Vol 23 Islam

I’ve delayed writing about the religious culture here in Oman until I had a better grasp of it. I’m embarrassed to say that prior to moving here I knew very little about Muslims or their way of life. I only knew what I’ve seen on the news. Images of angry extremists and terrorists in dusty streets. Women covered from head to toe in black.

I’ve been asking my friend Eman, our receptionist, some questions about Islam and how it affects her daily life. She tells me that the Holy Koran, their “Bible”, was recited to the prophet Mohammed by the angel Gabriel. Islam is based on five pillars. First is Faith; the belief that there is only one God and that Mohammed is His prophet. The second pillar is Prayer. Third is Charity. Forth is Fasting. And the fifth is Pilgrimage. There are 2 main sects of Islam. Sunni and Shi’a. The people of Oman, where I am living, are predominately from a third sect- Ibadhi and are considered the most gentle and conservative. There are also some Sunni here. The Sunni are quite similar to the Ibadhi. Then there are the Shi’as. While most of them are just regular people living regular lives, most of the wacko, fist waving people we’ve all seen on TV are Shi’a. According to Eman, the extremists are Shi’a. Most Iraqis are Shi’a. Think of it as Protestants, Catholics and the wacky Christian Extremists who burn down abortion clinics. In the same way that most Christians are normal; most Muslims are normal.

Recalling images of Muslims celebrating in the streets after 911, I asked Eman how the people of Oman reacted to the events of that day. She said they were all sad for the innocent lives that were lost that day. No rejoicing in the streets.

So then why do Muslims look so different? What’s up with the clothes? The Koran actually spells out the proper way for a Muslim to live. It gives specific guidelines for grooming and behaving. These guidelines are either Halal or Harum. Do this or don’t do this.

They should not drink alcohol. They should not smoke. They should not make or listen to music. They should pray five times a day, facing Makkah (Mecca). Men should pray in a mosque, women should pray at home. They should be clean before they pray. To be clean includes removing body hair. Underarms and groin for men and women.

The Koran states that a woman should not intentionally tempt a man. She should cover her arms, legs, shoulders and head. She should wear only light make-up. No Canadian flags on the eyes, says Eman. (She likes to tease me). She should not pluck her eyebrows. No shaking hands with a man who is not your relative. No sex before marriage. No touching at all or kissing before marriage. No big laughing in front of men. Their perfume should not be smelt across the room.

There are no rules for clothing for men. The long, white, loose fitting dishdasha and cap the men in Oman wear are chosen for fashion reasons. But he should not look at a woman when he is speaking to her. He should look down instead. He should not look at a woman’s breasts. He should not touch a woman who is not his relative at all. When a man goes to a mosque to pray there are places for him to wash his face, neck, hands, arms and feet.

Initially I thought there was an oppressive quality to the women’s attire. The men are wearing something cool and the women are wearing the long black abaya and head scarf with another full set of clothes underneath. But it turns out this is more about fashion than religion. The women here could just wear a shirt, skirt and scarf that covers them and in Syria that is what the women do. They don’t have to swelter in the black abaya. They like them. 10 years ago they wore bright colors, now it’s black. Who’d of thunk it?

I also thought there was a lot of sexism going on here but Oman is actually the most progressive Gulf country towards women. Women drive here. And vote. They can own property. They are encouraged to have careers and to educate themselves. The men here love their women and want to protect them from the stares of other men. Like Eman says, “men are like dogs”. She tells me that if her husband saw another man touching even just her wrist, he would be very angry with the man.

She’s been helping me to write this and she wants me to tell you that it is totally ok for a woman to be sexy for her husband when they are alone together. She can wear as much makeup as she likes. She can paint Canadian flags on her eyes if she likes. They love to wear sexy lingerie. And from what she has hinted, they enjoy healthy sex lives.

Regarding sex; men and women must wash before and after sex. If a man uses his wife in the, uh, “Greek” fashion, she should divorce him.

When a woman has her period she should not pray, fast or have sex. After her period she should remove all hair from her body; legs, groin, underarms and arms.

There are some customs that are phasing out. Pretty much all Muslims listen to music. The Sultan is a major fan of classical music. More women wear make-up and pluck their eyebrows than don’t. I see men drinking alcohol in the bars and virtually all men here smoke. The custom of a man taking up to 4 wives is less and less common. But if he does add additional wives the Koran states he must treat all wives equally.

Though I have only been here 4 months, I will say this- I like these people. They’re good people; kind and generous and funny. And they have great faith. To be Omani is to be Muslim. It’s part of their identity. And I like them.