Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

If you read old books about explorers around the Middle East or Africa, this has been happening for a long time. Does anyone really know why young boys do what they do?

[007]

[Stephen Jones]

[007]

[Gordon]

[kuberkat]

Steppy-Boy wrote:

[veiledsentiments]

[kuberkat]

VS wrote:

[veiledsentiments]

[steppy-boy]

Poor 007. You are definitely an Arab (possibly Jordanian?) because your experiences in a Western country seeing drunken women on the street was just a little too much for you. You see, you are used to seeing "your" women humble, respectful, locked up in their homes, not actually out on the streets and , oh my God, drunk too! Poor 007 the shock to your Arab sensibilities was just too much for you.

You see 007 has forgotten one little thing: in the West we have what is known as "freedom". It has its good side and its bad side, but the magnetic pole if you are a human being, is for human nature to have it.

Grow up 007. Your solution is to "control" your women. They are not "yours" to control in the first place. Remember our original discussion we had smoking the shissha that night about the UN Charter on human rights? You dismissed it so causally as "US" propaganda.

Anyway, what a silly pseudonym to have, "007". Who does he think he is? Sean Connery?

[Duffy]

You may wish to visit the Mountains here and meet the Jabali families. Every boy, without exception has been taught to use a gun and most have their own weapon. AK 47's, though illegal here in Oman are common.

I have even been invited out to student's farms at the weekend to shoot these and other guns, ( a GPMG was mentioned!). Since coming here I have owned and fired both a Lee Enfield SMLR and L/E Mk V. I have two Martini Henry's on my wall, I have fired them also. I make regular visits the "Gun Souq" in my town, usually to by ammunition for my high powered air rifle, ( I only shoot at inanimate objects!), but I always have a look at the guns on offer.

When I asked a senior Police officer about the legality of expats owning such weapons, his reply was something along the lines that it was "OK, as long as nobody gets shot".

With regard to boys and their attitude to Western women. I have never seen a woman abused verbally or otherwise by young Omani males. At worst they stare, very hard, especially if the lady has blonde or red hair. They are curious, nothing more.

Now I am not saying I would be happy for my wife to wander around the mountains on her own because there are always exceptions to the rule, and even then any threat would come from a mature Omani or Indian male, or of course a mountain lion!!

Duffy

[Aliskander]

Sorry Duffy but i beg to differ.
My sister was physically assaulted in Sur, another lady i know was literally grabbed on her breast once in Muttrah souk (even while wearing her abbaya and head scarf) and once in Bahla. Many ladies will complain of having their legs or more commonly their butts 'accidently' rubbed against or touched. If a lady happens to have long hair (especially blonde) be careful as many ladies i know have gone to a souk or shopping centre only to find their hair is a free for all to touch and pull - just to see if it is real. Might sound funny and harmless to a man, but not pleasant for a woman.
I don't care what anyone says, in the west men do respect ladies and do not treat foreign ladies in this way - why are European ladies expected to accept this behaviour in the Middle East?

[Duffy]

Aliskander,

In my last post I referred to those who lived in the mountains, outside of the towns and cities. It is a sad fact that wherever people gather in large numbers there will always be a low life element who have little or no respect for other people be it man or woman.

The experiences you described happened in such built up areas and as much as I would never, ever condone such behaviour, it does go on in other countries around the world. In fact, if the urban myth about the Italians affectation for"grabbing ass" is true, there would be an example of so called us "civilised" Westerners accepting such things as the norm.

Duffy

[veiledsentiments]

As an actual woman who has spent years wandering the souqs of the Middle East, other than staring I never had any problems in Oman. I happen to have waist length 'blond' hair, and never ONCE did anyone touch it - other than my female students within the confines of the college in Abu Dhabi. Naturally what with the heat and cultural mores, I normally kept it up. And I would advise women with long hair that if you put it up, you will draw less unwanted attention in a culture whose women show none of their hair. Use some common sense people...

Through many years of travel, I have found that the 'accidental' rubs and actual grabs are more common outside the Middle East - other than places like Egypt or Morocco, which are notorious for the problem in the tourist areas.

And besides, you do not need to accept it. I normally made a scene and the usual response was for the other local men to confront and humiliate the perpetrator - and even slap him around. Learn some Arabic!! (or more likely Hindi or Urdu) Be able to respond to them. This is aggravation, not danger..

VS

[bje]