Is Oman a Police State? Implications for Academic Programs and Freedoms in Higher Education Institutions

“There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech.”!

―?Idi Amin Dada, former dictator of Uganda

"If you're in favor of freedom of speech, that means you're in favor of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise." ― Noam Chomsky

"Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage." ― Winston Churchill

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

― United Nations, (Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

?

Introduction

A group of secret police officers have recently formed what is called the "Oman Debates Center" in a very dangerous move to suppress free opinions and freedom of speech in Omani higher education institutions, especially universities. This group of secret police officers is led by a teenager named Salim Al-Shammakhi. It includes infamous names in corruption, fraud, bribery, forgery, and repression like Hamed Al-Hajri and Mohammed Al-Barashdi at A'Sharqiyah University in Oman.

The "announced" main objectives of Oman Debates Center as have been identified on the LinkedIn Profile of the Center itself are:

"1. Promoting the culture of debating across the Sultanate of Oman 2. Elevating the intellectual aptitude of youth and refining their dialogue techniques. "

These objectives are clearly unattainable as freedom of speech is non-existent in Omani universities, let alone in the Omani culture itself. There are severe restrictions on freedoms in Oman, including basic human rights in speech and even in doing your job as a professional. The moment you criticize the government or its policies in any aspect of life and economy or any influential figure like a Sheikh or your superiors, you will lose everything: your job, your family, your friends, and even your head. This is why Oman has been, for a long time, one of the most corrupt countries in the Middle East and the world.

It is almost impossible to promote debates in a very restrictive and repressive society and culture. Promoting debates requires society and culture to nurture freedom of speech and freedom of expressing opinions freely in citizens from childhood to adulthood. This society and this culture do not exist in Oman. Most, if not all, Omani citizens and residents are too frightened and too scared of the Government and officials in both the public and private sectors. This makes any debate meaningless.

Promoting skills of debating in society and universities requires a natural environment. These skills do not flourish and develop by organizations formed by the government and secret police and intelligence service in order to control free opinions and watch everything in academic institutions as has been the case at A'Sharqiyah University in Oman, which is regarded as one of the most repressive universities in the world.

What has been happening at A'Sharqiyah University in Oman for many years now is shocking and disgusting. Anything goes. Anything happens. Most, if not all, of the top managers and executives of this university, are corrupt from top to bottom, from their heads down to their nails. They have always put themselves above the law, academic traditions and conventions, academic integrity, and the basic principles of work ethics, human values, and justice. All the systems at A'Sharqiyah University are completely broken now rendering it one of the most chaotic and toxic working places of higher education in Oman and the world.

The latest decision by A'Sharqiyah University to make "debates" as an academic course required by all University students is clear evidence that the senior management and the board of Directors and the Board of Trustees do not really care about the academic reputation of the University. This new debate course is to be supervised and managed for all students by the College of Law only. The question that arises now is why this debate course should be supervised by the College of Law for all students and specializations. The answer is very simple: This College is the nest of spies, secret police officers, and intelligence officers in A'Sharqiyah region in Oman. It is also the headquarters of all the repressive organizations that aim to suppress any free opinion by any citizen, resident, employee, student, or teacher. This College has also official partnership with all the Courts in Ibra to control and suppress any opinion or complaint against the University, the government, and the officials. The College of Law at A'Sharqiyah University is not an academic college; it is fully controlled, managed, and funded by the secret police service in Oman.

Furthermore, debating itself is very dangerous to human health in general and mental health in particular. It involves arguing and taking sides, for or against a topic or a motion, and arguing for your position. This usually leads to frustration, stress, and even heart problems including heart attacks. It may lead to many psychological problems in the long run and may even lead to suicide. There have been many psychological studies that have warned against debating and arguing, especially in educational institutions which should promote cooperation, solidarity, and harmony rather than competitiveness in terms of winners and losers as is the case with debates.

Even a Bedouin in the desert of Arabia understands this commonsense fact in ordinary life, let alone in higher education. Of course, we do not expect secret police teenagers and officers and incompetent, unqualified, vulgar, and uneducated officials like Salim Al-Shammakhi, Abood Al-Sawafi, Hamed Al-Hajri, and Mohammed Al-Barashdi at A'Sharqiyah University in Oman to understand this fact. They are too ignorant and stupid to understand anything.

Is Oman a Police State?

There are attributes and criteria of a police state that apply strongly to Oman as they apply strongly to many other Arab countries where the regimes and local cultures do not tolerate any free speech or criticism not only against the government but also against those in power and influence.

A?police state?describes a?state?whose?government?institutions exercise an extreme level of control over?civil society?and?liberties. There is typically little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of?political power?by the?executive, and the deployment of?internal security?and?police?forces plays a heightened role in?governance. A police state is a characteristic of?authoritarian,?totalitarian,?or?illiberal regimes?(contrary to a?liberal democratic regime.

