Bharat Rakshak

It is time for Gaddafi to go. He has been a good man to his people and also to the West except a few of his terror acts and funds against US.

Publication: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 3 Issue: 14July 15, 2005 03:54 PM Age: 6 yrsCategory: Terrorism Monitor By: Trevor Stanley
The phenomenon of Islamic terrorism cannot be adequately explained as the export of Saudi Wahhabism, as many commentators claim. In fact, the ideological heritage of groups such as al-Qaeda is Salafism, a movement that began in Egypt and was imported into Saudi society during the reign of King Faisal.



The official ‘Wahhabi’ religion of Saudi Arabia has essentially merged with certain segments of Salafism. There is now intense competition between groups and individual scholars over the 'true' Salafism, with the scholars who support the Saudi regime attacking groups such as al-Qaeda as ‘Qutbists’ (following Sayyid Qutb) or takfiris (excommunicators).



The easy explanation for differences within the Salafi movement is that some aim to change society through da’wa (preaching/evangelizing) whereas others want to change it through violence. But as the Saudi example shows, all strains of Salafism, even the most revolutionary and violent, make a place for social services such as education in their strategies for the transformation of society.



Origins of Wahhabism



When Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab began preaching his revivalist brand of Islam amongst the Bedouins of the Najd [1] during the 18th century, his ideas were dismissed in the centers of Islamic learning such as al-Azhar as simplistic and erroneous to the point of heresy.



Ibn Abd al-Wahhab claimed that the decline of the Muslim world was caused by pernicious foreign innovations (bida’) - including European modernism, but also elements of traditional Islam that were simply unfamiliar to the isolated Najdi Bedouins. He counseled the purging of these influences in an Islamic Revival. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab’s creed placed an overriding emphasis on tawhid (monotheism), condemning many traditional Muslim practices as shirk (polytheism). He also gave jihad an unusual prominence in his teachings. The Wahhabis called themselves Muwahideen (monotheists) - to call themselves Wahhabis was considered shirk.



Origins of Salafism



Salafism originated in the mid to late 19th Century, as an intellectual movement at al-Azhar University, led by Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905), Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1839-1897) and Rashid Rida (1865-1935). The movement was built on a broad foundation. Al-Afghani was a political activist, whereas Abduh, an educator, sought gradual social reform (as a part of da’wa), particularly through education. Debate over the place of these respective methods of political change continues to this day in Salafi groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.



The early Salafis admired the technological and social advancement of Europe’s Enlightenment, and tried to reconcile it with the belief that their own society was the heir to a divinely guided Golden Age of Islam that had followed the Prophet Muhammad’s Revelations.



The name Salafi comes from as-salaf as-saliheen, the ‘pious predecessors’ of the early Muslim community, although some Salafis extend the Salaf to include selected later scholars. The Salafis held that the early Muslims had understood and practiced Islam correctly, but true understanding of Islam had gradually drifted, just as the people of previous Prophets (including Moses and Jesus) had strayed and gone into decline. The Salafis set out to rationally reinterpret early Islam with the expectation of rediscovering a more ‘modern’ religion.



In terms of their respective formation, Wahhabism and Salafism were quite distinct. Wahhabism was a pared-down Islam that rejected modern influences, while Salafism sought to reconcile Islam with modernism. What they had in common is that both rejected traditional teachings on Islam in favor of direct, ‘fundamentalist’ reinterpretation.



Saudi Arabia Embraces Salafi Pan-Islamism



Although Saudi Arabia is commonly characterized as aggressively exporting Wahhabism, it has in fact imported pan-Islamic Salafism. Saudi Arabia founded and funded transnational organizations and headquartered them in the kingdom, but many of the guiding figures in these bodies were foreign Salafis. The most well known of these organizations was the World Muslim League, founded in Mecca in 1962, which distributed books and cassettes by al-Banna, Qutb and other foreign Salafi luminaries. Saudi Arabia successfully courted academics at al-Azhar University, and invited radical Salafis to teach at its own Universities.



Saudi Arabia’s decision to host Egyptian radicals hinges on three factors: the need for qualified educators, Faisal’s struggle against Egyptian-led pan-Arab radicalism, and Saudi openness under King Khaled. Between the 1920s and 1960s, Saudi Arabia was emerging as a modern state. Increased oil production required technical infrastructure and a bureaucracy, resulting in a demand for educators that outstripped the administration’s capacity. [2] The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood represented a source of qualified educators, bureaucrats and engineers, many of them anxious to leave Egypt.



