20 JUMADA AL-AKHIRAH
VOL. 1 •ISSUE 81
A lifetime spent making khanjars: Yahya bin Soud Al Ma'awali - Pg38
Khanjar will weather the march of time: Nasser Al Hatmi - Pg44
ASLI
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A legacy to pass on: Murtadha Al Lawati Pg41
KHANJAR?
Khanjar is our national identity: Hamyar bin Hamad Al Amri - Pg49
FEBRUARY 25, 2019
Youth love Khanjar: Farook Sumar Al Saigh - Pg52
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BLACK & WHITE
CONTENTS...
P4 February 2019
P 24
P5 P 8 - 11 P 12 P 13 P 14 - 15 P 16 – 17 P 18 P 23 P 24 P 25 P 27 P 28 – 53 P 54 – 55 P 56 P 57 P 58 - 59 P 60 P 61 P 62
– First Draft – Gold will never lose its sparkle – The Human Journey – Oman Forward – Sunny Side Up – Citylights - Business Realities – If Words Could Talk - Glimpses: Launch of Maimuna Al Sulaimani law firm – Words of Wisdom – In Black & White – Cover Story – Asli Khanjar? – Cooking – Upside Down & Inside Out – Serious Musings – Kidstuff – Horoscope – Girl Rising – The Good Side
P 28 – 53
Cover Photo: Hisham Al Riyami Editorial Disclaimer: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Black and White Media. Black and White Media makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Black and White Media reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published by: Black and White Media and Services LLC Postal address: P O Box 4111, PC 112, Ruwi, Oman. Office: Hatat House A, II Floor, Suite No: 212, Wadi Adai. Ph: +968 24565697 Fax: 24565496 Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Printed at Muscat Printing Press
Editor-in-chief Managing editor Work editor Design & production Lensmen
Maimuna Al-Sulaimani Priya Arunkumar Adarsh Madhavan Beneek Sirajudeen Najib Al Balushi Hisham Al Riyami
www.blackandwhiteoman.com
February 2019
P5
All things fake
M
ANY say they have never experienced magic in real life. We beg to differ. Haven’t they seen people disappear into thin air? No? Tell your party friends; your weekend buddies; your just phonecall-away friend or a close person that you are in big trouble – you need help on an emergency basis; you need to raise some funds on an urgent basis; things are critical, please help and poof the person, your party friend, your dear weekend buddy; your just phonecall-away dear buddy-wubby disappears! You have suddenly changed from a mere fun-loving friend to a friend in NEED and your friends-in-need fade into oblivion. The best way to sift your real, asli, friend from the fake one is to get into trouble! Go, get into some kind of quick sinking trouble and even though you flail your arms around and shout and scream to them for help, well not literally, you find that they have suddenly lost all sense of hearing! They have gone tone deaf and sometimes as blind as a bat. All of this happens in a blink and when you are hit and hurt by life’s sudden downsides, you are also in a tad confused state of mind and so you splash around in your bottomless well -- not trying to get out but getting more and more tangled in the web of pain, loss and betrayal. The truth is: there is no point in getting upset. On hindset, you should be glad that you have been
able to sift through the fakes in your circle and find this truth; you should be relieved that you have found out the real friend instead of a dangerous fake one. It’s a leap of faith, where you may often land without a safety chute and hit well, the hard rockbottom of truth. Fake is fake. You can’t gild this poison-ivy. Fake people will dump you like you were a leper and then move on, latching on to better unsuspecting victims. The fakes are all around! All you need is to look. All you need to do is to drop down. All you need to do is to slip and fall. All you need is to slide down from your high ranks. All you need is to say your boat is sinking. And then without even a double take, they will do a disappearing act leaving you more hurt than ever. The problem is that these fakes are good. Good at what they do. You may easily fall for them because, they have good personalities; they have a glib tongue and they tell you all the right things (or so you may think at that early stage) that you may want to hear, but bring the words they speak close to your heart and you will realise that almost all of what they had said rang with a false note, something you may tend to miss in the cacophony of purported friendship. Oh they tightly cling to you when the going is good but the moment it cracks, they let go. You realise that their love was just a flash in the pan and it amounted
to zilch. It’s the same with all things fake. Not just people. Not just their fake feelings. But with things. With the items that you purchase. You want to buy the latest phone from a wheeler dealer and you get a raw deal. Yes, of course, it costs much less than the ones available at the original dealers of the phone, but then what you are holding in your hand and pressing to your ear isn’t the genuine article. Now, there is a market out there; there is also a demand for these fake stuff and that is why this segment thrives. If there was no demand, it would not survive. And that is what we would like to tell you this time: how the nongenuine people as well as items exist, sometimes rubbing shoulders with the asli ones. Oman is doing everything possible to get the market rid of the sale and spread of the counterfeit products that are available in town. But what do we do about the 'fakes' in our lives?
First draft
editor@blackandwhiteoman.com
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BLACK & WHITE
P6 February 2019
COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS...
Khalil Al Khonji – former president of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, now, chairman of the Muscat University; well-known businessman.
Bikram Vohra – former resident editor of The Illustrated Weekly; Sunday Standard and Indian Express. Resident of Gulf since 1984; relaunched Gulf News as managing editor; three tenures at Khaleej Times as editor, City Times editor and consultant. Set up Gulf Today, was editor of Bahrain Tribune and also ran Middle East Aviation Journal.
Colonel Abdulwahab Abdulkarim Al Balushi (retd) – former senior member of the police force; former general manager security and facilitation Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC); former acting general manager of Muscat International Airport. Trainer, coach and motivational speaker.
Hatim Harith Al Abdissalaam -- motivational speaker and youth influencer; radio and TV host. CSR Projects In Charge at the Oman LNG Development Foundation; board member of Islamic Information Center.
Sitara Morgenster -- writer -- newspapers and magazines for over 30 years; Times of Oman reporter during the late 1990s. Settled in New Zealand since 2001, working as mosaic artist and writer.
Nasra Al Adawi -- published poet of humanitarian and charitable concerns. Nasra’s poetry is an art that can be merged with other artistic media; it only needs a touch of originality and creativity.
Dr Amita N. Vyas – associate professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health; director of the maternal and child health programme at GW. Founder: Global India Fund, a non-profit organisation that inspires global philanthropy and service by supporting innovative health and education programmes in India; co producer of Girl Rising India (national campaign on girls’ education and gender equality). Champion for women, children, and families in the United States and globally. Shatha Al Maskiry -- managing director of Protiviti Oman; author of business articles both in Oman and the UAE; thought leader and active speaker in the region on various subjects including risk management, succession planning, business continuity, talent development; awarded 'HR Professional of the Year' Middle East wide in 2015.
P8 February 2019
MARKET WATCH
BLACK & WHITE
Gold will never lose its sparkle Gold, despite the whines from the naysayers, is a great investment and it’s sparkle will never fade, say the top honchos of the gold and jewellery market here. Drumming up an upbeat mood about the invesment prospects of the yellow metal in Oman, the main players in the gold market told Black & White that investing in gold was a great idea, primarily because it offered surefire protection in bad times, besides being an easily bought and liquified asset that will surely appreciate over the years. Here, the heads take a quick look at the market, candidly commenting on the challenges faced, price fluctuations and why new designs still continue to dazzle lovers of gold jewellery in Oman.
Gold – a ‘safe haven’ Excerpts: Why is gold still considered to be a good investment – at least in Oman? Gold is always a great investment not just in Oman but across the world. Gold is a valuable metal that has emotional, cultural and financial value. People across the world buy gold for a variety of reasons including cultural factors. The demand for gold and selfbalancing nature of the gold market reinforce gold’s strong qualities as an investment option. Gold is a great investment because it can be easily changed into cash anywhere in the world. Moreover, the liquidity and universality of gold is consummate. It is a fact that gold tends to maintain its value over time. Since gold is used in the production of various products including electronics, there is a consistent demand which steadies the price of gold. Furthermore, in times of augmented demand, these markets can force the price of gold higher. According to the World Gold Council globally, gold demand in 2018 reached 4,345.1t, up from 4,159.9t in 2017 and in line with the
P. A. Riyas, general manager, seaPearls Oman
five-year average of 4,347.5t. A multi-decade high in central bank buying (651.5t) drove growth. Gold is a preferred investment by many residents and citizens of Oman. High liquidity and inflationtrouncing capacity are its solid selling points, besides beauty, prestige and other aspects.
Have the gold prices come down? Though for some time in 2018 gold prices fell it has started to regain some of its lustre in 2019. Gold is always considered as a ‘safe haven’ by investors during times of market volatility and high inflation. So, whether prices are low or high it is always a good idea to buy gold.
MARKET WATCH
www.blackandwhiteoman.com When prices are low or high investors buy gold bars, coins and jewellery. It will never lose its sheen. Are new designs dazzling the eye? seaPearls is dedicated to sourcing the most unique jewellery from around the world. Understanding that, the customers prefer different variabilities of jewellery for various occasions, seaPearls offers a unique blend of traditional and modern jewellery options. The diamond collection ranges from daily wear to gorgeous jewellery in different designs and contemporary patterns. We recently launched a new antique jewellery collection, which
February 2019
includes intricately created earrings and exquisitely designed necklaces. This antique collection has been captivating customers with its elaborate designs and meticulous craftsmanship. We also launched light-weight everyday wear jewellery called the ‘Chic’ collection. This collection set in 22 carat gold has been designed to reflect the identity of the contemporary woman and comes in a set which includes chain, earrings, finger rings and bracelet. The stylish ‘Chic’ collection exemplifies classiness, sophistication, and panache.
P9
What is the most challenging aspect of the jewellery market currently? One of the small challenges faced by the jewellery market is the change in aspirational value of consumers. Earlier people aspired to buy only gold jewellery as a luxury purchase. But now people want to buy highend cars, phones, tech products or some other luxury products. So, I can say gold has competition from many other products too. But due to the investment value of gold inevitably consumers always making it a point of buying gold.
Gold is a commodity that can be exchanged for cash any time Why is gold still considered to be a good investment – at least in Oman? Gold has maintained its value throughout the ages. People see gold as a way to pass on and preserve their wealth from one generation to the next. Also, gold is a commodity that can be exchanged for cash any time. It is also an investment that can be flaunted and used by wearing unlike shares, bonds and fixed deposits. Have the gold prices come down? Yes, the prices are down on a bigger picture than compared to the timeline between 2011 – 2013 (average $1750/ounce). But still it does hold its value pretty good averaging $1250 to
$1350/ounce. Its still a good time to buy for longer period as gold prices are the first to rise in case of any geopolitical uncertainty or supply constraints around the world. Are new designs dazzling the eye? Truly, the jewellery designing is a non-stop evolving process. The latest in the designing market has brought down the use of gem stones in jewellery at least in Oman. Also, the designers have reached the new heights of creating light weight jewellery. What is the most challenging aspect of the jewellery market currently? Attracting millennials to buy
Vatsal Soni, general manager, Gulf Jewellery House LLC
jewellery! Price is definitely a challenge when it comes to high quality pieces. Consumers are much more price conscious. Handcrafting jewellery is a long process that requires skill, so educating about that process really helps the consumer understand what they are getting for their money.
