r/geography • u/Necessary_Wing799 Geography Enthusiast • 14d ago

Oman - a country rarely spoken about. What's happening there? Discussion

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Oman is located in a area we heat about a lot for an array of reasons - there are many famous and newsworthy spots close by from dubai to Doha to Iran and Yemen...... what goes on in Oman? Let us know how life is here and any relevant info on its current state....

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u/supapoopascoopa 14d ago

Absolute monarchy, sharia law, no free press or ability to criticize the government, torture, no due process rights

I give them credit for being peaceful but it only seems chill with respect to it’s neighbors.

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

As a citizen of Oman Sharia law is not the absolute law of the land, it is seen as a guidance for our own laws. Also dynamics in Oman don't necessarily rely on free press, it's a paternalistic dynamic where we still have trust in our institutions to hold people accountable and resolve the concerns of the population, and until now, that's worked. People constantly criticize the government, you just can't criticize the sultan publicly, however it is common to find people trashing the ministry of education, the police, or the ministry of labour for policies they disagree with. Recently, media laws have relaxed in Oman, and we are having steady progress being made towards a freer press. Despite what democratic states may believe, In Oman as is the case with many non-democracies the people are not constantly in opposition with the state, and healthy communication between the two does exist.

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u/supapoopascoopa 14d ago

This is educational, thanks. I can see the appeal though it still seems very fragile as you depend on the good intentions of a single person.

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

That's true, we had bad sultans in the past. I guess every system depends on the good will of people though, and Donald Trump doesn't seem to have any left 😅

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u/Just_RandomPerson 13d ago

Ok, but Americans only have themselves to blame, and it's only 4 years. Also, impeachment should be a thing... If you have a bad sultan, there's nothing you can do and it's not your fault.

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u/yousuckatlife90 13d ago

Yeah and it sucks that trump has everybody underneath him, totally willing to make america as bad off as possible again. People who are against a goverment agency are going to be in control of them. Like rfk jr. for example. Trump has 34 felony convictions against him. Found guilty on them all by a jury (some were even trump supporters supposedly) and the judge kept delaying his sentencing a few times and now its either totally dropped or delayed till after his presidency. He has total immunization from any wrongdoings according to the supreme court that also has mostly trump supporters. He has been caught on camer and microphones sayi g the worst things and straight up lying about everything. He is laughed at by the rest of the world and a good chuck of americans. Yet... here he is... about to have a dictatorship for 4 years unless he finda a way to change that law as well.

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u/SWGoH123 11d ago

Only 4 years.. LOL. Ahem; “You’ll never have to vote again”

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u/foggygoggleman 13d ago

The gnarliest part about this, is if let’s say you move towards that free press. When do you know it’s moved into propaganda press?

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u/ScalsThePenguin 14d ago edited 13d ago

White American guy here. Dude I left there yesterday. Spent 2 weeks driving all through that country. You don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

Hung out with locals, migrants, and expats. Male and female. Otw to the airport the driver was literally talking shit about the sultan.

I don't understand why people think reading a couple selected web articles, or YouTube videos is adequate enough to make an opinion. It's embarrassing.

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u/supapoopascoopa 14d ago

Hmmm some white american dudes two week vacation or wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Oman

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u/Xplay3r_ 14d ago

hmmm some white american dude's article without having lived or seen it.

I can pull up an article about human right violations for every country in this world, doesnt mean thats the norm there or that its happening 24/7.

I've traveled to Oman and lived there for several months. Nice place with even nicer people. Go off the screen and go there on a trip (or live there for a few months, its not expensive) before typing up a storm in bad faith.

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u/supapoopascoopa 14d ago

Have you ever been gay in Oman? Or a migrant worker? Or a journalist trying to expose corruption? Even you and I as white middle class men in America don't have a lot of personal insight into what happens in our own country when you aren't part of the club.

I got nothing against the Omani people or Oman, but a religious monarchy without any avenue for redress of grievances is just a lottery. If you aren't a member of the preferred class or the new sultan is an asshole you are immediately out of options.

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u/abuayanna 13d ago

You don’t know what you’re talking about, just stop.

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u/foggygoggleman 13d ago edited 13d ago

Dude, my parents are terrified to go to Mexico. That’s literally our southern border. Beautiful country and I’ll keep going back. You can find anything you want online about bad shit in a country but GOOD people are there too and often times in abundance. Do you really think all Russians are bad people? If you do you’re fucking hopeless m8

That being said I do think religion in general has caused a fuck ton of bloodshed but idk where humans would be without if you study theology. I also think present day Islam is the slice of monotheism that needs to catch up and is barbaric in many places.