During the late 1950s and the 1960s, the Middle East was gripped by a struggle between the traditional monarchies and the secular pan-Arab radicals, led by Nasser’s Egypt, with the pan-Islamist Salafis an important third force. [3] By embracing pan-Islamism, Faisal countered the idea of pan-Arab loyalty centered on Egypt with a larger transnational loyalty centered on Saudi Arabia. During the 1960s, members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots, many of them teachers, were given sanctuary in Saudi Arabia, in a move that undermined Nasser while also relieving the Saudi education crisis. [4]



Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy concerns eased in 1970 with Nasser’s death. But in the 1970s, the Saudi education system was awash with Egyptian Muslim Brothers and other Salafis, much as Berkeley was awash with Marxists. Under King Khaled (r.1975-1982), some of the most important proponents of Qutbist terrorism, including Abdullah Azzam, Omar Abd al-Rahman and Muhammad Qutb, served as academics in the Kingdom. Qutb, an important proponent of his late brother Sayyid’s theory, wrote several texts on tawhid for the Saudi school curriculum. [5]



A generation of prominent Saudi citizens was exposed to various strains of Salafi thought during the 1970s, and although most Saudi Salafis are not Qutbist revolutionaries, the Qutbists did not miss the opportunity to awaken a revolutionary vanguard.



Wahhabi-Salafism



Although Salafism and Wahhabism began as two distinct movements, Faisal's embrace of Salafi pan-Islamism resulted in cross-pollination between ibn Abd al-Wahhab’s teachings on tawhid, shirk and bid’a and Salafi interpretations of ahadith (the sayings of Muhammad). Some Salafis nominated ibn Abd al-Wahhab as one of the Salaf (retrospectively bringing Wahhabism into the fold of Salafism), and the Muwahideen began calling themselves Salafis.



Today, a profusion of self-proclaimed Salafi groups exist, each accusing the others of deviating from 'true' Salafism. Since the 1970s, the Saudis have wisely stopped funding those Salafis that excommunicate nominally Muslim governments (or at least the Saudi government), condemning al-Qaeda as ‘the deviant sect’. The pro-Saudis correctly trace al-Qaeda’s ideological roots to Qutb and al-Banna. Less accurately, they accuse these groups of insidiously 'entering' Salafism. In fact, Salafism was imported into Saudi Arabia in its Ikhwani and Qutbist forms. This does not mean that the pro-Saudi Salafis are necessarily benign - for example, Abu Mu'aadh as-Salafee’s main criticism of Qutb and Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna is that they claim Islam teaches tolerance of Jews.[6]



Meanwhile, non-Muslims and mainstream Muslims alike use the ‘Wahhabi-Salafi’ label to denigrate Salafis and even completely unrelated groups such as the Taliban.



Conclusions



Faisal’s embrace of pan-Islamism achieved its main objective in that it helped Saudi Arabia to overcome pan-Arabism. However, it created a radicalized Salafi constituency, elements of which the regime continues to fund. It should be kept in mind, though, that this funding is now confined to more compliant Salafis.



Saudi Arabia still has some way to go. Some will say that a leopard can’t change its spots, but in fact the Saudi Government is capable of serious doctrinal change under pressure. Faisal’s broad introduction of Salafi policies involved such a shift, as did the subsequent rejection of Qutbist interpretations of Salafism by pro-Saudi Salafis.



The Middle East today is clearly in need of alternative models of political change to counter takfiri Salafism. In the West, education has been a major factor in social integration. But as the Saudi case study indicates, we need to be aware of not only the quantity, but also the nature of education. Saudi students in the 1970s learned engineering and administration alongside an ideology of xenophobic alienation. In the long run, the battle against violent Salafism will be fought not only on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, but also in the universities of the Middle East.

To date, the response of the international community has been painfully slow. The United Nations Security Council, which this year includes Brazil, India and Germany in addition to its permanent members, the US, Russia, China, the UK and France, finally met last Tuesday following credible and persistent reports of more than one thousand deaths in under a week. In fact, it was the first time the world's principal body responsible for addressing threats to international peace and security had met since the uprisings in the Arab world started in Tunisia in December.

