US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT819

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000819 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, IIP/G/NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, SOCI, MU, Public Affairs 
SUBJECT: OMAN ONLINE: THE QURAN, THE COLLEGE, AND THE COPS 
 
REF: MUSCAT 764 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1. Summary:  The Omani Internet chat rooms "al-Sablah" and "al- 
Majarra" are the liveliest and most comprehensive Arabic-language 
fora for political and social discourse in the country, touching 
on issues and personalities rarely addressed in the conventional 
media.  While not totally free, nor wholly reflective of Omani 
public opinion, these popular sites nevertheless offer a 
worthwhile window into the hot topics and unvarnished views of 
the day.  This edition of Oman Online contains the following 
topics: 
 
-- Discussions of the alleged Quran desecration 
-- Rumors about the College of Sharia and Law 
-- Advice for those under investigation 
 
End summary. 
 
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Before The Retraction 
--------------------- 
 
2. Nearly one hundred al-Sablah members weighed in on the 
allegations that U.S. military interrogators defiled a Quran at 
the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay.  Anger characterized 
nearly all the responses.  One individual wrote, "What more do we 
expect from the enemies of Islam, who tear the Quran and burn and 
destroy our mosques?"  Another declared fervently, "God preserve 
the Quran, and destroy the Americans who express, by their 
actions, their animosity towards Islam and Muslims!"  Many felt 
that the Islamic countries had not done enough to counter the 
alleged desecration; one writer questioned, "Where is the Islamic 
ummah [nation]?  The Holy Book is desecrated and nobody does 
anything!"  Another suggested, "Islamic countries must unify to 
stop the desecration of our shrines and sanctuaries." 
 
3. Emotions such as sadness and suspicion likewise rippled 
through the Internet message board.  One of the more poetic 
members observed, "The Quran, the sacred book that enlightens us, 
raises our sprits and gives us joy when reciting its verses, is 
desecrated!  The defilers pretend to be enlightened, but they are 
ignorant of civilization and do not respect other religions." 
Still others viewed the U.S. response with skepticism: "The 
American `investigation' is a mere lie, because they supervised 
the desecration in the first place." 
 
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School's Out? 
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4. A rumor surfaced in al-Sablah that "Muscat's College of Sharia 
and Law will be shut down, and instead a new law school will be 
established at Sultan Qaboos University."  This rumor prompted 
many readers to wonder about the underlying reasons. "Maybe the 
recent arrests have made the government reorganize their strategy 
towards Islamic education," and "Perhaps this is a way of tamping 
down the rise of Islamist tendencies in Oman" were two common 
speculations.  Other members worried about the academic 
consequences of such a development: "Will the students be allowed 
to finish the semester?" 
 
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Community Service Announcements 
------------------------------- 
 
5. No doubt inspired by the recent arrests (reftel), a number of 
al-Sablah writers have dispensed advice about the Royal Oman 
Police's investigative techniques.  One writer warned, "Be aware 
that the investigators will try to trap you, and make you confess 
to a crime you did not commit."  Another offered, "The 
investigator will ask you to sign two documents: one states you 
will not reveal the content of the investigation, and the other 
authorizes the continuance of the investigation.  However, the 
small print at the bottom of one document reads, `I confess to 
being involved in secret organizations.'" 
 
BALTIMORE