Ekhlaas member al-Suhayl observes that JIhadis criticize Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and other Arab countries for collaborating with the United States, but they say nothing about Oman. Moreover, Oman has not been the object of Jihadi violence. This despite the fact that Oman allows the U.S. to use its military bases, has an office for Omani-Israeli relations, has a constitution that violates Sharia law, and has reformed its curriculum to conform with “Bushi-Blairi” Islam.
Abu al-Usud al-Saffak (The Blood-shedding Father of Lions) responds that Jihadis come from every country of the world except Oman. He’s at a loss to explain it.
Suhayl concurs, remarking: “One of the mujahids said: ‘There are two countries from which mujahids do not originate: Oman and Bahrain.’”
`Adhab al-Qabr (Torment of the Tomb) believes that the reason for Oman’s lack of Jihadi production is the Ibadi ideology that dominates religious matters. (This would be ironic given that Ibadism is a soft remnant of the revolutionary Kharijite Movement that roiled the early Islamic empire–a movement often compared to contemporary Jihadi-Salafism.) `Adhab’s solution is that the brothers need to start joining Omani forums and spreading Jihadi ideas.
Al-`Adiyyat (Antiquities) complains that he has already done so, but to little effect. Even the non-Ibadis in Oman are not interested because they are too taken with Sufism.
The absence of Jihadi foreign fighters from Oman and the dearth of Jihadi activity in Oman does need explanation. It has the right ingredients–authoritarian rule, no civil rights, a revolutionary and misanthropic ideology, and a U.S. presence–but no cake. Perhaps there needs to be more ingredients. Or perhaps the ingredients have to be mixed in specific portions (i.e. Oman lacks the right recipe). At the very least, the absence challenges the standard cultural or political explanations for Jihadi violence. Any takers?
Document (Arabic): 7-17-08-ekhlaas-why-no-jihad-in-oman
5 comments ↓
ibadism + the fact that life actually seems to be continually improving for the vast majority under the current sultan since 38 years, all-out dictator though he is? plus, the country is puny population-wise, so there wouldn’t be many jihadis even if the socioeconomics were sufficiently screwed-up.
(having just left oman, i did see loads of khomeini paraphernalia in what must have been a shia bookshop in muscat, though… but otherwise, omanis seem to be a happily depoliticized lot.)
Oman has had a history of isolationism, that may play a part in this equation.
Oman has never appeared to show any active role in the political scene in the Middle East.
You almost never see an Omani person on a web forum. I have wondered why before, but as far as I know, I only been told tales of witchcraft in Oman when I was a child. As absurd and obscure those stories are, the Sultanate seem to have little known about it but those stories and about their tourist locations.
Interesting - According to information provided by Alexa.com, 9.5% of users in Ekhlaas are accessing the website from Oman. Could this be because individuals outside the country are using proxy servers via Oman?
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