A non-binding press statement, not a resolution or a presidential statement, was the hard won result of four hours of negotiations. World leaders took comfort from achieving a consensus condemning the regime's actions and that the statement called on the regime "to meet its responsibility to protect its citizens." Even this outcome was in doubt as the Russian and Chinese delegations attempted to water down the most significant parts of the statement, including efforts to hold accountable those attacking civilians and a possible UN investigation in to the current events. These objections were finally dropped when the Arab League produced its own strongly worded statement and as diplomats listened to Qaddafi's extraordinarily threatening TV appearance where he claimed he had "not yet ordered the use of force" and warned that "when I do, everything will burn." Worse still, after days of shameful silence, the UN Human Rights Council (HCR) finally met today in special session to consider the situation in Libya. While the Council has now proposed suspending Libya from the HCR to the UN General Assembly, the country remains one of its 47 elected members required to "uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights." Notably, the HRC has decided to send an international commission of inquiry to investigate "alleged violations of international humanitarian law in Libya." It is important that the members of the powerful states club, including its newer members - China, Russia, India, Brazil - as well as the established actors, the US and European Union understand that their national interests can be compatible with the people of the region's demands for freedom, human rights and democracy. In a changing Middle East where citizens are demanding a greater role in choosing their representatives, respecting and promoting these values will in the future provide the best path for all states to further their own interests in the region. Starting with the urgent situation in Libya, the people of the region are watching and expecting.

A daring rescue operation by Special Forces flew scores of British citizens out of Libya last night as the net closed in on Col Muammar Gaddafi.
a daylight mission, the RAF, Special Air Service and Special Boat Service used two specially equipped Hercules aircraft to snatch Britons from the country. However, it is feared up to 300 oil workers from the UK remain stranded.

The rescue teams, who flew out of bases in Malta, searched an area four times the size of Britain to locate workers before evacuating them back to Valletta in Malta last night.

They were given food and water and medical assistance before being taken to hotels to rest. They will begin arriving home today.

Within hours of them arriving back to safety, the international community ratcheted up the pressure on the Libyan dictator as the security situation in the country deteriorated. The British embassy in Tripoli was closed and its staff hurriedly evacuated.

William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, disclosed that a major international diplomatic offensive against the dictator was starting.

A daring rescue operation by Special Forces flew scores of British citizens out of Libya last night as the net closed in on Col Muammar Gaddafi.
a daylight mission, the RAF, Special Air Service and Special Boat Service used two specially equipped Hercules aircraft to snatch Britons from the country. However, it is feared up to 300 oil workers from the UK remain stranded.

ramana wrote:Finally after ~1000 years the Arabs are in charge of their destiny. First the Persio-Arabs, Seljuk Turks, Ottomon Turks, Colonial powers, both super powers thru the puppet dictators all have held sway. Finally common Arabs are able to assert themselves.

SwamyG wrote:Maldives President asks India to help violence hit Libya

ramana wrote:The current movement could sweep all those things away. The Colonial and Super powers rammed those antediluvian dogmas down the arab throat. The current protests are a surprise because they have upended the collective wisdom that what the Arab wants is more of that irrelevant dogma. The protests show the Arabs want what all modern people want:representative government and not religious dogma nor bribes.

Times News Service
28 February 2011 08:57:15 Oman Time


MUSCAT: The opening ceremony of the Symposium ‘Oman and India… Prospects and Civilisation’, organised by the Omani Studies Centre and the Office of External Cooperation at Sultan Qaboos University, was held yesterday under the patronage of HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, adviser to His Majesty, the Sultan.
The three-day symposium aims to analyse and promote the historical relations between the Sultanate and India.
The symposium committee, headed by Her Highness Sayyida Dr Mona bint Fahd Al Said, SQU’s assistant vice-chancellor for external cooperation includes representative members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, The Research Council, National Authority for Manuscripts and Documents, Public Authority for Crafts Industry, and the Supreme Committee for the National Day Celebration, in addition to Sultan Qaboos University faculty.
In her opening address, Sayyida Mona hoped that the event would have a special impact on the relations between Oman and India as it sheds light on many important aspects of the economic, scientific, cultural and education ties between the two countries.
Ahmed bin Yousef Al Harthy, undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who spoke during the opening ceremony, said that there are many factors-cultural, social and economic-that links Omanis and Indians as only the Indian ocean geographically separates them.
Indian Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, said that the symposium is a means to rediscover different aspects with recognition of achievements and identifying future horizons of cooperation between Oman and India in areas of economy, education and
culture.
“Our bilateral trade has touched $4.5 billion in 2009-10. There are 573,000 Indians living in Oman. When it comes to commerce, 1,527 joint venture projects are functioning in Oman and 140 Indian companies have their presence here,” he said.