P10 February 2019
MARKET WATCH
BLACK & WHITE
Gold is a ϐinancial asset Why is gold still considered to be a good investment – at least in Oman? In the last decade, the rate of gold has steadily increased and it is presumed that it would increase as per experts research. That’s why it is considered to be a good investment as it is of high liquidity. Omani customers are diversifying their investment in shortterm assets, and higher margin of these assets are allocated to the yellow metal, as it has gained their trust over the past few years. As you are aware, gold metal never loses its value when compared to similar assets (i.e.equity and currency). Have the gold prices come down? The gold prices have steadily increased over the years. Even so, people buy gold jewellery not only for the new designs but also to add them on as a short-term asset. The rate of gold is volatile according to the issues of the global market. So, when the prices are low, one has to be patient. Are new designs dazzling the eye? Forget the new and dazzling designs! People have a craze for traditional Omani jewellery, which are all handcrafted with excellent finish. What is the most challenging aspect of the jewellery market currently? We feel that Oman’s tourism should be promoted which will bring in a good flow of buyers.
Ismail M Adam Al Saigh, Managing Director, Adam’s Sons Jewellery
We are looking for support from the ministry of tourism to enable us to attract the customers to utilise more choices from the gold market.
www.blackandwhiteoman.com
MARKET WATCH
February 2019 P11
2019 is all about bold and colourful jewellery Why is gold still considered to be a good investment – at least in Oman? Gold is considered to be a good investment if managed properly. When investing in gold, diversifying one’s portfolio is vital. Pairing assets that move differently from each other will create a diversified portfolio. In a stock and bonds portfolio having a small amount of gold, which moves differently from stock and bonds, would help in diversifying the portfolio and would thereby be considered a good investment. Are new trends dazzling the eye? 2019 is all about bold and colourful jewellery. It is time to step outside of your rose gold comfort zone and make a statement with vibrant enamel jewellery and coloured precious and semi-precious stones. Having said that, the ever so popular loop earrings and stacking jewellery trends still goes strong this year. What is the most challenging aspect of the jewellery market
Shadya Al Ismaily and Suad Al Riyami, partners, Deema Oman
currently? The most challenging aspect would be that people who want to spend on luxury items, are interested in the everyday jewellery pieces rather than the statement pieces.
We have a number of exquisite statement jewellery that are very exclusive but the demand on such items have decreased. Consumers are more interested in luxury low ticket items.
BLACK & WHITE
P12 February 2019
Who set the stopwatch? By Colonel Abdul Wahab Al Balushi (Retd)
H
UMAN BEINGS ARE CREATURES OF HABIT We wake up in the morning; we eat our breakfast and then hurry to our workplace. Then in the afternoon, we take a lunch break, perhaps another tea or coffee break and when the work gets over, we rush back home to our families. For some of us, it can be a nine-to-five routine; others stick to slightly different timings, but still a routine. This is the norm for many of us. How did this pattern come into existence? Shouldn’t the biological process of hunger trigger these deadlines, rather than a pre-set schedule that we all follow? Were all these rules, regulations and schedules created for the general good of the community? Or did science come in with scientific steps that would assist the human biological process in an era, when it was still nascent? PUT ON YOUR THINKING HAT When you put on your thinking hat, you will realise, your hunger
is triggered only by the clock, because you have become a creature of habit that have been in existence for many years! A common scale was used to channelise the societal behaviour for the good or for the bad; or for altogether another reason, like the economy and progress of the society! If you break down your thoughts analytically, it is simple; as living beings, we all have needs. We need to eat and so we eat. As social creatures, we like to talk and communicate with one another and so we talk. And yes, there are various other behaviours that are just as complicated, if not more so. Maybe, that is how our ancestors thought; how on earth do we get all of this done? So habits were created, patterns were woven in, discipline structures were activated and so came in the societal time-clocks. THE WAITING GAME They say time and tide wait for none. Alas, we wait for everything, for the bus or taxi we use to commute to work, or to school, to the meal ordered at the
restaurant; to get a job done at a government office. But, here, what are we waiting for? SET YOUR OWN ALARMS Have we become too scared to break the set patterns and create our own paths and schedules, to get out of the self-made comfort zones? Habits are extremely hard to change and scary too. Do bear in mind that habits are not mindless repetitive routines we follow. It is created by the environment and hundreds of years of evolution that created a refined educated and progressive society today. But again today, if we attempt to create a change, we can successfully break through the hundred years of set patterns and evolve in a better, individualistic behaviour. Re-evaluation of the habit-phenomenon is just a part of growing; so it is very much okay to set your own alarms and evolve to a newer living. Try it – you might wake up into a whole new and different world!
The Human Journey &
www.blackandwhiteoman.com
February 2019 P13
Social media, the new and most-effective vehicle By Khalil Al Khonji
L
OOK around you and see how several prominent global leaders are using social media – such as twitter and other platforms -- to their advantage. There are many who are able to remain constantly in the public eye by using only social media platforms. THE NEW BUZZ Social media is the new buzz these days and thanks to its speed and efficiency, it is able to promote, progress and keep the thought process alive and also make it vibrant! Despite busy schedules, long distances and even diverse thoughts all make a level field using social media groups such as WhatsApp and Facebook etc. Today, the abundance and the ease of use of social media platforms comes in handy as a tool for the transformation process. When used appropriately, the platforms can be utilised to our advantage in promoting productive ideas in society that allow social interaction at close quarters at a faster pace and to enable us to create a buzz. Time and location are no longer considered as a challenge for communication in this era. WHATSAPP GROUPS When I was heading the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) from 2007 to 2014, I decided to complement the Majlis Al Khonji by enforcing more active specialised committees. I used to chair some of them, especially the economic, food security committees and also the Najah programme, which enabled many Omani students to
get enrolled into universities and colleges. Today, almost all of those committee activities are replaced by different WhatsApp groups. The WhatsApp groups comprise top decision makers, ministers, Ceos, and business leaders who are seen participating not just actively but also more effectively than earlier because they no longer have to confront the barriers of time, location and bureaucracy to have a meaningful discussion. With their busy schedules, they can be in any part of the world and still be able to participate in a discussion in a timely manner. WhatsApp group members can be up to approximately 256, which are divided into categories of active members of the youth who want to stay up to date and learn from the experienced individuals; the government representatives, officials and economists articipating in the Economic WhatsApp group. SABLA The Specialised Groups are subdivided again under the name of Sabla. There are different sablas for tourism, education and training, sports, human resources, for IT and communication with members of e-governance; CSR committee comprising all CSR officials; stock markets and one for the AGCC. I was the chairman of the Federation of the AGCC and hence I formed the AGCC group too, bringing all of the AGCC chairmen of the chambers and businessmen together. All of these groups function with numerous administrators. The groups are free to express their thoughts but also maintain respect and regard to the opinions of each and every member. There is also a group for AGCC business women including majority of
Oman Forward
Omani women startups so they can learn how to grow their businesses and follow the leaders. I also created a business women committees in each branch of the Oman Chamber of Commerce so now most of those business women are members with the WhatsApp groups. POSITIVE CHANGES USING SOCIAL MEDIA People can also initiate positive campaigns and form advocacy groups with the help of the social media. I can cite examples where the positive power of the social media came into play. There was this move to replant an iconic 250-years old Ghaf tree from Qurum. It came to our notice that a contractor was attempting to uproot a fully grown Ghaf tree and replant it somewhere. Please do bear in mind that scientifically no Ghaf tree can live after it is uprooted. The authority concerned stepped in and immediate action was taken to preserve the tree. That is one of the many positive outcomes of using the social media. Another good example is that of a several hundred years old heritage mosque in Muttrah. Plans were afoot to demolish it and build a new one in its place it with a modern building. But, we were able to put a stop to it and preserve this grand heritage mosque in the old souq of Muttrah, thanks to the social media.
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BLACK & WHITE
P14 February 2019
ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM OF FAKE NEWS By Bikram Vohra
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AKE watches. Fake handbags. Fake branded shoes and clothes. Fake spare parts for cars that are cheaper and you would be stupid to buy them. The world we live in where fake is for real. But where it is really hurting is fake news. And not because the US President has sanctified it and made it the flip side of the truth but because it is a runaway horse and in the realm of the fake the stakes here are very high. The torrent of daily news averaging 4000 hours available per person per day has such a high level of untruth in it that even the Jesting Pilate can ask what truth is but he will have to wait a long time before he gets an answer. Fact is that fake news in media is something we will have to live with for now. We let it out of the bottle and it will not go back that easily. And while there has been considerable misuse of the freedoms of the fourth estate the worrying factor is that in the clean up what will be generated is fear, intimidation and an arbitrary accusation of wrongdoing. Some months back a certain individual woke up in the morning in Goa, India, and decided to play what he thought was a prank. With Chief Minister of the state Manohar Parrikar abroad where he had gone for a pancreatic procedure and was recuperating this gentleman (if you can call him that) elected to put out a tweet claiming the CM had died. And he did so without the slightest qualm. In this instant communication the ‘death’ was public knowledge in a few turns of the second hand on the clock. Not all countries have severe
laws about misuse of social media. At about the same time at Turkey’s Istanbul airport passengers were seen wearing T-shirts with hostile to India slogans with regard to attacks on girls. It caused a furor and much was made of this blatant rudeness until it was discovered that a young man in Kolkata had superimposed these slogans through photoshop and released these pictures. They were totally homemade. There is a supreme difference between getting a fact wrong in an endeavour to uncover the truth and innuendo, half truths, surmises and blatant rumour. The policing website Endgadget writes a frightening epitaph to authenticity, in Parkland, Florida, where at least 17 students were killed. This gory incident has become the benchmark for the dangers of fake news. During the shooting’s aftermath, hoaxes and disinformation spread on Twitter. It’s a phenomenon that happens after every tragedy, and it doesn’t seem to be going away. To quote: “As is common in these cases, many of the initial fake tweets misidentified the gunman. A few tweets from a fake Bill O’Reilly account, for example, claimed that there were two shooters (one of whom was the actual gunman, Nikolas Cruz) and the other was Sam Hyde. Hyde is a comedian whose photo was also circulated as the alleged shooter in previous tragedies like the ones in San Bernardino and Las Vegas. Others were also falsely accused of being the attacker, including German YouTuber DrachenLord and 24-year-old Marcel Fontaine (who was misidentified as being part of the
“Antifa” movement). Some tweets combined false claims of lost relatives with photos of people who weren’t involved in the shooting. One tweet even showed a photo of conservative radio host Bill Mitchell, claiming he was his missing grandfather.” Most professionals in media take pride in getting their ducks in a row. But being human errors can be made in isolation. You can get a date wrong, a name misspelled, a location incorrect, it happens. But it is mutually exclusive from the chase so to speak and does not detract from the indictment of corruption, malfeasance, breach of promise, collapse of trust, conduct unbecoming or whatever else the act of omission or commission is. According to MACH: Fake news is fueled in part by advances in technology — from bots that automatically fabricate headlines and entire stories to computer software that synthesizes Donald Trump’s voice and makes him read tweets to a new video editing app that makes it possible to create authentic-looking videos in which one person’s face is stitched onto another person’s body. Experts say AI systems would help fill the gaps left by Snopes, Truth or Fiction, and other online factchecking outlets, whose human fact-checkers lack the bandwidth to evaluate every article that appears online. These systems could also work with
SUNNY SIDE UP &
www.blackandwhiteoman.com various fake news alert plugins. Between willing motor mouths and an audio-visual media which has gone berserk. Unless, like the physician we are prepared to heal ourselves one day the authorities will usurp our rights because we are allowing our own reckless minority to run rampant and wreck our credibility as a profession. And this can start by initially acknowledging that thanks to social platforms everyone is now a reporter and photographer and the profession of journalism has been usurped. The distinction between professional writers and troublemakers and trolls has to be made. Unfortunately, the line is blurring. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pretty much on the mark when she says that today every government has to contend with lies, fake sites, bots, things that are
February 2019 P15 conjured up and packaged as fact. Merkel has been trolled as a Stasi agent and Hitler’s daughter. Recently, the Germans had to run around madly after a story broke on the Net that a 13 year old schoolgirl in Berlin had been raped by Middle Easterners on her way to school. It was a fabrication. Two similar incidents occurred in the USA to underscore dangerous middle easterners as if to add credence to the Donald Trump crackdown. None of it was authentic. Ipredators, as they are known deliberately engage in criminal and deceptive behaviour and in 2016 a medical study showed that they are psychologically warped and suffer several problems. The Global Assessment of Internet Trolling (GAIT) estimates that they are largely psychopaths, dangerous, sadistic and carry no moral compass. They
sanctify chaos and cruelty and are actually in need of medical help. Trolls may rule the choppy waters under the information highway but if they think they are safe from the legal ramifications arising from their nastiness they are mistaken. There is a new awareness to this cyber sickness. None of these measures would be needed if people simply behaved more responsibly. The inclination to send off forwards because the ‘news’ is sensational and feel wanted because you are the first to spread it is something that needs to brought under personal control. Do not do it. Don’t pass on or like or give any credence to reports that smack of hostility. Be careful when it concerns faith, nationality, whips sentiment and smacks of prejudice. That is in itself a first step to fight the war.