Originally, a police state was a state regulated by a?civil administration, but since the beginning of the 20th century, it has "taken on an emotional and derogatory meaning" by describing an undesirable state of living characterized by the overbearing presence of civil authorities (1). The inhabitants of a police state may experience restrictions on?their mobility, or on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views, which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement. Political control may be exerted using a?secret police?force that operates outside the boundaries normally imposed by a?constitutional state (2).?Robert von Mohl, who first introduced the rule of law to German?jurisprudence, contrasted the?Rechtsstaat?("legal" or "constitutional" state) with the anti-aristocratic?Polizeistaat?("police state") (3).

The?Oxford English Dictionary?traces the phrase "police state" back to 1851 when it was used in reference to the use of a national police force to maintain order in the?Austrian Empire. The German term?Polizeistaat?came into English usage in the 1930s concerning totalitarian governments that had begun to emerge in Europe (5).? Because there are different political perspectives as to what an appropriate balance is between individual freedom and national security, there are no objective standards defining a police state. This concept can be viewed as a balance or scale. Along this spectrum, any law that has the effect of removing liberty is seen as moving towards a police state while any law that limits government oversight of the populace is seen as moving towards a?free state. (6)

An?electronic police state?is one in which the government aggressively uses electronic technologies to record, organize, search, and distribute forensic evidence against its citizens (7), (8).

Nazi Germany?emerged from an originally?democratic government, yet gradually exerted more and more repressive controls over its people in the lead-up to?World War II. In addition to the?SS?and the?Gestapo, the Nazi police state used the judiciary to assert control over the population from the 1930s until the end of the war in 1945 (9).

During the period of?apartheid,?South Africa?maintained police-state attributes such as banning people and organizations, arresting?political prisoners, maintaining segregated living communities, and restricting movement and access (10).

The?dictatorship?of?Ferdinand Marcos?from the 1970s to the early 1980s in the?Philippines?has many characteristics of a police state. (11), (12).

Fictional police states have been featured in media ranging from novels to films to video games.?George Orwell's novel?1984?describes Britain under the?totalitarian?Oceanian?regime that continuously invokes (and helps to cause) a?perpetual war. This perpetual war is used as a pretext for subjecting the people to?mass surveillance?and invasive police searches. This novel was described by?The Encyclopedia of Police Science?as "the definitive fictional treatment of a police state, which has also influenced contemporary usage of the term" (13).

The following are some of the attributes and episodes that make Oman very close to a police state:

1.????? No Independent Police Force

Oman is a "primitive" and "chaotic" country in terms of justice and its justice system is full of loopholes, incompetence, and corruption. There are laws, regulations, and specific instructions from the top, but they are only ink on paper. Most of the officials at the top or bottom of the government ladder do not respect these laws and regulations and do not care whether you take them to court or the Royal Diwan Court of the Sultan or die in grief in your office or at home. Most of these officials are incompetent, ignorant, stupid, and corrupt down to their nails. However, the police do not do anything because all the law-enforcement agencies are controlled by these incompetent and corrupt officials. The police force is not independent. It is largely controlled by the Sheikhs, powerful businessmen, and influential people.

The police do not investigate anything properly and the investigation is only a formality and so are the arrest warrants or the decisions of the Public Prosecutors to take you to court. The Public Prosecutors are mostly corrupt from top to bottom, from head to nails.?

There is no legal aid for you if you take any official to court, especially if you are an expatriate employee in the private sector which is mostly controlled by ruthless and corrupt businessmen. They will terminate your work contract without giving you any reason or justification even if you have worked very hard for them and even if you have done them great services or even if you have saved them from Hell. Most of them are selfish, merciless, unpatriotic, and corrupt. They care only about filling out their pockets with money at the expense of their fellow citizens and hard-working expatriates.

Corruption persists in Oman because corrupt people are “protected” by the public prosecutors who fear them and never dare to investigate their corruption, fraud, and thievery. Corrupt officials and senior executives can do whatever they like and can steal money in different ways from the public sector or the private sector companies and institutions without being held accountable to anyone. They control almost everything in their companies and organization as they control the two most important functions: administration and finance; though these two functions differ from one institution to another in terms of size and scope. They also control, to a surprising degree, the public prosecutors everywhere in the country. These prosecutors would turn against anyone who submits any corruption documents or tries to file complaints against corrupt figures in the public or private sector. When the former Director of the Language Center at A'Sharqiyah University reported the corruption of Abood Al-Sawafi (former VC of A’Sharqiyah University) including the forgery of students' grades to Saif Al-Saltti, the Deputy Public Prosecutor in Ibra, Oman, he shamelessly said to him, “I am not concerned about the corruption of Abood Al-Sawafi; I am concerned about whether Abood Al-Sawafi has been insulted or not.” Imagine that! Can ordinary citizens and residents rely on such corrupt public prosecutors?