Libyan jets bomb base held by protesters...
Kuwait opposition group calls for PM ouster...
Oman protesters stage third day of unrest...
Saudi royals stomp internet for uprising...
GADHAFI PASSING OUT CASH
Egypt bans gold exports...

The Indian Embassy in Libya has reportedly told 275 Indians stranded in a desert camp that if they come 1000 km to Tripoli, something can be done for them.Jang Bahadur Singh Dass, a senior mechanical engineer on the camp, who called to give the story of stranded Indians, however, explained that reaching Tripoli meant making a 14-hour road journey, dodging through the restive towns of Garyan and Azazia on the way.

Indian Ambassador to Libya M Manimekalai said all evacuations were happening from Tripoli, but the embassy is trying to do what it can, to organise rescues from other locations.Indians are based in several parts of Libya.Evacuating them is a huge task and responsibility, and the ambassador is personally supervising the operations.

Dass said, the Serbians, Greeks and the Italians on the camp were taken last week to Sebha, the nearest airport town some 300 km away, and quietly flown out of the country by their respective governments.

So far the camp and its residents are safe. The Indians are, however, worried that if the protestors force Gaddafi, he might retreat to Sebha, bringing the violence closer home, and cutting off the Indians' access to the airport there."Going to Tripoli is impossible... Sebha is our only chance. The Indian government must get us out before Sebha too is cut off," Dass said, over the audible murmurs of worried men around him.

Right now there is a lot of confusion in the camp. Neither is the Indian embassy in Libya, nor is the MEA in India offering help or advice. The people have two emails to contact the embassy but both remain unanswered. Even phone calls have drawn poor replies."A person at the embassy said he had far too many calls asking for help," Dass' colleague, Om Dutt said."Rajdeep at the MEA control room also said he can't do much...," another colleague added.Earlier, top officials of J&P (O) based in Tripoli had spoken to the Indian Ambassador to request her to help the stranded Indians. Though, Dass was himself not present at the meeting, he was told later that she too, had no solution just yet, other than offering an airlift from Tripoli.

"The anxiety is building. People are sensing danger. They realise that other countries have flown out their nationals," Dass said.Fears have only got worse with people having to rely on television channels for news about the unrest. It is adding to the confusion, he said. "We really don't know what is happening around us. There are conflicting reports. We are finding it difficult to assess the situation. We wish the MEA was more sensitive to our plight here."Dass' son Joy, who is trying to rally help from India, meanwhile, spoke about the worry of the families back home. "These Arab regimes are known to set the oil fields on fire as the last line of their defence. We fear for our people."

oreign secretary Nirupama Rao said, clearances have been sought from Libyan authorities to land flights even in the interiors of the country. "Our ambassador has sought clearance from the Libyan government for evacuation flights to land at Sehba, which is in the interior of the country where there are at least 1,000 Indians stranded," said Rao. She said authorities have to rely only on evacuation by aircraft in Libya as the country does not have a rail network and travel by road is not considered to be safe.

The EU has imposed sanctions including an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban on Libyan authorities, including leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.In an interview with the BBC, ABC and the Sunday Times Col Gaddafi insisted that the people of Libya loved him.Col Gaddafi also said he felt betrayed by Western leaders who, he said, wanted to colonise Libya

The Army chief, General V K Singh’s planned visit to the headquarters of the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida (see report in ‘The Indian Express’ on February 28) during his trip to the United States next week will mark an important milestone in the evolution in Indo-US defence ties.
Until now, India has warily watched as the CENTCOM became a powerful spokesman for Pakistan’s interests in the Pentagon. It is the PACOM, or the Pacific Command headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, that deals with military cooperation with India. The dividing line between the operational responsibilities between the two major American theatre commands runs along the India-Pakistan border.

PACOM sees India's centrality in ordering a new Asian security system amid the rise of China and has been pressing for greater sensitivity in Washington to India’s regional interests.

But it is the CENTCOM, which deals with the ongoing American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has tended to prevail in Pentagon when it comes to issues between India and Pakistan.

In all capitals, the urgent always drives out the important. After all, Pakistan is critical to the success of the current American military operations in Afghanistan while India's importance in East Asia is only of long-term significance for the United States.