BLACK & WHITE
P16 February 2019
CITY-LIGHTS When the going does not get a-going! It happens. You take a pen and a notebook to an interview and the pen starts to shake, to sputter, to cough and then refuses to do as bidden! You press the recalcitrant nib harder, shake it with controlled violence (because you don’t want it to fly into the air and impale itself on the face of the person being interviewed). You curse inwardly, feverishly dip your hands into your pockets in a desperate search but no other brothers, sisters, cousins, relatives or friends of this rogue pen could be found, and so you stare helplessly at the person whom you are interviewing in the vain hope that he understands your pendi—sorry predicament! Well, he does and he stops his answers and reaches for a pen idling on his desk (some of the pens on desks quite often look like they are relaxing by the pool or the beachside; beach umbrella et al) and you
grab them like a hungry stray kitten and munch it, sorry, try to write with it but no go. They too have shake-shake, sputter-sputter, cough-cough issues and there you’d go nibbing it hard into the poor wafer thin note book pages, tearing it, wounding it but thank God it doesn’t bleed, whew! So you settle for the friendly neighbourhood ‘poor’ man’s pencil and you try to match their wordy rumbles with your scribbles and you know what, the tip breaks! But, fellow scribes, did you ever get into a situation where the recorder – this time your (not-so) smartphone – fails to record. We mean, it seems to have recorded. It did its stuff; it paused when we paused; it moved as we proceeded and it stopped when we did. But record, it didn’t. It happens. Yes, it happens, but why us? WHY US?!
Two rials? Why? Time: 9.10am. This man dropped his brother to the airport right on time. Helped his brother to drag out his three bags quickly, lumped them on the trolley, quickly waved goodbye, revved his car and swiftly got on to the queue leading up to the toll gate. Time: 9.13am. Then he waited in the queue. Time: 9.15am. Waited. Time: 9.17am Two cars move by three inches. Time: 9.18am. Still in queue. Time: 9.20am. It goes on and on and the cars before him only moves inch by inch. Time: 9.32am. Two rials please says the official at the counter. Ooops! But, but, but, but, I dropped my brother at the gate 9.10am. Then I am stuck here for the last 20
or so minutes. This is unfair! Sir, you are holding up traffic… So, he coughs up OMR2 and leaves in a huff!
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CITY-LIGHTS
February 2019 P17
Judge not her sole but her “soul” Women these days have a hard time: not only do they have to keep the wolves at bay and think and act ‘propah’ because that is what the society demands of them, these days, they even have to make sure that even their feet have to be covered properly otherwise they would be subjected to improper attention. But why should they get negative attention from members of their own sisterhood? We were privy to the machinations of some slightly mean media girls who were sniggering, digging at each other and giggling at the sight of two pairs of innocently semi-naked tootsies clad in bad pairs of open sandals, the owner of which was attending a press event, recently. If it were men who were passing derisive comments on this lady’s semi-clad feet with all its unfortunate
flaws open to the world, it would still be forgiveable, but no, they were members of the same fraternity that this lady belonged to. These girls were seen to revel in the fact that one of their own had pretty bad, non-pedicured feet and according to one of them, it was a “crime” to come into a social situation clad in poor, open shoes revealing cornstricken, cracked heels and dirty, unwashed soles! My my my! Poor lady! She could just be having a bad-feet day and by the way why are we judging a woman by her soles?
Shhh, quiet please! Okay, press events are slowly gaining momentum, and the scribes here are also busily hopping, skipping and jumping from one to another. But one of the most recent ones that they attended got their senses scrambled; some even wanted to do a walkout! As is the case, all press conferences would have the lead man speaking and scribes would be taking down notes or checking the releases before them. This one too was no different with the person at the helm going ahead with his speech while his assistants, at the same time, were doling out the press releases. Some members of the press were quietly browsing through the releases which were just handed over to them when uh oh our Speech Man saw red. He had suddenly detected a ‘crime’ happening right in front of him: some members of the press were browsing though their hand-out releases, which meant – Which oh God meant they
were ignoring his ohso-profound speech! How dare they?! Either they should listen intently to the words of wisdom he was professing or they should take their beloved handouts and go somewhere and pore over them. D-uh? What was happening? Why was Mr Speech Man so mad at the press for just browsing through their notes? That is their job, right? And why are the press being treated like ‘delinquent’ school kids? What will be next: “Last bench – get out!’”?
BLACK & WHITE
P18 February 2019
“Our times of uncertainties and opportunities� By Shatha Al Maskiry
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019 is a year that will present us with many uncertainties in the business environment and this is not unique to Oman; it is a regional and global trend. From a strategic aspect, the uncertainties offer business opportunities but it is also coupled with challenges and risks. What this means for organisations is that they must tackle this risk by engaging in more dialogues between boards and senior management as well as external stakeholders to ensure there is alignment on a robust strategy that has a clear direction of where they want to be in the future. Strategic risks are amplified when a strategy is reactive rather than proactive let alone the lack of vision, ineffective planning, and absence of market insights and poor risk management. More emphasis is needed to promote collaboration and communication across all levels to foster a strong culture of transparency, accountability, innovation and empowerment. One of the most notable shifts in business risk is that the traditional way of operating especially in light of the economic conditions; is making larger businesses suddenly experiencing major revenue losses and razor-thin margins. To compete locally or regionally, we need to accept that resistance to change will hinder our growth and erode our sustainability. The board, management and employees must become more active in questioning and evaluating the underlying assumptions behind their strategy, consistently challenging the status quos, accepting the existence of more nimble competitors and being better prepared with an agile business model. Culture takes us to the bloodline of an organisation and almost every CEO mentions their increasing demand for
talent who are quick learners that can unlearn and relearn. On the other side, organisations are pressured by talent to foster a work culture that is inclusive, collaborative, performance driven and promotes innovation. Last year, we partnered with a sector-wide group on a successful initiative which focused on shaping commercial mindsets to make their sector competitive by producing creative solutions that solve real problems. This is an example of how organisations are shaping mindsets which creates a new culture that rewards innovation with learning and development opportunities to attract, reward and retain talent. It is every CEO’s dream to have a pool of reliable, motivated and highly engaged talent together with succession plans for all critical positions to ensure future growth and sustainability is not at risk. One risk which I want organisations to stop turning a blind eye on is associated with legacy IT systems. Large organisations heavily rely on legacy systems and this itself is a big risk, as many are facing operational and people performance issues. The situation is further worsened with new competitors entering the market who are born digital or are a low-cost base. A CEO of a large and well established company was telling me how one of their employees who was groomed by them has now set up his own company and they are losing large projects to him. When I asked why? The reason was he is far more agile and he swiftly embraced digitalisation. This just goes out to tell you how a traditional operating mindset will actually set you back on the curve for digital readiness because you are not even open to change let alone resilient to keep pace with the changes in the market. We are at an age on what really matters is how fast a fish swims, not how big the fish is.
Digitalisation has advanced far faster and expansively than we ever anticipated and it is presenting a number of risks which impacts business model viability, competitive landscape, workplace dynamics, and regulatory demands let alone altering customer behaviours. Sustaining customer loyalty and retention in light of their evolving preferences will continue to be a high risk if businesses do not pay attention in how to closely engage and enrich the customer experience. Options and substitutes are always available and customers will make that switch with no hesitation if it promises a new experience of gratification. With that being said, the more we embrace digital disruptions, the more attention we need to place on cyber security measures. In conclusion, managing risks effectively is about being proactive, aligned, collaborative, and competitive. Organisations can achieve this with strong board oversight, and a robust strategy which is executed in alignment with its people, process and technology. We need to use the most suitable technology to produce intelligent data to enable organisations to measure and manage performance proactively. This is the effective way to embrace this rapidly changing business environment. Culture is ringing it all together from a strong and clear vision to good governance to effective management and ultimately an environment that enables and motivates talent to perform its best.
Business Realities &
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February 2019 P19
ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK SIGNS MOU WITH OMAN AIR HOLIDAYS Alizz Islamic Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Oman Air Holidays, whereby Alizz Islamic Bank’s Titanium, Platinum and World credit cardholders can avail 15 per cent discount on airline tickets, hotels and airport transfers booked via the Oman Air Holidays platform. Additionally Tharwa Wealth Management customers from Alizz Islamic Bank will receive Sindbad Silver membership. The agreement was signed by Moosa Masoud Al Jadidi, chief operating officer of Alizz Islamic Bank and Richard Alexander Bodin, senior vice president of Oman Air Holidays. Oman Air Holidays (www.omanairholidays. com) is a fully dedicated holiday booking
system. The website offers a wide range of holiday products including package holidays comprising of flights, hotels,
transfers, tours and activities, as well as dynamic packages, which customers can personalise to suit their needs.
2019 BMW 3 Series Sedan launched Al Jenaibi International Automobiles has launched the 2019 BMW 3 Series Sedan to its clients and lovers of sheer driving pleasure throughout Oman. The latest edition to Al Jenaibi International Automobiles’ range of BMW vehicles, the 2019 edition BMW 3 Series Sedan combines enhanced sporting prowess with a refined interior ambience, eyecatching design and state-of-theart driver assistance, control, and connectivity technologies.
Johnny Oommen, chief executive officer of Al Jenaibi, said: “The brand-new 2019 BMW 3 Series Sedan is the perfect addition to BMW’s hugely popular 3 Series range. A thoroughly modern, precise and exciting vehicle, the seventh generation of the 3 Series perfectly blends the history and famous heritage of the brand with a brave and thrilling update on the most modern automotive technologies and designs.
Apollo Hospital Neurosurgery unit consultant Apollo Hospital, Muscat has announced neurosurgery Unit spearheaded by visiting consultant Dr R Ramnarayan, an eminent and distinguished Neurosurgeon from India. VT Sailesh, managing director, Apollo Hospitals Muscat, said, “In the last decade, globally there has been an increasing number of chronic neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy and addiction and Oman has also witnessed a similar trend. Most of these conditions require surgical treatment, but unfortunately the expertise and resources have not been easily available in Oman’s private hospital sector. Usually the patients requiring these medical services
travel abroad for availing treatment causing inconvenience to the patients and their relatives in addition to huge financial outlays. Moreover there are always issues of frequent follow up required for these patients as in the case of refill of baclofen pump or adjusting current levels etc.”