2.????? Corrupt Officials above the Law

Even if these prosecutors are given the authority and the power to investigate corruption of any sort, they are timid and afraid to investigate. A phone call from a corrupt and powerful Sheikh like Abdullah Al-Harthi with or without a bribe is quite enough to stop the corruption investigation by the police and public prosecutors or divert its direction from the corrupt official like Abood Al-Sawafi to the person who submits the documents like the former Director of the Language Center and Foundation Program at A’Sharqiyah University in Oman. Corrupt officials and businessmen always act like thugs and bullies. They do not care about any laws, bylaws, charters, or regulations in any public or private institution. ?They always put themselves “above the law” because they have a bizarre immunity from the police and public prosecution. They are not held to account by anyone for anything illegal or harmful they have done to the company institution or even the country. They do that with ordinary and powerless citizens and residents but not with influential and powerful people. This is why Oman is classified as a very corrupt country in the world. It scored 44 points out of 100 on the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reported by Transparency International and published in January 2023. Oman has moved from a score of 52 in 2021 down to 44 in 2023. It is far below the global average of 50 out of 100.

3.????? Widespread Culture of Fear and Repression

There is a widespread culture of fear and repression, especially by the police and security men in Oman because of the huge numbers of "government spies", "intelligence officers", "police officers", and "informants" in all walks of life and in all sectors even the higher education sector. You find them everywhere: in companies, in offices, in higher education institutions, in supermarkets, working as line managers, top managers, executives, teachers, directors, taxi drivers, porters, and beggars on the streets exactly as was the situation in Iraq before 2003. There are cameras in every inch of Oman, even in bathrooms! Omanis and expatriates are being watched with or without the approval of the government. These "government spies", "intelligence officers", "police officers", and "informants" are mostly above the law, especially those in the top positions of companies and higher education institutions. The moment you open your mouth to offer a suggestion, useful or useless, criticize the government, or say something they do not like, you will be taken to the police and the court without any proper legal procedures.

4.????? Absence of Freedoms

There is very little or no freedom of expression in any real sense in Oman. Most of those who write and interact on social media inside the country praise the government for its fictional “great achievements” or are simply mercenaries or hired agents and spies. Those who dare criticize the government or any top official are immediately arrested by the Public Prosecutors who are among the most stupid, incompetent, and ruthless prosecutors in the world. Those who write and criticize the government from outside the country are labeled “traitors” “foreign agents” or even “terrorists” just to discredit them and frighten those who are inside the country from joining them. There are also many repressive items and articles in the Oman Penal Code?like Article 16. This article is greatly exploited by corrupt people like Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri, and badly abused by the judges and public prosecutors. The article talks about “privacy” and personal information and photos, but the prosecutors and judges usually interpret it as referring to anyone writing about corruption or offering suggestions even to improve the health care system in Oman.

Episodes of Repression

Episode 1: Some time ago, a professor at A'Sharqiyah University wrote an article about the Oman Healthcare System and offered some suggestions to improve this system. The article was in English, not in Arabic, and there were no names mentioned in the article. There was no mention or reference to Abood Al-Sawafi or A'Sharqiyah University, so there is no legal justification whatsoever for any court case against them. In fact, in the first court hearing, the presiding Judge asked Abood Al-Sawafi about his name in the articles and where it was mentioned. Abood Al-Sawafi replied that the pronoun “he” in the articles refers to him! The Judge smiled and asked me if this was correct. I answered that this was not correct as the pronoun “he” refers to the name mentioned somewhere before it. Since the name Abood Al-Sawafi is not mentioned in the text at all, then the pronoun “he” does not refer to him. Imagine a VC of a university who does not know how the pronoun “he” is used in English!

What surprised me more than anything else was the bunch of lies and fabrications in the memo and the translated texts. Some of the phrases did not occur even in the translations but they were inserted in the memo by Hamed Al-Hajri. Other phrases were inserted into the Arabic texts by the translator under pressure from Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri. The phrases and sentences, as we will show, are not found in the original English texts. They are blatant lies for anyone who can read the original texts in English. I will mention here only a few examples and will give the titles of the articles in question for easy reference. I will use the historical present tense for vivid descriptions.