Recall the US commander of the Afghan forces, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, endorsing in 2009 the Pakistani position that the Indian presence in Afghanistan is destabilising. It underlined the fact that CENTCOM, so focussed on engaging Pakistan, has not heard let alone understood India's views on Afghanistan.

Given India's problems with Pakistan, its high stakes in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf, it made little sense for Delhi to limit its interaction with the Pentagon to the PACOM alone.

In the early years of the last decade, the Bush Administration, as part of its effort to intensify the military engagement with India, offered to link the Indian military establishment with the CENTCOM.

Washington suggested that India could post an officer at the CENTCOM for military liaison. An ultra-cautious Delhi turned down that offer.

That India has chosen to pick up the threads and send a brigadier to the CENTCOM underlines more than pragmatism. It underlines the recognition in Delhi of the need to establish a professional military conversation with the United States on Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Gulf at a time when the regions to the west of us are undergoing a period of great turbulence.

Although India wanted peace and stability to return to Arab countries, its “basic proposition” was that it would not offer unsolicited advice. The government's immediate focus and attention was on bringing back Indians who wanted to return from countries in turmoil, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told journalists while returning from a three-day visit to Kuwait.

India would be willing to assist in institution building since it shared a certain comfort level with these countries. But “it would not be fair for India to jump into the fray” unless it was invited, said Mr. Krishna on being asked whether India, with its “proven track record'' of having nurtured a liberal democracy, would be willing to help Arab countries in this regard.

“Let us be very cautious in reacting to whatever is happening in Libya. The basic proposition has been spelt out with clarity. We do not interfere. But we are closely monitoring the situation. Our immediate concern is to see that those Indians who are eager to come out of Libya are facilitated by the Government of India,” Mr. Krishna said.

India's position in this regard was also articulated during the United Nations Security Council meeting, which approved sanctions against Libya.

China also made a similar pitch.

India, along with China and Russia, limited its criticism of the regime, with India's Permanent Representative at the U.N. Hardeep Puri reiterating previous Foreign Office statements that “deplored” the violence and expressed “serious concern” over the situation. In contrast, U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon called the situation a clear-cut violation of human rights.

Necessity for change

Mr. Krishna, who was in Kuwait to attend the 50th Independence Day and 20th Liberation Day celebrations, said: “I conveyed to the Arab leadership the necessity for some change to adjust to the rising aspirations of the people. I wish them well in their attempt to come to a meeting point between stability and aspirations.”

At the celebrations in Kuwait, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari was also a guest but, according to Mr. Krishna, their “paths did not cross.” Although the leaders spent a major part of their time travelling to the venue, Mr. Krishna was able to briefly interact with some leaders from the Arab world, besides Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon.

MUSCAT | MAR 01, 2011
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Oman deployed troops north of the capital Muscat and near the border with the United Arab Emirates today, following three straight days of anti-government protests, a government official said.

Oman, ruled by a powerful family dynasty, is the latest Arab nation to be swept up in a wave of regional unrest that has already brought down two leaders and threatened the rule of others.

The centre of protests in Oman has been the port town of Sohar, about 200 kilometres northwest of Muscat, where demonstrators demanding higher salaries and jobs have clashed with police.

Police killed a protester in Sohar on Saturday, after demonstrations turned violent. Several government buildings and a supermarket were set on fire, local media reported.

Anticipating more unrest, the government deployed troops and military vehicles around the capital and near Oman's border with the United Arab Emirates, a government official said today.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release information to the media.

Protests have been rare in Oman and the ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, is offering reforms to try to quell the demonstrations. On Sunday, he ordered 50,000 civil service jobs to be created and offered a monthly stipend of 150 rials (USD 390) for job seekers. A day earlier, the sultan replaced six Cabinet members.

A rally in support of Oman's long-serving ruler was planned later in the day in Muscat.

Oman shares control with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf -- the route for about 40 per cent of the world's oil-tanker traffic. Oman also plays an important role as a mediator between Iran and the West because of its strong ties to Tehran and Washington.

Yesterday, State Department spokesman P J Crowley said that the US has been in contact with the Omani government and has encouraged Muscat "to undertake reforms that include economic opportunity and move toward greater inclusion and participation in a peaceful political process.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM | FEB 27, 2011
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As India is engaged in a major operation to evacuate emigrants stranded in trouble-torn Libya, former Union minister K P Unnikrishnan, who oversaw the massive airlifting of emigrants from Kuwait during the Gulf war in 1990 recalls that it was meticulous planning and perfect co-ordination that made the operation a big success then.