Islam in particular makes it hard to believe there’s an Arab country that’s pretty chill. Again, understandable tbh

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u/supapoopascoopa 13d ago

I'm not afraid to go to Mexico or Oman, or think in any way the Omanis are bad people. We are all just humans who live different places.

These are completely different issues to whether it's a "chill place". Religious monarchies are a form of dictatorship that's been road tested extensively throughout history and in the end exist mostly to serve the ruler

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u/foggygoggleman 13d ago

What do you mean that’s a different issue? When a govt is ruling based on religion it seems like pretty integral issue whether it’s chill or not

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u/sitbar 14d ago

If you’ve lived there or spent any time there you would know that it is actually really chill there.

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u/la_bata_sucia 14d ago

Is it chill for the women and the migrant workers? Asking seriously

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u/Continental-IO520 14d ago

Yes. My mum used to work there. It's a lot better than the neighbouring countries

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u/la_bata_sucia 14d ago

But is "better than the neighboring countries" good enough?

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u/My_massive_dingaling 13d ago

No but it's a start

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u/Continental-IO520 13d ago

Yes. It's a genuinely good place to live. Conservative but not overly so. Would certainly take Oman over the US

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u/nixnaij 14d ago

You make it sound like being better than your peers is something to be ashamed of.

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u/la_bata_sucia 13d ago

If my peers are the worst, is not something to be that proud of

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u/nixnaij 13d ago

Not saying Omans peers are the best, I would say there are quite a few countries that are worse than the peers of Oman.

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u/SvenderBender 10d ago

I hate people like you who say “asking seriously” but its not serious or curious at all. People have responded and you still keep undermining their responses, you weren’t asking seriously.

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u/supapoopascoopa 14d ago

If you are a native middle or upper class male it is probably pretty good as long as you don’t complain and adhere to the religion.

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u/sitbar 14d ago

This is false. People do complain and there’s a TON of “expats” who live like they would back in the west. Drinking alcohol, eating pork, clubbing, drugs, etc. you’ll see women in shorts and exposing their arms often as well and guess what, literally no one cares lol

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

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u/Subject-Effect4537 14d ago

Where are you from/where do you live?

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u/NoiceAndToitt 14d ago

I grew up there, and it really is chill. There is no gender based discrimination, it’s extremely safe, no one cares about your religion - you’ll find churches, mosque, temples and gurudwaras.

Sometimes, not assuming the worst in everything is a good life choice :)

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

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u/sitbar 14d ago

No I only spent like 10 years living in Oman. Please continue to tell me about how living in Oman Truely is

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u/miaou12 14d ago

Sorryyy i replied to the wrong comment lmao , i wanted to reply to the comment above you

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u/sammyasher 14d ago

for *who*

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

It’s an autocratic monarchy. That’s like the opposite of chill. Next you guys are going to be talking up Thailand and Malaysia.

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u/leehoswald1963 14d ago edited 14d ago

I am half Thai and grew up in Bangkok till I left as a teen, and eventually moved to Canada. There’s a big difference between the people who make up a country and those who run it, and what the day to day life is and what interactions are like with the public.

I’ve lived through three military coups but I’d also describe the Thai people and Thai culture as chill. I suspect that’s the sentiment you’re missing.

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u/misirlou22 14d ago

I was in Thailand on vacation when a coup happened and our embassy recommended cutting our trip short, but I remember everyone acting like it was not a big deal.

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

You can go to prison in Thailand for insulting the king. That’s not chill. That’s not a place people should go.

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u/leehoswald1963 14d ago

Im not telling people to visit. I only see my family once every few years cause I feel more comfortable in a free country as well, but I’m talking about the people and the culture being chill not the laws. This is a nuanced topic and not black and white.

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

You live in a free country because you know it’s not chill. I will never understand refugees who pretend things weren’t bad the place they fled.

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u/leehoswald1963 14d ago

Perhaps it might be because you've never had the experience of being a refugee yourself. I can have good memories about the community I grew up in, while still acknowledging the problems that led me to leaving, problems that are not a reflection of the Thai people at large.

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

I’m the child of Cuban refugees. Cuba is shit and I hope it burns to the ground.

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u/leehoswald1963 14d ago

I don't wish the same for my friends or family still living in Thailand, if the country burned to the ground they would have no home. I also hope the best for the people of Cuba, I don't want their home to burn to the ground either, we can disagree here.

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u/Rianorix 1d ago

You can also go into prison from insulting anyone in Thailand if they are petty enough or rich enough to pursue legal action but that doesn't mean you will.