OMAN
P20 February 2019
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Brainobrainfest 2019 witnesses 1600 participants The 2nd National Abacus Competition Festival— Brainobrainfest 2019—was held in Muscat, recently. Around 1600 children across different age groups ranging from five to 14 years participated in the competition. The winners of this year’s Brainobrainfest include 251 champions, 317 gold toppers and 332 silver toppers. The competition, which tested the children’s ability and speed in arithmetic calculation, memory and concentration power, was held in the morning, soon after the inauguration. The day-long programme of learning and fun for children,
faculty and parents also featured various cultural programmes, faculty awards, interesting talks and the like. Children too took to the stage to demonstrate their talents in memory, concentration and multi-tasking skills. Later, prizes were distributed in the
presence of the honourable chief guest, Dr V M A Hakkim, founder and executive director, KIMS Oman Hospital. Over 15 years, Brainobrain has trained thousands of children in the concept of abacus and smart calculation.
ISC Salalah organises Arunachethana 2019 The Sanskrit Wing of the Indian Social Club (ISC) Salalah organised Arunachethana 2019, a unique event to honour and entertain the special needs children from the Indian School Salalah (ISS) and Al Wafa Centre for Children with Disabilities at the Sultan Qaboos multipurpose hall of the ISC, Salalah. Sheikh Muammar Abdullah Al Rawas, chairman Majan Mining Company inaugrated the event. Manpreeth Singh, chairman, ISC Salalah was the guest of honor. The event was presided by Dr Sujith Kumar, convenor of the Sanskrit wing. The special needs children enjoyed their participation in various activities at the event. The teachers and students of Al Wafa Centre and ISS and CSE were honoured with gifts and mementos and certificates of participation.
India-Oman Terry Towel sector Road show The Indian Embassy, as part of its endeavour to promote business relations between India and Oman, organised a roadshow to promote Vibrant Terry Towel Global Expo & Summit 2019 (VTTGES) recently. The roadshow also facilitated business interactions between visiting Indian Terry Towel delegation and stakeholders in Oman. Eng. Redha Juma Al Saleh, memberboard of directors of the Oman Chamber
of Commerce & Industry was the chief guest on this occasion. Eng. Redha Al Saleh stressed on the immense potential for further increase in bilateral trade between India and Oman. Sh. Rakesh Adlakha, deputy chief of mission in his welcome remarks referred to the historical trade links between the two countries and invited Omani businessmen to attend VTTGES 2019.
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February 2019 P21
BankDhofar Celebrates Teachers’ Day at Kaab bin Zaid School BankDhofar joined hands with Kaab bin Zaid School to celebrate Omani Teachers’ Day. The event, which is celebrated every year across the Sultanate honours teachers for their immense efforts to spread knowledge among students. Aziz Sulaiman Al Harrasi, acting head of marketing and corporate communications at BankDhofar said: “At BankDhofar we believe that it is our responsibility to extend our support to various social activities. As we all know, teachers play significant and valuable role in the society. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all teachers on this occasion.” The event took place at Kaab bin Zaid School premises at Willayat Al-Seeb. Representing BankDhofar at the event was Badriya Shugheil Al Hashmi, Al Khoudh branch manager and area manager of Muscat North.
Ooredoo Safeguards Customers with Advanced Security Solution Safeguarding the best interests of customers, Ooredoo has partnered with US-based company Akamai to offer unprecedented levels of online protection over mobile and fixed networks. The advanced network-based solution will further enhance security by blocking access to unsafe sites, in addition to protect against malicious, phishing and ransomware attacks. The list of dangerous sites will be permanently updated via unique cybersecurity techniques to counter the new
All-New 2019 Nissan Altima launched Nissan Oman, from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA), unveiled the all-new Altima, creating a new standard of design, driving enjoyment and technology within the mid-size sedan segment. The car features expressive styling, an uplifting interior, a new powertrain, and advanced Nissan Intelligent Mobility features. The 2.5L 2019 Altima is now available across Nissan Showrooms in the Sultanate. The sixth generation of Nissan’s best-selling sedan made its world debut at the 2018 New York International Auto Show, alongside the first North American showing of Nissan’s Formula E race car. “All new Nissan Altima 2019 is a complete technological package – it over delivers on the basics, boasts features and innovative technologies never seen in its class before. The new Altima also offers outstanding drive, enhanced handling, acceleration and thoughtful technology solutions not currently found in the segment,” said a senior spokesperson of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA) .
generation of Internet threats. Feras bin Abdullah Al Shaikh, director of consumer sales at Ooredoo, said, “In the digital world we live in today, protecting customers from cyberattacks is a responsibility we do not take lightly. With consistently evolving threats, we always work to ensure that our Supernet network is not only secure but upgraded with the latest technology so that we can continue to provide a positive online experience for our customers and their families.”
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Pakistan Oman sign MoU between defense institutions Pakistan ambassador, Ali Javed and Major General Salim bin Musallam Qatan, commandant National Defense College (NDC) have inked the MoU for Academic Cooperation & Scientific Research’ between NDC and NDU (National Defense University, Islamabad) in an impressive ceremony witnessed by General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and Lt. Gen Ahmed bin Harith al Nabhani, chief of staff, Sultan’s Armed Forces (COSSAF). The elegant and impressive ‘signing ceremony’ broadcast Live on Oman TV from premises of the NDC was hosted H.E. Ali Javed and General Qatan signing the MOU between NDC and NDU by Brigadier Mohammed bin Ya’arub Al Saifi, assistant Zakwani, director general, Studies & Academic Affairs commandant NDC. Brigadier Sulaiman bin Khalid AlCaptain Rizwan Defense Attache coordinated.
Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa new resident manager Ghislaine Lȇ has been appointed resident manager of Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Oman. A French national, Ghislaine joins the team of the award-winning Shangri-La resort in Muscat from Shangri-La Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka, where she was a resident manager. Prior to that, she
held the position of director of rooms at Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta in Indonesia. In her new role in Muscat, Ghislaine will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and development activities of the two hotels within Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Oman, Al Waha and Al Bandar.
Visiting neurosurgeon at Al Raffah Hospital Renowned Neurosurgeon Dr Ravi Gopal Varma will be available for consultations at Aster Al Raffah Hospital Muscat. Dr Varma, MBBS, MS –General Surgery, MCh –Neurosurgery, FFSN (CANADA), Chief of Neurosciences and Lead Consultant of Neurosurgery at Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore India. Dr. Varma has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of neurosurgery. His special interests are in neuro oncology (brain and spine tumors) neuro endoscopy, surgery for pain, movement disorders (like parkinson disease etc...) and epilepsy. He is one of the very few neurosurgeons in India with extensive experience in deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for PD, dystonia, tremor and epilepsy. Dr Varma has been working with Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore, India for four years now and has been a visiting consultant to Aster Al Raffah Hospitals & Clinics, Oman.
Seeniya Biju, CEO, Aster Al Raffah Hospitals & Clinics Oman, said, “We are very happy to welcome Dr Varma for consultation in Oman. His expertise in neurological disorder treatment, particularly in deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy, has seen high success rates among patients. With his association, we look forward to cure the numerous neurological diseases which are prevalent in Oman”.
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February 2019 P23
The two-worded therapy By Adarsh Madhavan
I
was on a chit-chat-whining to a friend (she writes for us now) of mine who lives somewhere abroad and suddenly she scythed through the ‘crap’ and said hey I want you to check out an You Tube post, which I think is going to make a lot of difference in your way of thinking. I am not thinking; I am whining, I confessed. She was always brutal and she was in no way different now: Precisely, she said. So I got off the messenger chat and I checked out the You Tube and there was Bob Newhart as a shrink offering a brand new two-worded therapy: Stop It! Yes, it’s a comedy skit and it is funny to boot, but sometimes fun runs deep. You buy laughter and you get philosophy free. Wow! In brief, Newhart sees a lady client who has a deep fear of being buried alive and he is seen asking her whether someone had actually attempted to commit that dastardly deed on her to which she replies in the negative. So he points out to her that she is actually feeling claustrophobic and there was
actually two words to cure that. The client does not get it and asks if she needs to jot it down, so he tells her that well, it was just two words and most often, people, even the most forgetful, can remember two words! She does not disagree and so he asks her to brace herself while he declares it. And the two words are: Stop It! Sorry? What? You would ask like Katherine, in that comedy You Tube clip asked Dr Switzer, the character Newhart played. Yes, you heard it right: Stop It! S-T-O-P I T! This is not Greek! This is English and it’s just two simple words: Stop It. Whenever you are in that whining, complaining mood…stop it! Whenever you feel down and want to whine, stop it! Whenever you feel forlorn and say that the world is not treating you right – stop it! Whenever you think that fate has let you down once again – stop it! So if you are faced with a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach and feel that you’re going to lose – stop it! When you feel that people are avoiding you and that you are all alone in this big, bad world -- stop it! When you feel that you are failing and you’re going to lose – stop it! Well, I don’t know, you must have got the drift by now. Whatever negative feelings you are harbouring; whenever you are trudging down the sad, down and out lane and are about to sing the funeral dirge for yourself, please make a concerted effort to
If Words Could Talk
stop it. Stop it! Like Katherine who fears getting buried in a box, life will present some claustrophobic moments for you and you are bound to be suffocated by it, but most of the fears are imaginary, most of the times, you turn tail and make a run for it even before the battle has begun. You sweat the night out worrying about what is going to happen the next day and unfortunately by the time you are on the verge of confronting your problems you are already down and defeated. Not just this, we are confronted by various instances where fate box us down. It is time we understand that life is not an ad inviting you to spend a dream holiday in the Bahamas. If we are undergoing tough times, it is just life happening to us! So, I don’t know, but can we brush off the onslaught of troubles and tribulations and problems and difficulties that keep harassing us on a daily basis and ask them to go well, take a hike? More so, we should learn to tell our sorry selves to stop slavering up our unfounded fears and panicking or falling prey to the monster that keeps us at bay telling us that we are no good; that we are born losers, lifetime failures and that we are mere cowering wretched cowards, and all we are capable of doing is to bolt shivering and hide under our beds when problems thunder outside our windows – stop it! Yes, stop it! We got to imbibe these words into our psyche! We desperately need these two words to be incorportated into our lives! Into our beings. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it or go bury yourself in a box!
adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com
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BLACK & WHITE
Maimuna Al Sulaimani law firm (legal consultancy and litigation services) was officially launched at a function held at the Tosca Business Centre, Qurum, recently.
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February 2019 P25
Do good for the sake of it By Hatim Harith Al Abdissalaam
I
was once at a social event when a young man approached me saying that he is my follower on social media. He continued by saying: I love the content on your page but I think you need to work on marketing yourself. I responded: thank you for your feedback, but I am actually not trying to market myself -- I am marketing my ideas, as ideas last forever, while people don’t. GOOD DEEDS WILL BE RECOGNISED I don’t think I am seeking the recognition of people more than seeking the recognition from the Creator of people. When you do genuine goodness in life, be rest assured that it will be recognised even after you pass away from this world. But what if they are not? I have always wondered about the nature of human beings and how Almighty God has created them in a unique and fascinating manner. This nature varies in different forms from one person to another, but somehow there are certain qualities that are unified and are shared in all humans. Among these qualities is the quality of wanting to be recognised by others. I am yet
to come across an individual who does not want to be recognised by others. This is not necessary a bad thing but in modern day life it has become an obsession in a frightening way. We strive in life to do good and to have achievements, and these achievements are best celebrated by the people around us who recognise our efforts and appreciate what we do. But what if we are not recognised and no one compliments us for what we do? Do we stop doing good? HYPOCRITES Throughout history there was a segment of people known as hypocrites. They were easily recognised by their contradictions within themselves. They tend to wear fake masks and pretend to be someone else. In today’s world people stopped labeling one another as hypocrites, they justify wearing a fake mask as a means to blend in society and market themselves in a presentable way. With social media storming our world it has become very difficult to find people who are genuine and authentic. People are so different to the extent that they hey are willing to be and do anything hing just to be recognised and become come famous. Don’t get me wrong I am not against the idea of fame but I have concerns towards people ple who are not genuine.