Oman Health at Risk: Oman Labor Law and Medical Insurance Companies (Published on October 12, 2015)

Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri also claim here that this article is an attack on the Oman Health system! Again, they reveal themselves as stupid and ignorant people. They do not understand anything in English nor do they care about the health of their people. As the reader can see, this article praises the Government Healthcare system; it says “Omani nationals, as is the case in many countries in the world, receive their health care in government hospitals and other medical facilities that are, in general, very well equipped and well-staffed.” Any expatriate working in Oman would tell you about the different health care the Omani nationals get from that of the expatriates. This is one of the bitter realities facing expatriates in Oman and it is a very serious problem that needs to be addressed by the health authorities in Oman to keep the country healthy. I have said this very clearly:?“illnesses and diseases do not differentiate between Omanis and non-Omanis, between those who work for the government and those who work for the private sector. We are on the same ship and if it sinks, God forbid, we will all sink with it.”

The article is a very serious attempt to tackle a serious issue anywhere in the world, that is, the health care system and how it can be made more effective for everybody for the safety and well-being of the whole country. The writer should have been rewarded, as many lawyers in the court told me, not put on trial. The other important point is the fact that the article does not mention Abood Al-Sawafi Hamed Al-Hajri or A’Sharqiyah University by name so what has the article got to do with them? Are they representatives of the Ministry of Health in Oman? The Ministry of Health knows about the article and has read it and I have sent them a copy. They are educated people and they understand English, later on, they sent me more than one survey about the health care provided by the private sector in Oman. So where is the problem for Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri to take the article to court and claim “it is cybercrime”?! Is this a sign of intelligence and education or a sign of utter stupidity, ignorance, wickedness, and lack of leadership?

What surprised me more than anything else was the bunch of lies and fabrications in the memo and the translated texts. Some of the phrases did not occur even in the translations but they were inserted in the memo by Hamed Al-Hajri. Other phrases were inserted into the Arabic texts by the translator under pressure from Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri. The phrases and sentences, as we will show, are not found in the original English texts. They are blatant lies for anyone who can read the original texts in English. I will mention here only a few examples and will give the titles of the articles in question for easy reference. I will use the historical present tense for vivid descriptions.

Oman Health at Risk: Oman Labor Law and Medical Insurance Companies (Published on October 12, 2015)

Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri also claim here that this article is an attack on the Oman Health system! Again, they reveal themselves as stupid and ignorant people. They do not understand anything in English nor do they care about the health of their people. As the reader can see, this article praises the Government Healthcare system; it says “Omani nationals, as is the case in many countries in the world, receive their health care in government hospitals and other medical facilities that are, in general, very well equipped and well-staffed.” Any expatriate working in Oman would tell you about the different health care the Omani nationals get from that of the expatriates. This is one of the bitter realities facing expatriates in Oman and it is a very serious problem that needs to be addressed by the health authorities in Oman to keep the country healthy. I have said this very clearly:?“illnesses and diseases do not differentiate between Omanis and non-Omanis, between those who work for the government and those who work for the private sector. We are on the same ship and if it sinks, God forbid, we will all sink with it.”

The article is a very serious attempt to tackle a serious issue anywhere in the world, that is, the health care system and how it can be made more effective for everybody for the safety and well-being of the whole country. The writer should have been rewarded, as many lawyers in the court told me, not put on trial. The other important point is the fact that the article does not mention Abood Al-Sawafi Hamed Al-Hajri or A’Sharqiyah University by name so what has the article got to do with them? Are they representatives of the Ministry of Health in Oman? The Ministry of Health knows about the article and has read it and I have sent them a copy. They are educated people and they understand English, later on, they sent me more than one survey about the health care provided by the private sector in Oman. So where is the problem for Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri to take the article to the police and claim “it is a cybercrime”?

The police did not investigate nor did the public prosecutor in Ibra, Oman just because Abood Al-Sawafi, Hamed Al-Hajri, and Abdallah Al-Harthi, the then Chairman of the Board of Trustees, have bribed or exercised pressure on the police in Ibra to take the article and the professor to court.

Episode 2: One day, the former Director of the Language Center and Foundation Program was brave enough to write two “internal memos” about many serious irregularities and different aspects of corruption in the University. One memo was sent to Mr. Mohammad Ali Nasser Al Alawi, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees; the other to Sheikh Abdulla bin Suleiman bin Hamed Al Harthi, the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The two memos were sent through the Secretary of the two Boards via the e-mail system which is the only official means of communication with the two Boards. The former Director was hoping that an investigation would be launched in the general interests of the students and the University. Instead, Mr. Mohammad Al-Alawi kept silent and did not respond. Sheikh Abdulla bin Suleiman bin Hamed Al Harthi went even further. He handed the internal memo to the Police and the Public Prosecution in Ibra, Oman to be used against the former Director because he had the courage to write to him about the corruption of the Vice Chancellor of A’Sharqiyah University. What a disaster! Teachers and members of staff in the University are taken to the Police and Public Prosecution for writing any internal memo to their bosses and to those who are supposed to lead the fight against corruption in the University. This very clearly indicates the level and extent of corruption in this institution. We can say no more than both the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Board of Directors should be ashamed of themselves.

