Oman Acceptance

Wahiba Sands desert, Jalan Bani Buhassan, Oman.

We’re in a Jeep, driving through the desert out toward the coast. The windows are down. The sun is blazing. Childishly, we are amusing each other by accelerating fast over the undulating sand dunes. Then suddenly, something that might be glass flies through one of the open windows and into my eye. The pain is excruciating.

There is no question I have brought this upon myself. I wasn’t wearing sunglasses, didn’t have the windows shut, and had been driving too fast. I’m also a woman who doesn’t wear the hijab, in a Muslim country. There would be every reason for bystanders to turn me away. Except when we flagged down the first person we could find, he took me home and with his wife tried to help us. Then I was taken to a doctor in the nearby village. My eye was patched up and the pain eventually subsided.

Not only that, but the couple insisted on us resting with them for a while. We got all the help we could have hoped for, and much more, because our new Omani friends were immediately and unhesitatingly accepting of these strangers who had stumbled onto their doorstep—despite who we were and how we looked. It is no exaggeration to say that I was welcomed and treated as if a daughter: not judged for who I was, but embraced as another human being in need of help.

This is the acceptance that is fundamental to modern Oman, one of the most peaceful and moderate Arab nations. Under the nearly five-decade rule of Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said, Oman has evolved from what was one of the poorest countries in the world to a prosperous nation in which life expectancy and literacy rates have steadily improved, and poverty has decreased. The U.N. declared Oman to be the “most improved” country of 135 it surveyed between 1970 and 2010.

Acceptance has been fundamental to this success. It is rooted in the ethnic diversity of the Omani population—around 46 percent of which comprises expatriates from Southeast Asia, Jordan, and Morocco—and the Ibadi branch of Islam that predominates in Oman, one that emphasizes tolerance and acceptance and denounces violence. Sunni and Shia Muslims can worship alongside Ibadis at Muscat’s mosques, while religious protection enshrined in Omani law means those houses of prayer sit alongside Christian churches and Hindu temples. As Islam across the Middle East becomes increasingly sectarian, Oman—the only majority-Ibadi country in the world—has been widely praised as a beacon of religious acceptance.

Once a long-and-winding empire, which stretched from what is now Pakistan down the East Africa coast as far as modern-day Mozambique, Oman is no longer the trading power it once was, but retains some of its old influence and brokering ability: the legacy of a culture and national identity based on commerce and establishing good relations. Today it is relied upon as a diplomatic mediator in an unstable region, often acting as the host for summits and talks. Surrounded by factions, Oman’s ability to accept different religions, different ethnic groups, and different needs has made it the ideal facilitator. It means that between nations which often have very little common ground, it can maintain strong ties on both sides, and act as a conduit.

The ethos of acceptance also governs the relationship between Omanis and their ruler, Sultan Qaboos. Despite his power being overwhelming—he is monarch, finance minister, defense minister, foreign minister, chairman of the central bank, and head of the armed forces—there is a broad agreement from people that his rule has been a good thing. Protests in Oman as part of the 2011 revolutions were limited, and quelled by promises of increased job creation. Generally speaking, for the best part of fifty years, Qaboos’s absolute rule has been tolerated, while he has accepted the changing needs of the country, implementing greater democracy within local government and strengthening consumer protections.

As a rare example of stability and neutrality in a fractious region, Oman demonstrates the many virtues of being welcoming about other people, cultures, religions, and ideas. In the end, if we do not accept each other, we will fall into conflict whether great or small. The absence of this will always lead to suffering of some sort. Whether at an individual or international level, acceptance is what underpins good relations, creates greater harmony, and keeps the forces of ignorance and hatred at bay. It is also the cornerstone of progress. Change can only come when we accept ourselves, each other, and the circumstances we face together. To be accepting is to take a big step toward overcoming the divisions and hatred that undermine a peaceful society.