Words of Wisdom
FAKES WITH DESIGNER LABELS We strive so hard to earn material goods that are genuine and that carry a designer signature and we despise anything that is fake or cheap, on the other hand we don’t mind being fake ourselves and live a life of total illusion, deluding ourselves and deluding others along the way. ALARMING TO SEE FAKES GETTING POPULAR Oman has always been described by tourists as a genuine tourist destination, as it was able to maintain the culture and heritage for thousands of years, carrying unique values from one generation to another. It is somehow alarming to see the trend of fake people becoming more popular every single day, while the real heroes out there are no longer recognised by the community simply because they are genuine. To conclude, live a life of fulfillment, strive to be genuine and do good for the sake of goodness not for the sake of recognition.
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P26 February 2019
Danube Home unveils its TBK catalogue 2019/20 Danube Home, recently launched the TBK catalogue collection for its Milano brand. They also, launched the world’s biggest man-made tile; measuring 1.6m x 3.2m, the large-format tile comes in different finishes, including marble, granite and wood. Present on the occasion were Rizwan Sajan, founder and chairman, Danube Group, Adel Sajan, director Danube Group along with other senior
management of the group. The catalogue is designed keeping the current minimalist design
trend in mind, while showcasing an exceptional range of Tiles, Bathroom and Kitchen products.
Kanan Gill to tickle your laugh buds on March 7 Indian stand-up comedian, actor and YouTuber, Kanan Gill, will perform his standup comedy special, ‘Teetar’, at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 7, a press note said. Gill, who is on a world tour, will be performing for the first time in Oman. His comedy specials have a universal appeal and Gill has managed to find a laughchord in many an international audience. He is known for the YouTube series, Pretentious Movie Reviews, where he reviews flawed yesteryear Bollywood films along with fellow standup comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath. Gill was also one of the main personalities behind the YouTube Comedy Hunt and also co-hosted the YouTube FanFest India. He made his debut on the big screen with the movie Noor, alongside Sonakshi Sinha. The opening acts are by Shaher Shams, Dan
Mcgrath and the event will be hosted by Vishnu Pai. Gill’s event is organised by OIL - Oman Is Laughing comedy station along with Oman Events.
Show starts at 8.30 pm. Tickets are priced at OMR9 (standard) and OMR15 (premium). Contact: 97778198.
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February 2019 P27
Passing on a unique Omani tradition with the right gift Maimuna Al-Sulaimani
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TORIES are the best way to a child’s heart and sometimes a fairy tale, folklore, or a little tall tale for your small one could actually pave a path to his or her heart. As parents, I think all of us indulge in a bit of storytelling to woo our dear young ones’ hearts. My task was easy because I did not really have to spin yarns to my little ones; rather there were enough Omani folktales that I could relate to them. While storytelling is an art, describing a story that infuses elements of pride and dignity and a sense of belonging in the listener, especially the young and impressionable ones, cuts really deep. When my first child turned 12, I sat thinking about the ideal gift that I should give him. What would you ideally give a pre-teen Omani boy? Of course: Plenty! The sky’s the limit! There is no dearth of gifts ideas and presents, from a smart phone to a tab to a sports bike to a game - the list is endless. But, when you are spoilt for choice, there are also problems. And, knowing that your young boy is on the threshold of growing up in to a teenager and within years to a young adult, it is not an easy choice that I had. Finally, after much thinking, I went traditional; I went Omani: I gifted him a superbly handcrafted, totally traditional khanjar.
In Black & White
And when I sat down with him to share the story of the tradition behind that khanjar, I realised that my son was after my own heart for he was clearly overwhelmed by the tale and more so by the precious gift that he held in his hand. He beamed with pride and was also grateful that he was handed over a slice of culture, steeped in tradition and more importantly with a stamp of his own, yaani, his Omani identity. My son wore his birthday gift with great pride and that is a a sentiment that he still holds on to, and will be a part of his life forever. For me, as a parent, I realised the blessings of Allah, the Almighty. I was given a gift too – a happiness of having chosen the right gift for a son who was just turning an important point in his life. A gift he will cherish forever. PASS IT ON THE RIGHT WAY As a parent it becomes our responsibility to not just nuture and protect our children, but also pass on the heritage and culture of our society in its original glory. That is the only way we can preserve reserve our identities, while transferring sferring knowledge to the youth. Let the young generation ion know what their rich tradition and culture comprise. Let them know w the pride and honour of wearing a khanjar, in its true form, crafted and d created in its own local flavour and hands. With the influx of modernity, shortcuts and instant gratifications,, comes in the lowering
of expectations and quality. Let us not blame or use the excuse of modernity for the erosion of values and let our glorious art and culture die a slow death. A LIVING TRADITION The Omani khanjar is part and parcel of the local culture and tradition. Most importantly, a khanjar is the symbol of Oman’s identity. When an Omani wears the khanjar, it exemplifies the happiness and camaraderie he has and shares with others while celebrating a special occasion. The Black & White team has sourced some of the key khanjar masters of Oman and has also briefly looked at the market scene where they found a parallel market selling cheaper varieties of khanjars for those who cannot afford the antique and the heavy silver ones. But one unique aspect emerging from the story is this: the Omani khanjar is going to stay forever!
Editor-in-chief eic@blackandwhiteoman.com
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COVER STORY
ASLI KHANJAR?
BLACK & WHITE
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COVER STORY
February 2019 P29
Famous author, Mark Twain, had reportedly said: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!" Taking a leaf out of Twain, khanjar makers and sellers here claim: “Reports of ‘fake’ khanjars in the market seem to have been more than slightly exaggerated!” Black & White twisted and turned the query whether fake khanjars exist in the market to quite an extent (ad nauseum) to those in the khanjar-making and selling scene here, but met with the response: no fakes, only ‘asli’ khanjars in this market! Or, is it?
P30 February 2019
COVER STORY
BLACK & WHITE
Perhaps, it is our disappointment in failing to drag in some fakes after having zealously cast the net, but it still begs the question: what exactly is a ‘fake’? If a product’s essential quality is being diluted, or in this case, if the percentage of silver in a khanjar is very low and its overall quality is less, shouldn’t it be called a fake? Not necessarily, say those in the know and in the khanjar making and selling business here. “It’s not being sold at a higher or equivalent price of those khanjars with heavy silver and supreme craftsmanship – it’s only being sold at a cheaper rate. So, it need not be called a fake – there are only asli khanjars in the market!” they chorus. So, there you are, let’s hear further from the best in the market, but before that, let’s take a trek back to a scene, some centuries back, in the middle of the desert:
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COVER STORY
February 2019 P31
A white bolt of lightning briefly lights up the stark stormy desert night. In that moment, a weary traveller sights upon a small house in the middle of the desert. Thanking the Almighty, the traveller comes to the doorstep and calls out to the people there. The men of the house had gone out and only a woman was in, but as a mark of hospitality, especially in weather that can be best described as extremely nasty, the lady of the house is kind enough to invite the exhausted man in and asks him to rest in the hall. She extends the courtesy by asking him to help himself – with a knife that was there -- to some dates in a sack. The traveller, although very grateful for the offer, hesitated a bit upon seeing the rusty knife, yet, a mixture of exhaustion, hunger and thirst just drove him to grab the knife and push it into the sack of dates. In the moments that he held the knife and pushed into the sack, he realised that this was no ordinary one – the knife with that just small push had not only cut through the sack but also sliced through some stones beneath it. Another lightning slashed the dark night outside and the traveller’s face lit with recognition: this was the legendary hiya! A knife that was equivalent to a bolt of lightning. To cut a long story short, the traveller jumped to the opportunity and asked the lady of the house if she would accept his offer of a silver khanjar in exchange of the ‘filthy, rusted’ knife used to cut dates to which the latter happily agreed. Having in his posession the legendary hiya, the not-so-weary traveller quickly made off with it. When the man of the house returned, he was devastated to find his most beloved hiya missing. This old folktale on the Omani khanjar, as related to us by Murtadha Al Lawati, director of Place and People Museum (Ghalya’s Museum of Modern Art) – does not end on a sad note. The distraught owner of the unique khanjar runs out of the house and desperately calls out to his hiya. Although nothing happens for some heartbreaking moments for the khanjar owner, suddenly, the night sky is splattered with several lightning bolts and miraculously the hiya (or in this case the unique Omani khanjar) lights up in the owner’s hand.
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squint into the background of Oman’s stately khanjar, which is one of the most prized possessions of an Omani man, throws up many such lores and legends. But, there is more to the khanjar than mere tales. For an Omani, the khanjar is a hallmark of his nation’s heritage, his manhood and pride, notes Murtadha Al Lawati. The latter displayed his prized possessions and also revealed the name of a famous Omani khanjar maker in Wadi Al Ma’awal, who apparently had made one of the khanjars for him. “You require skill, precision and a great amount of patience to create these intricate designs,” he said. “Omani silversmiths are known to be the finest craftsmen of khanjars in this region and these
designs are testimony to that,” he enthused. FROM 3RD MILLENIUM BCE ONWARDS It is not clear as to how and when the Omani khanjar took form in Oman, but reports note of finding early “engravings of the dagger” in the “Ru’us Al Jibal (top of the mountains) area in the northernmost area (Musandam) of Oman. “They were drawn on gravestones that were located in the central part of that area,” a report notes. Khanjars have been used in Oman maybe from the 3rd millennium BCE, and there is also a mention of the khanjar in the account of a Dutch traveler who reportedly came to Muscat in 1672. In the past, Omani men used to wear the khanjar in a belt around their waists and regarded it as a form of protection. However, now the khanjar is a symbol of the national and cultural heritage of the country, and a reflection of manhood and social standing, officials say.
In the early days, Omanis wore khanjars on a daily basis. The common saying then was that once the deadly dagger is unsheathed, it has to be used! Not so anymore, as the khanjar is worn purely as an ornament. However, it is an important part of the Omani male attire. The dignity, the respect and the sheer form of identity that it commands in the wearer can only be understood by an Omani. But there has been a worry from certain quarters that khanjars, “which were alien to the Omani society and not adhering to the strict specifications, rules and regulations were slowly creeping into the market”, which was what B&W had set off to find. FAKE KHANJARS So, we put forth this query on ‘fake’ khanjars to Murtadha. There were some who feared khanjar lookalikes were forming a threat to the Omani identity. What did Murtadha think of the so-called ‘counterfeit’ khanjars?
P32 February 2019 AMBASSADORS OF KHANJARS “An Omani khanjar is made of pure silver. The silver in the khanjar would be worth around OMR200 and we could price the crafting of the dagger to somewhere around OMR600 – Now, what would a buyer want? A khanjar with pure and heavy silver, or something else? Tourists want khanjars as souvenirs. But, even these souvenirs are not 'fake' khanjars because they are just khanjars with less quantity of silver and lesser workmanship – other than this, they don’t create any harm. In fact, they can represent themselves as ambassadors of the real khanjars!” ALL ASLI
Nasser bin Saif bin Said Al Hatmi, director, training and production, handicrafts at the Public Authority for Crafts and Industry (PACI), added: “Whatever materials are used to make the khanjar today, it still retains its identity. Silver was used quite heavily in the earlier days. Rhino horns, ivory and sandalwood was used to make the handles…now, all of this has changed but the identity, the shape, the size all remain the same. “The silver content maybe less; handles are made of fibre, cow horn or even wood, but whatever they are made of, they are all asli khanjars!”