Episode 3: Freedom House?has routinely rated the country "Not Free"[2]?and an official of?Human Rights Watch, in a December 2012 overview of Oman and "five other smaller Gulf states," stated: "Human rights conditions...are quite poor overall....There is little respect for core civil and political rights such as?freedom of expression,?freedom of assembly, and association. Peaceful dissent typically faces harsh repression. The administration of justice is highly personalized, with limited due process protections, especially in political and security-related cases".[3]?A 2012 report by?Bertelsmann Stiftung?declared that while "Oman's legal code theoretically protects civil liberties and personal freedoms, both are regularly ignored by the regime. Oman, therefore, cannot be considered free."[4]

Episode 4: Too Many Restrictions and Surveillance

There are huge numbers of "intelligence officers", "secret service officers" and "plain-cloth police officers" planted as spies in academic institutions and appointed to top academic and management positions. This is very unacceptable, repulsive, and disgusting. It is against all academic values, conventions, work ethics, and all moral values. This is what has happened to me and thousands of others in Oman for more than 15 years and what has been happening to thousands and thousands of academics, professors, university teachers, and other employees every year. This is the ugliest form of deception by the Government of Oman and the Oman Ministry of Higher Education. Expatriate professors and academics come to work hard to help with the development of Oman, not to be deceived in this way nor to be abused and mistreated by stupid, incompetent, ignorant, and ruthless managers appointed to the top positions in colleges and universities and are prepared to smash anyone who stands in their way of corruption, fraud, embezzlement of public money, forgery of students' grades, and all sorts of deception and cheating, especially at A'Sharqiyah University in Oman.

Human Rights Watch reported in June 2012 that according to Omani human-rights activists, the government had been increasingly monitoring their online activity; one of the activists said: "that authorities hacked into his email account and deleted all his contacts. Others alleged that authorities hacked the Facebook page of the Omani Group for Human Rights and deleted all the postings." (14).

Oman is engaged in pervasive Internet filtering of social media, substantial filtering of Internet tools, and selective political filtering, with there being no evidence of filtering in the conflict/security area according to a report by the?OpenNet Initiative?in August 2009 (15).

Zero Mechanisms for Civil Liberties

There are no independent agencies or non-governmental organizations to which you can report injustices, corruption, or violations of human rights by the police, security forces, or the courts without fear of retaliation from powerful or corrupt people. All the existing agencies and organizations are formed and supervised by the government. They are there not to sincerely fight injustices or corruption but just to report those who may criticize the government or the top officials. The public does not have trust in the anti-corruption commissions or agencies widely publicized by the government and local newspapers because they know these commissions and agencies are traps to catch anyone who challenges the status quo or they are just a formality to persuade the public and international investors that the government is really serious in its fight against corruption. You can hardly find any international organization or commission within or outside the UN that works against injustices and corruption freely and independently in Oman. Omani officials always claim that the work of such organizations is “interference into their internal affairs”. This is utter nonsense. These organizations greatly help in eliminating, or at least reducing injustices and corruption when they happen. So why are the officials and businessmen afraid and do not want independent anti-corruption commissions and agencies if they are clean and do not have anything to hide?

The non-existence of independent agencies and organizations and the absence of the free press and freedom of expression mean that almost all injustices and corruption cases go unreported or overlooked.

In reaction to growing public demonstrations by protesters demanding greater freedom and human rights, Oman's already severe constraints on?freedom of speech,?assembly, and association have been tightened even further since early 2011.

The National Human Rights Commission, established in 2008, is not independent from the government. It is chaired by the former deputy inspector general of Police and Customs and its members are appointed by royal decree. In June 2012, one of its members requested that she be relieved of her duties because she disagreed with a statement made by the Commission justifying the arrest of intellectuals and bloggers and the restriction of freedom of expression in the name of respect for “the principles of religion and customs of the country” (16).

The public has no access to official information. (17).

Omani citizens need government permission to marry foreigners. The Ministry of Interior requires Omani citizens to obtain permission to marry foreigners (except nationals of GCC countries); permission is not automatically granted.?Citizen marriage to a foreigner abroad without ministry approval may result in denial of entry for the foreign spouse at the border and preclude children from claiming citizenship rights.?It also may result in a bar from government employment and a fine of 2,000 rials ($5,200). (18).

