleteTar16-
ReplyDeleteIn light of your 'more and more better in everything', please find a list of factors that the two countries do not share. Some adhere only to Oman, and other only to the UK. As a little game, try and complete the puzzle.
Democracy
Independent Justice System
Universal Suffrage
Intermarriage
Extra-judicial **^$^$&%^
Modern Slavery/bonded labour
And on topic, "Do the new powers of the Shura mean anything"?
No.
So what happened?
ReplyDeleteAnd where is the follow ups to the previous blog re: Blue City?
Lawrence
The latest changes which have been developed by our Gov. Oman is nothing! The bad system and the dictator Qaboos leverage is still same. No changes!He si playing games with his gov. thiefs. His Gov. is corrupted much.
ReplyDeleteWe do not care about the Queen's visit
ReplyDeletewe love our country and sultan
We do not care bout your queen
Smi almushani
Oman
i'm Omani>> my goverment isn't good for Omani but it's very good for forign
ReplyDeleteThere has been no serious reforms, but continued repression and the media blackout, torture and intimidation to those who call for comprehensive reform, also Shura not originally sign of any of the powers of the alleged remains of prisoners opinion detainees in the prison of Sumail Central Ministers corrupt are not prosecuted, but were honored, and the judiciary has no integrity, in short Oman is the Sultan of the farm ..
ReplyDeleteE-book: Oman – The Islamic Democratic Tradition
ReplyDeleteOman is the inheritor of a unique political tradition, the imama (imamate), and
has a special place in the Arab Islamic world. From the eighth century and for
more than a thousand years, the story of Oman was essentially a story of an
original, minority, movement, the Ibadi. This long period was marked by the
search for a just imama through the Ibadi model of the Islamic State.
The imama system was based on two principles: the free election of the imam
leader and the rigorous application of shura (consultation). Thus, the imama
system, through its rich experience, has provided us with the only example of an
Arab-Islamic democracy.
Hussein Ghubash’s well-researched book takes the reader on a historical
voyage through geography, politics and culture of the region, from the sixteenth
century to the present day. Oman has long-standing ties with East Africa as well
as Europe; the first contact between Oman and European imperialist powers took
place at the dawn of the 1500s with the arrival of the Portuguese, eventually
followed by the Dutch, French and British.
Persuasive, thorough and drawing on Western as well as Islamic political
theory, this book analyses the different historical and geopolitical roles of this
strategic country. Thanks to its millennial tradition, Oman enjoys a solid national
culture and stable socio-political situation.
Dr Ghubash is the author of several books and the U.A.E. ambassador to
UNESCO. He holds a PhD in political science from Nanterre University, Paris X.
download FREE e-book from: http://uploading.com/files/SY720HIX/0415375681.zip.html
As an Omani i urge all my fellow Omani citizens to boycott all dutch oil companies and products until this ignorant MP apologizes to his earlier remarks. For all we care, can keep their Queen and we certainly will not be honored to see her here and any of the dutch government officials as well. Oman does not need your aid in any way. God Save the Sultan.. We are proud he is our ruler and will always follow his guidance
ReplyDeleteDear MP Mr Harry,, I am an Omani citizin and the reality is that the current Showra council is not reflecting the real parlimentery process,, their authority is limited and most of the real powers are in the hand of Sultan.. There are tens of human rights prisoners in oman since the strikes started in last March.
ReplyDelete