COVER STORY NO FAKES Opinion is NOT divided among the other makers, experts and sellers of the khanjars either. In fact, all of them dismissed this ‘fake’ khanjar story. CHEAPER VERSION Farook Sumar Al Saigh of Ismail Yusuf Sumar and Partner jeweller shop in the Muttrah souq was also very clear about his stance regarding the so-called ‘fake’ khanjars. He said the khanjars that got the ‘fake’ tag were invariably those with less silver and the work was also not painstakingly detailed. “Their handles are of cheaper material, but do bear in mind that these are all made according to the set standards and specifications – therefore, these cannot be called fake; you may however, call them the ‘cheaper’ version”. ONLY CHEAPER ONES Hamyar bin Hamad Al Amri, a young khanjar maker and owner of the Konoz Herafeya khanjar shop seemed to echo the statement of Farouk Sumar Al Saigh: “There are no fake khanjars in the market – only cheaper ones made of less expensive materials and all of them set to the right standards and specifications!” What differs is the weight and quality of the silver. Also, today, there is a market for the cheaper,
BLACK & WHITE simpler and lighter versions. It satisfies certain demands but does not compromise with the standards or specifications, Hamyar pointed out. AFFORDABILITY IS THE ISSUE Irfan Amanat, a sales person at a khanjar shop in the Muttrah Souq added that low priced khanjars were also in demand with the Omanis too. “Of course, the silver content in these khanjars are quite low. They weigh less and are very cheap – it is affordability that drives the sales of these khanjars and no, they are not fake.”
Almost all of those whom B&W met in the field of khanjar making and selling were of the same opinion: fake khanjars don’t exist. Yes, the quality of the silver, the quality of the craftsmanship on the khanjars could be lower than many but they were not fake. A sane comment from an observer on the issue added value to this line of thought propagated by those in the khanjar making-selling market : “These khanjars are not ‘fake’ in that sense of the word. You could have called them fake if they (the lower quality ones) were being sold at the same rate as the highly priced ones. But when the quality is low, the price is equally matching. So where is the dispute?”
Expat khanjar makers There are a host of khanjar makers in Sur and Sinaw, which are considered to be two of the main khanjarmaking areas in Oman. But, today, more than the Omani khanjar maker, it is the expatriate khanjar makers that are found there. These expatriates do stick to tradition and are under the complete supervision of the Omani traditional khanjar makers. But the paradigm shift is unmistakably evident.
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Revised design of Omani khanjar
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HE ministerial decision No (195/2017) issued by the ministry of commerce and industry (MOCI) has revised the metrological standard of the Omani khanjar (dagger). A report on this was issued in October 2017: The standard was endorsed as: Omani Metrological Standard and Omani Technical Regulation, replacing the previous standard. The metrological standards are mainly concerned with the general requirements of the Omani khanjar, its types, and its main part, the one forged for costumes or the one used as souvenirs. Moreover, this standard does not apply to the Khanjars that are not to be sold. The standard included the main guidelines for the Omani khanjar and it is to be forged from silver. It is one of the necessary accessories of the traditional costumes of the Omani man and he has to wear it during social and national occasions. The khanjar used to be forged of pure silver taken from old melted silver coins. From now on, the manufacturers should use pure silver alloys to forge the khanjar. The standard also established the shape of the Omani khanjar specifying that it should be like oval cylinders, and the distance between their angles is no more than 4 centimetres and the distance between the two heads of the cylinder is no more than 10 centimetres. These measures can be changed according to the size of the khanjar. The cylinder is to be bent to the left like a triangle, whose angle is
between 85 and 95 degrees. The decision pointed out to the main parts of the Omani khanjar. The upper part consisting from: the handle — it is the connection to the blade, the upper part of the khanjar, its size and carve differs according to the khanjar type, it is also considered to be the khanjar’s most important component. It is manufactured from different materials according to the province; for example, wood, ivory, animal’s horns or wax materials. The upper part of the handle is called ‘Kabasha or Kabshan’; the lower part is called ‘Kataf or Aktaf’. The decision clarified that the khanjar mainly consists of the hand, sheath, and belt and that its shape differs from one governorate to the other. The handle types vary as follows: Plate handle is of silver plate and made in harmony with its shape; Hittite handle is decorated by small silver nails inside the handle; Shellac is a red wax which is used in some parts in the khanjar. In most of the khanjars, the handle or all of it is covered; and bano is a piece of leather embroidered with silver. The standard also clarified that the materials used to manufacture the khanjar are: industrial ivory, wood, cattle bones, and cattle horns. Also, some animal leather is
used, especially when it comes to manufacturing some parts of the khanjar, the belt for example. In addition, fabrics like cotton and wool is used to manufacture liners for the handle. Precious stones can be used as alternatives to manufacture some parts in the khanjar, mainly the handle. The ministry emphasised the importance of the requirements when it comes to manufacturing the khanjar, it should only be forged in the authorised places according to the good practice of industry. It should maintain the distinguished traits of the Omani khanjar; most importantly, it should be made as per the ministerial decision with no modifications that would alter its identity. The decision said that the khanjar should have some data like the weight of silver or gold, year of manufacture, ‘Made In Oman’ statement, the khanjar type, the name of manufacture, and any other data that the manufacturer see as important inscribed in it.
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Muttrah’s khanjar maestro
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AHFOUDH Khamis bin Said Al Hasani is not too happy, if the frown on his brows is any indicator. In one hand he holds the qarn (Al-qarn or the handle of an Omani khanjar) and with the other he tries to push in a blade with a silver collar full of resin (adhesive). To the untrained eye, it looks okay, but Mahfoudh Al Hasani’s brow still holds a heavy frown. He works on it for some more time and then he tilts his head back, looks at it again. The frown disappears. This goes on as Mahfoudh, the khanjar master of Muttrah, ‘fixes’ around 10 to 15 pieces, which makes up Oman’s unique khanjar, in a semi-khanjar fixing demo. Mahfoudh had agreed to this task wherein he would allow us to click shots of the process and also regale us with the actual work on a step-by-step basis. But, somewhere in the making, the khanjar master forgot that he had some eager-beaver viewers who were waiting on the side for any nuggets of information that he would provide. But Mahfoudh got so immersed in his work and soon he was in a world of his own, melting silver, fixing the blade, tapping away with his little mallet, and then after 15 minutes of pure, unadulterated and silent work, he tilts his head back for the second time during the task. He intently views the finished piece and a sliver of a satisfied smile escapes his lips. Not a worry line was furrowing his brow. Suddenly he remembers the viewers and proudly displays the khanjar. We cheer while he is all smiles.
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A firsthand display of the tightening or the fixing of the parts that make a khanjar by the master himself. MANY ARTISANS, ONE MASTER But, the Omani khanjar making art is not the work of a single person. No one can take the sole credit, explains Mahfoudh, owner of Yahya jewellery, a khanjar and silver jewellery shop cum workshop in Muttrah. “Khanjar making is an art steeped in Omani tradition and is an integral part of our lives,” explains Mahfoudh. And he awows: This will never change. “I am in this field right from childhood, and so was my father and his father and so on. This art and trade is a family tradition and the legacy is passed down to me since generations and it will continue,” Mahfoudh says, noting how his father, a master khanjar craftsman, had a full-fledged and dedicated team under him (to make different parts of the khanjar). FAMILY TRADE “My father, Khamis bin Said Al Hasani, was considered to be one of the most reputed craftsmen of his time in the Muttrah area and
I am very proud to have learned the craft from him. People from far and near used to come to order for khanjars. In the late 60s, as a child, after school, I would train under my father, helping, assisting and getting trained, learning the nuances of this unique craft directly from the master. All craftsmen learn their craft as a hands-on experience. It cannot be learnt overnight and even if there are training centres out there, unless you have the inclination, coupled with passion and an untiring and determined approach, it is not an easy task.” MASTERPIECES Moreover, it is a team effort, reiterates Mahfoudh. To first create the more than a dozen pieces and then to fix it and embellish it, requires a full team, complete dedication and patience, he notes. “So many craftsmen are involved and working hours at end to create the khanjar. “These pieces come in different designs and materials from the handle to the blade inside and are
put together by one master. Each piece is an art by itself. If it does not fit the khanjar in total, it will be discarded and redone. There is no acceptance for mediocre or faulty pieces, because the final product has to be completely flawless and an immaculate piece of work. Putting together of a khanjar itself takes a good five to six hours. But when this piece is finally done, I can proudly say, it is a piece of history and heritage, a tradition that has been hand crafted, a unique designer piece, to fit in the body and soul of the person who ordered it. This khanjar is not a use and throw piece, but will go on to become a family heirloom, to be handed over from father to son, depicting and re creating the Omani tradition; and I repeat, not the effort of just one man, but by a team of craftsmen.” A LONG-STANDING TRADITION Wearing a khanjar is a very unique part of an Omani's lifestyle. The Omani attire is incomplete without the khanjar, Mahfoudh said. “Though it looks similar, every
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piece is created for that specific individual, measured according to his weight, height, personality traits etc. Though every khanjar has standard specifications, if you look at every piece I have created, you will see that each one of them is a designer piece. That is how khanjars were created hundreds of years before and it should continue in the same tradition. Omani khanjars are not a mass-produced commodity item. They are symbols of identity of a person, of a community!” PATIENCE GOES A LONG WAY When you spent hours of your day and night creating a product, you will be putting in your heart and soul in the work. The end result will be equally filled with heart and soul and entirely unique. “Khanjar making is an art that needs patience as a permanent virtue. And from this patience comes the learning process of the art. Years of making khanjars have given me an eye for detail as well as judging the purity of silver it takes to make the khanjar, the handle and materials used, the sizes required and the matching designs. And that gives you the overall aerial view of the final finished product,” Mahfoudh said, noting that he can distinguish between a high-quality traditional khanjar and a low quality one in just a look. PUTTING A KHANJAR TOGETHER The khanjar consists of several parts (around 10 to 15 separate pieces). However, a khanjar comprise of: blade, Al-Qat’ah (sheath), al-qarn (handle) and belt. The blade is made mostly of iron or stainless steel with iron. In the earlier days the blades of Omani khanjars were produced locally, now they are imported too. Two
Golden gift: A nearly OMR 15,000 priced khanjar made out of gold as a show piece gift, ordered and handmade for a special occasion
wooden pieces make the sheath, which is covered by leather, or silver plates. The sheaths, covered with leather are embroidered with silver threads/strings of finest quality in intricate and typical regional designs; however if the sheath is made of silver sheets, designs covering it are engraved. Al-Qarn gives the khanjar a majestic appearance and is the strongest gripping part for the blade inside. This is made from animal horns, such as rhinos, deer or giraffe bones, sandalwood
or ivory. The cost of the khanjar depends a lot on the material of the handle, with animal horns being very expensive. Al-Qarn is also decorated with silverwork like studs, beads, dots etc. The blade is fixed into the qarn by a silver collar full of resin (adhesive). The belt is of leather or silver embroidered fabric with silver loops and chains and adjusted according to the size. PASS ON THE TRADITION “The Omani khanjar has evolved over hundreds of years and come
www.blackandwhiteoman.com in different designs: Saidi, Nizwani, Suri, Beduwi, Shamali (northern) and Sahali (coastal). These six designs are set according to the region, with the Saidi design being the most popular one. “To create a good khanjar, based on materials used and procured,
COVER STORY it takes approximately 30 days to maybe three-months. This intricate craft should be taught with due diligence and passed on to the younger generation just like our grand fathers/fathers/ elders in the family. This craft is part of the life
February 2019 P37 of an Omani. Strict discipline and patience to learn the craft in its originality will keep it alive. Who else would be a better artisan to create a khanjar, than an Omani himself who wears it with pride and sense of belonging?” Mahfoudh concluded.