"Like people throughout the region, Omanis are sick and tired of having no say in the governance of their country," said Nadim Houry of HRW. "Rather than listening to legitimate demands and peaceful criticism, Omani authorities are jailing people who speak out." (19). Some people have been?arrested?for allegedly spreading?fake news?about the?COVID-19 pandemic in Oman. (20)

The freedom of speech and the press is almost non-existent. Merely mentioning the existence of freedom restrictions can land Omanis and residents in trouble. In 2009, a web publisher was fined and given a suspended jail sentence for revealing that a supposedly live TV program was actually pre-recorded to eliminate any criticisms of the government.

In 2016,?Human Rights Watch?reported that an Omani court sentenced three?journalists?to prison and ordered the permanent closure of their newspaper over an article that alleged corruption in the judiciary system. The court sentenced two of them to three years in prison and ordered them to pay a fine of 3,000 Omani rials on the charge of "disturbing public order," "misusing the internet," and "publishing details of a civil case". These broad restrictions on reporting appear to violate international standards of?freedom of expression, including the right to criticize?government officials. (21).

Debating as an Academic Course

Students join higher education institutions to get general knowledge, scientific knowledge, life-learning skills, and technical skills that are in demand in the job market. Debating as an academic course does not fit all academic specializations and majors; its value is severely limited to some majors like political science and law. Such majors may need oral arguments and debate between two experts or two teams on a subject. For sociocultural factors, debating does not fit the Omani society and culture even with specializations like political science and law. Political activities are forbidden in Oman. There is no political freedom nor is there political opposition. Political parties do not exist in Oman, most GCC, and Arab countries. This is the Middle East, not the USA or Europe where the majority of leaders are graduates of political science and they debate and argue even in the wombs of their mothers! Graduates of political science in Oman do not practice politics. Hamed Al-Hajri is a graduate of Political Science from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, as he claims, but all the positions he has been appointed to are related to Accounting, Finance, and Logistics, in both the public and private sectors. This is what we call "corruption" and Oman is one of the most corrupt countries in the world as per the Transparency International Index. It scored 44 points out of 100 on the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reported by Transparency International and published in January 2023. Oman has moved from a score of 52 in 2021 down to 44 in 2023. It is far below the global average of 50 out of 100.

Lawyers in Oman do not really have to do a lot of debating and arguing in case hearings in courts. Anyone who has some familiarity with the justice system in Oman and court hearings knows that the verdicts in most cases are predetermined in advance before the hearing, especially when it involves a high-profile personality or an important Sheikh. In many cases, the lawyer bribes the police, the police bribe the public prosecutor, and the public prosecutor bribes the judge. The lawyer needs to present only written memos about the case and may speak a few words in the court hearing. There is no debate and no argument in most cases.

Omanis are brought up, from childhood to adulthood, to obey their parents and their elders without debating or arguing. This applies to both males and females. Debating and arguing with the parents is a sign of impoliteness and bad upbringing, not a sign of skill or education. They may explain or discuss something but not debate or argue.

Debating and arguing may be used as a teaching technique or activity in some majors but not as a full course. As a course, it is a waste of time and money. It is a useless course. It is not needed and is irrelevant to a country like Oman, especially now where the unemployment rate is very high and university graduates are in desperate need of useful skills needed in the job market. Anyone who argues or gives a critical opinion, in the public or private sector, in Oman will be labeled a "persona non grata" and will lose his job. ??

Most of the majors in colleges and universities focus on important courses and skills that usually require written reports and exams more than debating and arguing. Discussions and presentations are also required and they are a great deal more appropriate for academic and non-academic contexts and environments.

Debating is preferable as an extracurricular activity to be practiced in debate clubs than to be allocated a full course in a college or a university.

The fast pace and aggressive nature of debates tend to make them more heated and emotional. This usually results in less clarity of thought and so increased polarization. Through the nature of debate,?a lack of understanding of the views and opinions of others can be perpetuated.

Debating and arguing may lead to many psychological and mental health problems and may eliminate cooperation in learning as the focus will be on competitiveness and winning. The following are some negative aspects of debating:

1.????? Stress and Pressure: Debate competitions can create significant stress and pressure on participants, particularly for younger students. The competitive nature may lead to anxiety and burnout.

2.????? Focus on Winning Over Learning: In a highly competitive environment, the emphasis may shift from learning critical thinking and communication skills to simply winning. This can undermine the educational value of debate.

3.????? Exclusionary Practices: Competitive debate can sometimes favor students from privileged backgrounds who have access to coaching and resources, potentially leading to disparities in participation and representation.

4.????? Negative Impact on Collaboration: The adversarial nature of debates may discourage collaborative learning and mutual respect for differing opinions, which are essential for constructive dialogue.