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 1d ago

That’s also wrong.

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u/Rianorix 1d ago

What's wrong with it?

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 1d ago

You can be charged with speech. That’s incredibly fucked up, dystopian even.

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u/Rianorix 1d ago

You can be charged from insulting people, learn the difference.

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u/sitbar 14d ago

Okay sure, but also let’s keep ignoring what Omanis and literally everyone else who comes to visit is saying and instead keep going with this weird scary version based on the fact that it’s a Muslim country

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u/OutsideFlat1579 14d ago

The atmosphere may be chill, the people relaxed and friendly, but the laws are not chill for everyone. If you want to make it about it being a Muslim country, that’s on you. 

Homosexuality is illegal in Oman, but they don’t have the death penalty for “sodomy” like they do in Uganda, which is Christian. Are we allowed to make comments on Uganda not being chill? Because it’s not Muslim. 

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

Is it not an autocratic monarchy it’s rampant human rights violations?

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

The superiority complex is showing my guy.

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

Liberal democracies are objectively superior.

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

Alright pal, you can believe what you want, I don't think there needs to be a debate about which government is better. I will tell you though, if you judge an entire country based on its governance style you risk being ignorant, there are dictatorships that treat their people better than liberal democracies, and democracies that are more far sighted than dictatorships. Judging a country by its governance structure is a bit childish and all it does is show the world that you have never really traveled outside of a small handful of countries

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

You don’t believe liberal democracies are superior? Well let’s play a game. France or Iran? Portugal or Afghanistan? Poland or Saudi Arabia? Mexico or North Korea? In which of these countries would you prefer to live?

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

I'd rather live in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, or Indonesia than Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom. But you are completely sidestepping my point, please engage with what I told you

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u/IHatePeople79 14d ago

You do realize Saudi Arabia still executed gay people, right?

I doubt you would be saying this stuff if you were a woman (before you come at me I’m not defending liberal democracies, I have plenty of criticisms for them too).

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

And Americans shoot children, I have criticisms of many countries, but I know my life would be better in Saudi Arabia than it would be in the US

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 14d ago

Lmao. I bet you would as you comfortably write that from your western nation.

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

I'm just here for my degree, I'm planning to go back to Oman in a couple of months as I like living in a country that doesn't give any idiot a gun, and doesn't constantly smell like weed and shit, and where I don't have to worry about healthcare, and where the food is less than $10 for a full meal! :D you're talking to the wrong person buddy, I can't wait to go back to my own country :) come visit I think you would actually change your mind

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u/SvenderBender 10d ago

Yea, evidently liberal democracies are doing great these days. The middle class is thriving, everyone has equal rights, there is no crushing debt and there are certainly no fascists in power…

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u/EnvironmentalEnd6104 10d ago

Significantly better than autocratic regimes yeah.

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u/Ill-Bison-8057 14d ago

Liberal democracies objectively are better. Oman is one of the better autocracies and yet homosexuality remains illegal and there are still blasphemy laws.

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u/Physical-Arrival-868 14d ago

That's your opinion and while I disagree I'll respect it. Not really in the mood to argue I urge you to look at the homosexuality laws in Oman, you need like three witnesses that see you in the act. It is intentionally impossible to enforce as a way to placate the tremendously conservative population while not cracking down on gay people. And I for one am fully ok with blasphemy laws, we are a Muslim country where people take their religion seriously, if you plan to blatantly disrespect that religion to aggravate people that should be punished. You can love liberal democracy and I hope you do, just don't force it on people that have consistently rejected it. That is your way of life, not ours.

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u/confusedteletubye 14d ago

Really chill for those that submit to tyranny…

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u/KrunkleChris 14d ago

Oman isn’t very strict on Sharia.

Even if it were and it was being oppressive with it, it’s not the fault of Sharia, it’s the fault of those misrepresenting and misusing it.

People love to talk and talk about such and such punishments being called for in Sharia but do zero research on the extensive legal and witness/evidence requirements to go through with these punishments.

Women cannot be forced against their will to wear a hijab or niqab, and adultery punishments can ONLY be enforced if there were 4 witnesses. 4 people who DIRECTLY VIEWED the sexual intercourse happening. Not auditory, such as if someone heard it from outside a room; it has to be visual.

Anyways, in a bit I’ll link more videos on this subject. Shariah is not what people think it is.

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u/aboysmokingintherain 13d ago

The issue is sharia law in many countries isn’t actually sharia law. They have it but may not enforce it. In many Arab countries alcohol is illegal….but you can still buy it. It depends. Every country is different.