“If it is a mediocre one – it is NOT a khanjar!”
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AHFOUDH is dismissive of the whole idea of fake khanjars. But his reaction is based on a different reasoning. For a master craftsman like him, a khanjar cannot be a mediocre or a faulty one. It cannot have anything less or more. It has to be perfect in every sense of the word. In other words, if any aspect of the khanjar is less, then it is low in the eyes of Mahfoudh. Therefore the word fake does not fit in the lexicon of the master. He is dismissive of the mediocre ones itself so where does he have room to embrace one that is of lower standards?
ABLY ASSISTING THE MASTER
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EERTI Soni is the best example of the expatriate khanjar maker. While certain quarters may frown at the idea of expatriates making khanjars, it is however a part of the khanjar-making scene, especially when there are several of them engaged in the task in areas in Sur and Sinaw. Keerti, who is from Bhuj, Gujarat, joined khanjar-master Mahfoudh’s team in 1977 and since then he has been ably assisting him as well as managing the workshop, and various aspects of khanjar making and trading. “I have been assisting the khanjar master at the Muttrah workshop since the last 35 years,” he said noting that despite the advent of modernity, the sale of khanjars in the souq was always good. Keerti originally began his career in the field of silver and gold jewellery but then thanks to Mahfoudh, he has learnt the complete art of khanjar making and the traditional values it symbolises. “I credit my whole life’s training in this art to my master Mahfoudh,” Keerti humbly noted.
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A lifetime spent making khanjars
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OME items in the shop of the top master-khanjar maker and silversmith Yahya bin Soud bin Mohammed Al Ma’awali, will never be sold. These are the precious family treasures of Yahya who has been guarding them over the
years. And some like the sharp khanjar blade, which Yahya noted was just over 100 years old, or the mekhala -- of a Saidi khanjar – which was over 150 years old, are the other treasures in Al Fakhama Silver shop in Wadi Al Ma’awel, Nakhl, which may never pass hands. As they age, so they grow in their values and while they maybe family heirlooms, which may be passed on from generations to generations in this well-known khanjar making family in Wadi Al Ma’awel, what is more important is the legacy of the actual art or the craft of making khanjars that seems set to be passed on to the coming generations within this family. That is more precious than any item of value, Yahya notes as he unveils to us the story of his life.
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Excerpts: TRADITIONAL CRAFTS AND FAMILY TRADE “I must have been six or seven years when I first started getting interested in khanjars. My family has been in the silver and khanjar making and selling business for many decades -from my great grandfather’s days onwards. The trade and craft has been handed over from one generation to the other. My father, Soud bin Mohammed Al Ma’awali, was a well-known silversmith in the region and perhaps all over Oman. He learned the art from his father and also trained himself at various other outlets, even
in silver and gold factories in Bahrain. Since I had an inclination towards the craft from my childhood itself, I quickly learned the basics and got trained under my father. My father passed away last year in his 80s, but even until he breathed his last, he was working on khanjars. My father was very passionate about his craft and never compromised on his work. My three sons, Faisal, Zachariah and Al Julund have also learned the craft and they assist me in the production. However Faisal takes care of the silver shop along with me. The traditional values and the craft will continue in the families who are involved in the trade for years. That is not going to change.
Soud bin Mohammed Al Ma’awali, Yahya's father
WHAT IS A PERFECT KHANJAR? There are six styles of Omani khanjars made in Oman: Saidi, Nizwani, Suri, Beduwi, Shamali (northern), and Sahali (coastal). The Saidi and Suri designs are the most preferred. The Saidi design is a striking carved design and I get many orders for it. A typical Omani
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khanjar has many parts, created and hand crafted by a team of artisans and put together by a senior master. The different parts take time to be created and when put together defines the person who is wearing it. A perfect khanjar is the one that is created as in the olden days; hand crafted, silver engraved, leather sheaths stitched in traditional design by silver strings, with silver rings and a handle that creates a definite character to that piece. The blade of the khanjar is a very significant part and is selected and created in the same meticulous manner. In the olden days, the blade, which is made of iron and stainless steel of the finest quality, is quite long lasting. I have seen some that are 60 to 70 years old, if not more. A full-fledged handcrafted khanjar is a prized possession of its owner and many will not part with their precious dagger for any price. There is no compromise in creating the right piece. People wait longer periods for the materials of their desire and will not settle for a substitute. In the early days, a khanjar is considered a once-in-a-lifetime possession. A lot of care, attention and time along with money are invested in to the making of a single khanjar, which would be passed on
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P40 February 2019 to the next generation. An Omani dress and personality is incomplete without the traditional khanjar and hence it is a symbol of the national identity. At our workshop we make khanjars from OMR600 rials upto OMR2500 and most of them are created within a span of 25 to 30 days per piece. In a year we make around 150 to 200 pieces. THERE ARE NO FAKES Any Omani khanjar, produced locally, and worn by the locals are not fakes. There are cheaper versions of the khanjar, made out of lower quality materials, for example like the plastic-fiber handle. Sometimes, the silver used will be of lesser weight, but all follow the strict standards. In the olden days, the handles were made of animal horns and they
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were naturally rare and expensive, but strict animal protection rules have completely reduced the making and sale of such handles although the demand still exists. So the handles are made of less expensive materials that are available and accepted in the local market and cleared by the authorities. Today there is a growing demand for less expensive khanjars. And so to supplement the demand, more and more of these are being created. These khanjars are used by Omanis who have to attend functions, both personal and professional. Sur and Sinaw and even the Nizwa souqs have many trained expatriate khanjar makers. These expatriate workers came in many years ago as helpers in khanjar making shops and slowly, over the years, learnt the craft and when the situation arose, began to create khanjars too too. This
is a phenomenon that has been happening in these souqs for the last few decades. THE DEMAND IS MORE There is more demand for the Omani khanjars today - probably one of the reasons for the growth in the trade of the cheaper versions. And the wearing of the khanjar is also occasional, at weddings, festivals, celebrations and such rare occasions. In the good old days, it was more frequently worn. Silver jewellery was a thriving business in the olden days, but then the rate of silver was only around OMR30/40 per kilo. But, the price has grown phenomenally and today you can get a kilo’s worth of silver around OMR600. So the preference for less silver could not only be for physical comfort, but also based on affordability.
DIFFERENT PARTS OF KHANJAR -->
Trained by the best
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IKE father, like son is a wornout cliché, but FaisaI bin Yahya Al Ma’awali, fits the bill. Faisal, who assists his father, Yahya, at the latter’s shop is an emerging khanjar-making expert too. Having been trained by one of the best men in the art, the legacy of the craft is ensured to continue unabated not only in the family, but also for Oman. “I am fortunate to have learnt this craft not only from my father, but from someone who is the best in this art,” Faisal said. “I am entrusted with this responsibility to carry forth this tradition, which I feel very proud about. My father is a very strict and disciplined teacher, but the advantage is that you are learning
from the best and you are given the freedom to excel in this art,” he noted. Faisal holds a government job and he joins his father at the silver workshop in the afternoons. “Silver jewellery and khanjar making has been a way of life in our families and as a young boy, I started assisting my father and quickly learned the craft. “We grew up in this atmosphere and know the different nuances of the craft, right from its creation to various parts of the khanjar that are being put together. “I believe that everything comes with the right learning and continuous practice. The Omani khanjar is unique to our community and is part of our
FaisaI bin Yahya Al Ma’awali, Yahya's son
lives. Every single part of the khanjar is vital and unique, so care and creativity is also very critical,” he added.
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All things khanjar
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HINK Omani tradition. Think Murtadha Al Lawati. Think about any subject on Oman’s tradition, culture or heritage and one name will pop up: Murtadha. Murtadha Al Lawati, director of the Place and People Museum (Ghalya’s Museum of Modern Art) museum in Corniche, who is a fount of information on all things traditional in Oman. So, when it came to the Omani khanjar…who else but Murtadha! To make his brief on the khanjar more descriptive, he brought two of his own prized khanjars and explained with them. One of them, his favourite, was made by the khanjar master, Yahya bin Soud bin Mohammed Al Ma’awali (featured in this issue) from Wadi Al Ma’awel, Nakhl. Excerpts: THE SILVER LINING Omani khanjars are made of silver. Silver in Oman and in the Arab world is considered to be holy metal. It is often said that “gold is the heavy wind in hell and silver is the gentle breeze in heaven”. That’s why silver is given an elevated status within the Arab and muslim culture. If you go to Egypt, you will find Egyptian jewellery for women in silver, not in gold. This includes other countries like Afghanistan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. So the muslim communities are more close to silver than gold. Though gold was and is expensive, it isn’t in the culture here in Oman. If you look at old Omani jewellery, you’ll hardly
find anything in gold. Because in terms of purity (alluding to the belief that it is from heaven) silver has more than an edge and this is why it is used in the Omani khanjar. MADE OF MANY PIECES When people see the Omani khanjar, they see it as one piece. But in reality, it isn’t. It’s almost 15 to 16 pieces. And if it’s a seven-ring khanjar, then it could go up to 20 pieces. Each piece is made by either the khanjar maker himself, which is rare, or it will be made by different artisans. And everything is made from scratch, even today. MAN WITH BEAUTIFUL EYES The magic or the masterwork comes with what we call the khanjar
maker. He’s actually a khanjar parts fitter. He gathers all the pieces and fuses them into one beautiful masterpiece; a work of art. This man has a ‘beautiful’ eye so that he can gather all the pieces together to make the ideal piece for the wearer. The ability to put them together is a unique gift. ACCORDING TO THE BODY STRUCTURE The khanjar is made based on certain elements. Imagine if the owner is short and on the portly side. Would a long and sleeklooking khanjar suit him? No. Then the khanjar maker will make the khanjar to suit his size. So if the man is tall and is big in size, the khanjar would also be made in a suitable
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Murtadha's prized khanjars; his favourite is the Saidi one (L), the other is a Suri (R)
manner. Therefore, the khanjar is made based on the individual body shape. Sometimes we see people wearing khanjars that are ill suited to their body structure. That means they bought it! CHECK THE HANDLES FIRST Regarding the handles, previously khanjars were made out of rhinoceros horns. It was considered to be a symbol of manhood and perhaps a display of luxury. But that wasn’t the actual reason. People used to prefer handles which had animal parts in their weaponry. If they were travelers and they were in a desert and had a weapon made of rhino horn with them, predators, like wolves, would sense this rhino smell and keep away. Now, the khanjar: it has a blade or a knife inside and it is sharp. The khanjar inside can have one masilha (silan or spine). You find the masilha on the swords and knives. It
is finally a weapon in the end. So in a battle, when this part, the spine, gets in to the stomach or body, it allows air to get in and a swift kill is ensured. Some khanjars have two or three masilhas, for show. In Oman the knife is more important than the entire khanjar itself. So the knife and the handle are of the top priority as far as the khanjar is concerned. If someone wanted to buy a khanjar, he should first check the knife and the handle. That is the most important variant. The handles used to be made of rhino horns, but now, no, adhering to the strict animal protection rules. The knife – which is made of pure white steel -- has different names. And it’s very thin. As per the Omani myth, the beautiful khanjar knife was made of lightning. THE TALE OF THE HIYA As per the folktale, a traveller was stuck in a storm in the vast desert.