"It was an operation on a larger scale that was successfully accomplished as 1.48 lakh Indians were airlifted safely from the Gulf then, though the ground realities were far much more difficult and the logistics limited," Unnikrishnan, who was the minister for Surface Transport in the National Front Government headed by late VP Singh, told PTI.

"There was much anxiety back home about the fate of the Indians in Kuwait, especially in Kerala from where thousands had been working in the Gulf. Initially, there were some misgivings about the logistical and diplomatic constraints involved. But some of us convinced the Prime Minister and got the cabinet mandate to carry out the plans," he said.

"I K Gujral was the Foreign Minister and Arif Muhammad Khan the Civil Aviation Minister. But I was entrusted with the task of overseeing the operation," he said.

Thousands of Indians had fled Kuwait in fear as the situation developed into a full-blown war and got stranded in deserts of Jordan. There was skepticism whether the airlifting could be done successfully in such circumstances.

"Having been authorised by the Cabinet, the first thing I did was to alert the Indian missions in West Asian countries. The first option was to seek the help of Indian Air Force. But there were some problems involved in that. Then I proposed that some of the Air Bus aircraft bought by India, but lying grounded due to some peculiar reasons, could be used for the purpose," he recalled.

He said he then approached the monarch in Jordan, who, while extending moral support, said the country was not in a position to provide the logistics.

"The stranded people were first brought to Amman and from there to Dubai and then to Mumbai. The Railways arranged for travel of those reached Mumbai to their respective home states", he said.

"In such emergency situations, quick decision making, fast mustering of all available resources and execution of plans with great precision are important," he said.

That operation was hailed as one of the massive air-liftings of all time of people from a troubled area, he said.

Unnikrishnan, who was a nominee of the Congress(S) in the National Front Government, later joined the Congress and a member of the KPCC executive now.

As Oman deployed troops near the capital Muscat and the border with the United Arab Emirates, following three straight days of anti-government protests, the sizeable Indian population there is uneasy.

The main cause of concern is a perception among the Indian community there that the protests for higher salaries and better jobs in the Arab nation have taken on an ‘anti-outsider’ tone. The burning of Lulu Hypermarket (part of a mega chain of stores with an Indian expatriate at the helm) has contributed to that fear.

“All they (protesters) want is to sleep and the salary to be sent to their place,” said an Indian supermarket employee, who’s worked in Oman for over 10 years. “You give them 10,000 rials, they will come back asking for 15,000.”

“We had such a beautiful life in Oman but now we are scared. What will happen if we die? The police or the military will not protect us,” he added.

According to various reports, money exchanges and even the burnt hypermarket was later ransacked by people, including expatriates. The alarming surge in robberies and lootings caused by the unrest has led to some leading jewellery stores being shut down.

Anil Singh in Buraimi in north eastern Oman explained that if Oman’s ruler accepted one of the protesters’ key demands — to hire locals over expatriates — people like him would suffer. “Our feeling is one of resentment. We will begin to lose our jobs if the government decides to move towards localisation.”

Mathew Jacob, who works for an automobile company in Muscat, is also worried. “This is the first time something like this is happening. I don’t know what will happen to us. My son is in Class 10. I’m wondering whether I should shift to Dubai or Abu Dhabi. I don’t know what to do.”

Most Indians described the situation as ‘calm’, except for at Sohar, a town 200km northwest from Muscat, which remains the epicentre of the protests.

Mary, a journalist in Muscat, however, is convinced that since the government has already extended a conciliatory hand to the protesters, there is nothing to worry about.

“The protests were bound to happen,” she said. “The cost of living has increased and there are so many young educated, unemployed Omanis … localisation of jobs is something that was bound to happen - Indians should take it in good spirit.”

This sentiment is clearly not echoed by her fellow Indian expats.
(With agency inputs. Some names have been changed)

In televised and well-photographed action in the Council of Ministers building over the last few months, a bizarre charade is being played out. Crown Prince Sultan, King Abdullah's designated successor, is chairing meetings of the Council of Ministers, as well as greeting visiting foreigners and Saudi dignitaries. Sultan, however, is reportedly suffering from Alzheimer's disease and, anecdotally, does not even recognize government ministers who he has known for years. A WikiLeaks cable described Sultan as "for all intents and purposes incapacitated."