The following are more negative aspects of debating: (22)

·???????? Firstly, the debate is confrontational. It usually revolves around setting up opposing opinions and then pitting the students who are defending the opinions associated with these opposing views against each other.

·???????? In debates, there are often winners and losers. This is seldom dictated by who is actually right, but rather by who is the best at debating.

·???????? The act of debating usually involves constructing sound arguments, but also undermining the arguments of others. This does not lead to a clearer mutual understanding.

·???????? Debates are often fast-paced and so favor people who are more aggressive in a competitive style. Again this does not bring students any closer to understanding or truth, but it may well help them win the debate.

·???????? The fast pace and aggressive nature of debates tend to make them more heated and emotional. This usually results in less clarity of thought and so increased polarization.

·???????? Through the nature of debate, a lack of understanding of the views and opinions of others can be perpetuated.

The debate format is not the most likely to lead to civil discourse. Civil discourse evolves much more organically when people representing different perspectives and experiences come together to create solutions that benefit all, rather than to win a debate. Furthermore, by posting only two sides to highly complex issues,?the debate may exacerbate rather than diminish polarization, even creating it where it should not exist in the first place.

The fundamental problem with debates is that they squander the profound opportunity for?solutionary thinking?in an intellectual gladiatorial battle instead of working together in classrooms to solve actual problems. (23)

Debate encourages?some of the most problematic traits anyone can have, and I can see that in the ways many of the debaters I know act. Debate teaches people that life is a zero-sum game. For me to succeed, you must lose, and for you to lose, I must verbally bludgeon you into the ground until you cannot get up. Because debaters have to be aggressive to perform well in the ‘crossfires’ in each round, this translates to an overly aggressive demeanor even outside of the debate (24).

Oman Debates Center (profile on LinkedIn)

. ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ?????????

Oman Debates Center

Muscat, Masqa?, Oman??Contact info

• 60?connections

About

Oman Debates Center commenced its journey as a volunteer team in 2016, transitioning into an institutional entity by 2020. Its primary focus revolves around enhancing systematic dialogue skills to effectively address societal issues.

Our aims to: 1. Promoting the culture of debating across the Sultanate of Oman 2. Elevating the intellectual aptitude of youth and refining their dialogue techniques. 3. Collaborating with diverse youth focused institutions to foster a culture of debate. 4. Serving as the central conduit connecting individuals and organizations invested in debating. 5. Facilitating participation of Omani youth in international tournaments and enhancing the competitiveness of participating teams.

Skills

All Industry Knowledge Interpersonal Skills

• Debate Debate

?Oman Debates Center at Oman Debates Center Oman Debates Center at Oman Debates Center

• Guiding Guiding

Oman Debates Center at Oman Debates Center Oman Debates Center at Oman Debates Center

• Training Training

Oman Debates Center at Oman Debates Center

?

This Profile of the Oman Debates Center, although a very trivial one, gives a very bad picture of some people who are out of touch with reality. ?They are certainly unqualified to make serious decisions for academic programs in higher education institutions in Oman. But they did. They succeeded in introducing Debates as an academic course for all the students of A'Sharqiyah University and the course will be supervised by the College of Law in Arabic although the University is legally required to provide higher education in English as per the Ministerial decision according to which the University is approved to operate.

The question that arises now is: Why is the College of Law granted the right to supervise this course for all the students at A'Sharqiyah University? The College of Law teaches only in Arabic and has no experience or knowledge about the other academic specializations in the University. Who are they to be given this right? Who is really behind this so-called Oman Debates Center? And What are their real objectives and hidden agenda?

The first picture you see in this Profile is a picture of Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Kamala Harris as politicians engaged in debates. Does this mean that the people of the Oman Debates Center want to tell us that these politicians are a model for debating and we may see a similar situation in Oman in the future? What are the implications for the future of Oman's political system? Will that extend to the political systems in other GCC countries? This is a very dangerous interpretation of the Oman Debates Center.

This dangerous interpretation is supported by the objectives of the Center as identified in this Profile to encourage and spread debates throughout the Sultanate of Oman. Why and How? Who are these people? Are they misguided young men and women or just teenagers playing with words? Are they secret police officers or intelligence officers who want to trap university students and see who has opinions against the government or the officials through debates? Why is the College of Law and A'Sharqiyah University chosen to establish and supervise this Oman Debates Center? All indications refer to this College of Law and this University as nests of corruption, repression, and conspiracies against teachers, staff, students, and higher education in Oman. This is the job of dirty secret police officers like Hamed Al-Hajri, Mohammed Al-Barashdi, and Salim Al-Shammakhi.

I looked at the logo of this Oman Debates Center and just want to understand what it refers to. It symbolizes something entering somewhere! Is this a decent logo or is it designed by a drug addict? There are too many other questions about this Center.

