Democracy and Youth in the Middle East: Islam, Tribalism and the Rentier State in Oman

279 Pages·2013·1.742 MB·English

by  Sulaiman al-Farsi

Sulaiman H. Al-Farsi holds a PhD in Politics and International
Studies from the University of Leeds.
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DEMOCR ACY
AND YOUTH
IN THE
MIDDLE EAST
Islam, Tribalism and the
Rentier State in Oman
Sulaiman H. Al-Farsi
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Published in 2013 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.ibtauris.com
Distributed in the United States and Canada
Exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
Copyright © 2013 Sulaiman H. Al-Farsi
The right of Sulaiman H. Al-Farsi to be identifi ed as the author of this work has been
asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof,
may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Library of Modern Middle East Studies 126
ISBN 978 1 78076 090 2
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A full CIP record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress catalog card: available
Typeset by Newgen Publishers, Chennai
Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
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CONTENTS
Figures viii
Glossary ix
Acknowledgements xiii
1. Introduction 1
Background 1
Research Questions 11
Methodology 11
The Structure of this Book 13
2. The Context of Democratisation in the Arab World 16
Introduction 16
Democracy: The Debate 19
The Democratic Issue in the Arab World 23
Democracy and External Intervention 26
Democracy versus Authoritarian Regimes 29
Democracy and the Rentier State 31
Islam and Democracy 35
Democracy and Civil Society 40
Conclusion 44
3. The Omani Context 46
The Omani Tribes: Origin and Politics 46
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vi DEMOCRACY AND YOUTH IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Social Transformation in Oman since 1970 55
Traditional and Contemporary Political Processes
in Oman 62
The Basic Statute of the State 72
Majlis Oman (Council of Oman) 75
The Electoral Principle and the Electoral Committees 81
The Annual Royal Tour 84
Conclusion 86
4. The ‘Top-Down’ Model: Challenges to Its Success 88
Reasons for Adopting the Political Process from the Top 88
Traditional and Contemporary Shura: Similarities
and Differences 105
Respondents’ Critique of the Contemporary Shura 110
Challenges to the Contemporary Shura 123
Future of the Shura in Oman 135
Conclusion 140
5. The Traditional Model: Theology of Ibadism
and Modernity 142
Introduction 142
The Shura: Origin and Practice 142
Political Regimes in Ibadism 150
The Traditional and Contemporary Shura 167
Democracy and Globalisation and the Ibadi’s View 179
Conclusion 182
6. The ‘Bottom-Up’ Model: Ambitions and Challenges 184
Introduction 184
The Younger Generation’s Views of the Traditional Shura 185
The Younger Generation’s Views of the Contemporary Shura 188
The Younger Generation’s Political Views and Demands 201
Conclusion 212
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CONTENTS vii
7. Conclusion 214
The Democratisation Problem in Oman and the Arab World 214
Reasons for Adopting the Shura from the Top Down 215
Religious Intellectuals Legitimise the Contemporary Shura 216
Satisfaction of the New Generation 219
The Shortcomings of the Contemporary Shura 221
The Future of the Shura in the Post-Oil Era 224
Conclusions 226
Notes 229
Appendices 240
Bibiliography 254
Index 262
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FIGURES
2.1. Social Divisions versus Democracy 22
3.1. The Socio-Political History of Oman since the
Advent of Islam 48
3.2. Map of Oman 50
3.3. The Omani Government Structure 74
3.4. The Omani Government and Majlis
Oman Authorities until 2010 75
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GLOSSARY
Adnani One of the two main branches of Arab tribes,
also known as the Northern tribes.
Ahl Al Hal Wal Aqd The name of the Islamic Council of Elite.
Ameer Prince or a mastering Sheikh, above Tamima in
ranking.
Aqidah Faith.
Asabiyyat Faction or kinship.
Asnaf Islamic guilds.
Awqaf, (sing. Waqf) Religious endowments.
Azd The name of the main Qahtani tribe that
migrated to Oman and ruled the state.
Baitawiah The concept of giving priority to Ahl Al-Bait
or Ali’s family in ruling the Islamic state,
adopted by the Shi‘a sect.
al-Bay’a Pledge of allegiance.
Bedu Bedouin people.
Falaj (pl. Aflaj) An open water channel that carries
water from the source to the fields.
Fiqh Jurisprudence.
Ghadaf The old name of the Rustaq area, which is
regarded as the home of the Qahtani tribes.
Hadhar People living in settlements.
Hodoud Sanctions.
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x DEMOCRACY AND YOUTH IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Ibadat Worshipping.
Ibadism An Islamic school of thought that calls for
non-hereditary rule and the implementation
of the Shura.
Iftaá Islamic advice-giving.
Ijma’a Consensus.
Ijtihad Deriving new legislations from the fixed texts
of Shari’a.
Imam Title of the ruler within Ibadism and some
other Islamic sects.
Imamah Ghaebah Absent Imamate.
Imamate Kitman Hidden Imamate.
Imamate Dhohor Explicit Imamate.
Imamate Difaá Defensive Imamate.
Jahiliyah The time preceding the emergence of
Islam.
Jebel Akhdhar The Green Mountain, located at the centre of
Oman’s interior.
Khalifah (pl. Kholafa’a) The title of the Islamic ruler
during the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties.
Kafir (pl. Koffar) Non-believer.
Kofr Blasphemy.
Madanee Civil.
Majlis Al-Dawlah The State Council.
Majlis Al-Istishary The State Consultative Council.
lid-Dawlah
Majlis Al-Shura The Shura Council.
Majlis Al-Zira’a The Agriculture, Fish and Industry’s Council.
Wal-Asmak Was-Sina’ah
Ma’rab An ancient dam in Yemen that, upon its
collapse, started the great migration across
Arabia.
Mofti Head of the religious institutions.
Muaamalat Dealings.
Nizwa The centre of the Imamate and the home of
the Adnani tribes.
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