Conclusions

Higher education is a lucrative business all over the globe. But, as with any business, there are rogue senior managers, Boards of Directors, and Boards of Trustees who have no moral values or work ethics. All they are after is making huge profits at the expense of our students and their families. This is why we need to stand up and expose these wicked, dishonest, and selfish managers.

There are many top executives and managers in high academic and administrative positions, like Abood Al-Sawafi, Hamed Al-Hajri, Mohammed Al-Barashdi, and Salim Al-Shammakhi who do not belong to the academic world and do not know how a higher education institution is to be managed. They have fake degrees and are not interested in academic matters. They do not have any experience in running a higher education institution. They are corrupt "secret service officers" or intelligence officers appointed just to suppress the teachers and the students and do the dirty job of the intelligence service in higher education.

It is an observable sad fact of life in higher education in Oman that many top executives and managers abuse their powers at all levels and indulge in the ugliest forms of corruption, repression, and fraud that may not be seen anywhere in the world. They trade grades for money, favors, sex, and all sorts of fraud resulting in a very damaging sort of corruption that undermines the effectiveness of the higher education sector.

Freedom of expression is a basic human right as per the United Nations Charter. Freedom of expression does not really exist in most of the Gulf states nor does it generally exist in the Arab world even when you sincerely call for reforms and offer constructive criticism.

After I had worked in many colleges and universities in different countries, some of them in developing countries, I can say now, with great bitterness, that when we come down to the higher education sector in Oman, we find, regrettably, that things are going upside down and they are going from bad to worse to an unbelievable degree. Facilities for excellence in teaching and research are non-existent; if they exist, they are of poor quality.

The establishment of the Oman Debates Center by a group of secret police officers is a very dangerous move to suppress free opinions and freedom of speech in Omani higher education institutions, especially universities. This group of secret police officers is led by a teenager named Salim Al-Shammakhi and includes infamous names in corruption, fraud, bribery, forgery, and repression like Hamed Al-Hajri and Mohammed Al-Barashdi at A'Sharqiyah University in Oman.

References

1.????? Tipton, Elise K. (2013).?The Japanese Police State: Tokyo in Interwar Japan. A&C Black.

2.????? A Dictionary of World History (2000), Market House Books, Oxford University Press.

3.????? The Police State, Chapman, B., Government and Opposition, Vol.3:4, 428–440, (2007).

4.????? ?Oxford English Dictionary, Third edition, January 2009; online version November 2010.?

5.????? Dubber, Markus Dirk; Valverde, Mariana (2006).?The New Police Science: The Police Power in Domestic and International Governance. Stanford University Press.?

6.????? Chapman, Brian (1971). Police State (Key Concepts in Political Science), Macmillan

7.????? "Police Checkpoints on the Information Highway",?Computer underground Digest, Volume 6: Issue 72 (14 August 1994),?"The so-called 'electronic frontier' is quickly turning into an electronic police state."

8.????? Jonathan Logan (2008).The Electronic Police State: 2008 National Rankings, Cryptohippie, USA.

9.????? "SS Police State". U.S. Holocaust Museum. Retrieved?22 March?2014.

10.? Cooper, Frederick (2002).?Africa Since 1940: The Past of the Present. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

11.? "Marcos Orders Crackdown On Critics of Martial Law - The Washington Post".?The Washington Post

12.? Karnow, Stanley (19 March 1989).?"REAGAN AND THE PHILIPPINES: Setting Marcos Adrift".?The New York Times.

13.? Greene, Jack R. (2007).?The Encyclopedia of Police Science. Vol.?1 (3rd?ed.). Taylor & Francis.?

14.? "Oman: Assault on Freedom of Speech".?Human Rights Watch. 2012-06-13.

15.? "ONI Country Profile: Oman", OpenNet Initiative, August 2009.

16.? "Country Report: Oman". BTI Project. 2012. Archived from?the original?on 28 December 2014.

17.? "Oman".?US Department of State. Retrieved?January 18,?2013.

18.? "2013 Human Rights Reports: Oman".?US Department of State. 2014.

19.? "Oman: Drop Cases Against Online Activists".?Human Rights Watch. 2012-07-21.

20.? "Legal action against spreading fake news".?Oman Observer. 21 March 2020.

21.? "Oman: Journalists Sentenced Over Articles Alleging Corruption".?Human Rights Watch. 2016-10-03.

22.? "Why Should We Stop Debating in the Classroom", PeacheyPublications.com Website. 28 October, 2024.

23.? Zoe Weil (2019). "What's Wrong with Debates", Psychology Today Online.

24.? Madeline Jester (2020). " Why I’m Leaving Debate", Medium Website.

?

?

?

?

?