Luckily, he finds a house and enters it. Only the lady of the house was present, but she does not refuse him entry, but makes him welcome and also asks him to help himself to a sack of dates. He would also find a knife nearby to assist in cutting the date sack, the lady informed. They traveller grimaces when he is confronted with a filthy, rusty knife. But the pangs of hunger overpower him and he gets over the distaste of having to use a dirty knife and finally takes it. To his amazement, the knife slices through the sack and even cuts the stones beneath. He was shocked but quickly realised that this knife was the legendary ‘hiya’. And the owner most probably didn’t want anyone to realise that and disguised it as a dirty, rusty object so that no would steal it. Before leaving the house, he told the lady of the house, that he wanted to express his gratitude,
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When you buy a khanjar from the market, you have to bear in mind that the variety and quality will differ. The khanjars are available from varying price range and quality. It depends on what the buyer wants. A highquality khanjar will be made of pure silver. This thick silver in a khanjar would be worth around OMR 200 and the craft would be around OMR 600. So it depends on whether the buyer wants something of high or low quality. for sheltering him from the storm and for extending the hospitality to him, by replacing the rusty knife with a silver khanjar as a gift. The innocent women readily agreed, much to the consternation of the man of the house, who, when he returned back to his home, discovers the absence of his beloved ‘hiya’. The wife happily told him the story and displayed the silver khanjar gift. The man of the house was devastated and admonished his wife saying, “you don’t know what you have done: you have given my soul away”. He then ran out of the house in a desperate bid to find his beloved hiya (the knife). Thankfully, soon enough the sky heard his desperate pleas and when the lightning struck again, the hiya was back in his hand.
It is a legacy that will be passed on from generation to generation. Even young Omani boys are keen to wear them. We only hope that more artisans work on this craft and we are able to keep this tradition alive. This beauty should not disappear because it is one craft of supreme quality.
NOT FAKES When you buy a khanjar from the market, you have to bear in mind that the variety and quality will differ. What I mean to say is that the khanjars are available from varying price range and quality. It depends on what the buyer wants. A high-quality khanjar will be made of pure silver. This thick silver in a khanjar would be worth around OMR 200 and the craft would be around OMR 600. So it depends REGIONAL KHANJARS on whether the buyer wants There are some varieties of something of high or low quality. khanjars. Every region in Oman As a tourist, everybody wants a has its own specialty with distinct khanjar as a souvenir. I don’t want patterns. You can tell which region a to call it a fake khanjar because khanjar is based from its design. they are only low quality ones. But they all adhere to the original They don’t create any harm. In form of khanjar, sticking to that fact, they can even be viewed as shape -- only the design and ambassadors for the real khanjar. patterns change. There are khanjars with tree/ INGRAINED IN THE DNA flower patterns or dots/takaseer Generations of Omanis to come patterns. Apart from this, all will continue with the tradition. I khanjars are the same and they all have no doubts on that. It is part adhere to the specifications. of the system and it is ingrained in the DNA of the Omani. The A LEGACY TO PASS ON government is promoting all The Omani khanjar is like a aspects of tradition and culture culture, which continues to exist and the people themselves know and time will not erode its value. that a traditional part of the
Omani dress features the khanjar and so they will continue to wear, promote and preserve it. They will understand the different types of khanjars that are available in the market and also the difference between a good and low quality one. But, when it comes to the tourists, it’s a totally different ballgame. NO PROBLEMS IN DISTINGUISHING And an Omani will not have any issues in distinguishing between a top quality khanjar from it’s poorer cousin. Wouldn’t you? That would be like trying to pass off a low quality car for a high-end version. Who will not know the difference? But tourists may have a slight problem there and my advice to them would be to garner all the information possible on this and be better equipped when confronted with such situations. I would advise tourists to google and get information or at least visit museums and learn firsthand about them. But we can’t say don’t sell the replicas because they have to be there. The market needs this. People want to buy it. INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE Also, another point I want to make is that a khanjar is also an investment. Take this one (he brandishes one of the khanjars) for example; it could easily fetch me over a thousand rials. And, believe me, there are buyers!
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Khanjar will weather the march of time Words run dry for Nasser bin Saif bin Said Al Hatmi as he tried to describe the various attributes of the Omani khanjar. This is not because he does not have much to say about it – the truth is otherwise. Nasser Al Hatmi, the director, training and production, Public Authority for Crafts and Industries (PACI) has too much to say and as he seriously notes, he can talk forever about khanjar, which is his pet subject.
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MANI KHANJAR: COMPLETES THE OMANI ATTIRE “The Omani society is steeped in rich culture and traditional values. Even if modernity has ushered in progress and evolution, Omanis still proudly wear the traditional dishdashas, the musrs and the attire is complete only when it is adorned with the traditional Omani khanjar,” Nasser explained with pride. “Omanis will still wear what is in line with the Omani identity. We wear the Omani attire with great pride and we cherish the local culture and traditions that go along with it. This tradition grows up with every Omani, and is passed on to the future generation. The khanjar is worn by every child for
festivals, school functions, family get togethers and ceremonies. They grow up with it, hearing the tales, watching, copying the elders, and later on identifying with it. It is a very strong and well-followed tradition, which will weather the march of time.”
I use to listen to the tales that our elders told us about the khanjars. But mostly what caught my eye were the intricate designs, meticulously woven on to the khanjar. This interest fuelled not only my love for the khanjar but also gave wings to the inner artist in me,” Nasser explained.
LOVE FOR KHANJAR Ever since childhood, Nasser had a certain fascination for the khanjar. “I guess it was the design and the traditionalistic culture of the Omani khanjar that always fascinated me. The designs were captivating, the idea behind it original and rich. “As a child, I saw the elders in the family wearing it with pride at various functions. The importance could be felt at every occasion it was worn;
THE YOUNGER GENERATION KNOWS He said contrary to popular sentiment, the younger generation of Omanis knew the importance of the Omani khanjar. “They loved, respected and valued it. Every Omani child grows up seeing and experiencing the tradition of the khanjar. When he is a small boy, he gets to wear one, a smaller version with no sword in it at family,
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PRESERVE OMANI KHANJAR, WEAR IT AT ALL OCCASIONS In the earlier days, Omanis wore the khanjar on all occasions; it was part of the male attire. Currently the use of the khanjar is limited to special occasions and family or official functions. “My message to the younger generation would be to preserve the tradition of the Omani khanjar by wearing it more often and ensuring that it is part of your lives. We should be proud that we are a community that stands uniquely apart from many other nations with our distinct national attire. Encourage your friends and family members to carry on the tradition proudly, wear it at all times,” he stressed. school functions, marriages, Eid celebrations etc. He then grows up aspiring to own a real one. This desire is common in every Omani child. Very soon, he will start missing it if he is not wearing it!” PACI: PROTECTING THE OMANI KHANJAR At the PACI, they were all united in one thought: to protect and preserve the Omani khanjar for not just tomorrow, but forever. To a query, he said: “The traditional Omani khanjar is one and the same. Whatever materials are used to make the khanjar today, it still retains its identity. Of course, in the earlier days, the silver content in a khanjar was quite heavy. The handle of the khanjar used to be made of expensive rhino horns, ivory, sandalwood etc, which made
the khanjar a collector’s item. The khanjar blade was in pure stainless steel and the sheath for the sword was decorated in heavy silver embroidery. A team of craftsmen used to work together to create one khanjar. Each region had its own preferences and styles.” TRENDS CHANGE “Today, the trend has changed, but the identity, shape, size and content of the khanjar remains the same. The silver could be reduced according to the budget limits, the handle could be made from fiber or wood, but essentially whatever they are made of, all are asli Omani khanjars!” PRESERVED, PROTECTED AND TRAINED “The khanjar is part and parcel
of a distinct Omani culture and it is not something to be trifled with,” he said. “At the PACI, we run a training course for silver jewellery and khanjar making, teaching young Omanis how to make the traditional khanjar. Rules and regulations are already set and the Omani khanjar is thereby well protected and preserved. There are governmental entities that are concerned with the protection of the Omani khanjar. They offer protection by determining the specifications and standards for the manufacture of the khanjar and also ensure protection of its parts. ” Khanjars come in different price ranges, according to the materials used, but the number of elements that is put together remains common and constant, Nasser added.
The centre of extraordinary craft Outside an ordinary-looking building somewhere in Al Khoud (*), a few cars are parked, and signs of activity are conspicuous by their absence. Life did not stir from even the neighbouring houses. But once you get past the singularly common-looking façade and get inside the workrooms you will see a flurry of activity where a dozen or so women are engaged in extraordinary craft. The art of khanjar making is not just special, it bypasses certain art norms, in the sense, it is not a product of a single person, in fact, many hands make a khanjar and it certainly “does not spoil the broth”.
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UT, there is no unnecessary chatter or work folk lolling around sipping coffee. In fact, the serenity of the room is only broken by the gentle work sounds of busy women painstakingly working on various parts of the khanjar, including its sheath, its handle and belt. All of them are under the supervision of a young and enterprising Omani girl, an enthusiastic and dynamic Omani designer and silversmith and an experienced Omani khanjar making supervisor of the centre. This is the Training and Production Centre of Khanjar and Silver Works under the Public Authority for Crafts
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Industries (PACI) in Al Khoudh. “This centre provides training for Omani men and women in the art of khanjar making,” explained Saleh Al Sharji, the centre’s designer. After taking us through the mechanics of the various machines involved, their make and their cost, Saleh, a graphic-designer turned silversmith with a penchant for khanjar making, took us to the room where the women were bent in their khanjar-making task. After having learnt the basics, the women were now engaged in the actual khanjar-making process, handling different pieces, and working on the stitching, embroidery and other related tasks.
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“The PACI trains Omanis in the art of khanjar making, to protect, preserve and train the youth to uphold the tradition in the right way. The training is provided from scratch and in this case includes crafting, stitching, designing every bit and part of the khanjar, and executed in the most traditional manner. “Currently, we have 14 trainees who are undergoing the craft training here and the centre provides the transfer of knowhow as well as all basic raw materials, be it the silver string or the leather sheath to the trainees. All tools for the various processes involved in the trade are also provided, along with the training to use them. The end
www.blackandwhiteoman.com products created by them is either displayed at exhibitions or sold, whenever the occasion arises. More and more women are getting in to the trade of khanjar making. The craft requires a lot of patience and creativity and women certainly have both,” he pointed out. PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE To a query, Saleh noted that Oman is a nation that is steeped in tradition and culture and has a unique and distinctive national dress, with the musrs, dishdashas and the traditional Omani khanjars. “A male Omani dress is incomplete without the khanjar. “The khanjar was part of our lives in the past; it still is and will always be a part with the coming generations too. I am basically a graphic designer, who first stepped in to a world of arts, then trained in copper works and finally in to silversmithing and khanjar designing. I have been in this creative field for over 12 years, four of which in khanjar making. I am now supervising the design and production at this centre,” Saleh explained. ONLY ASLI KHANJARS Saleh was also clear about the non-existence of the ‘fake’ khanjars
COVER STORY in the market: “A khanjar, by any standard, has to be asli in Oman, be it made of cheaper quality materials or with the heavy silver and expensive woodwork and handle etc. The mass and quickly produced khanjars at Sur and Sinaw markets by expatriates are not fake. They may have been made by the expatriates, but the latter were also taught and trained by Omanis, who brought them initially as their assisting staff. These khanjars also follow the specifications set by the authorities concerned and therefore do not fall into the category of ‘fake’. They are cheaper versions, created by local demand too. “Sur and Sinaw has always been the hub of khanjar making since years
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and those markets are very active even today. The khanjars made there have a wide price range: you can buy an expensive heavy silvered good quality one, as well as a cheaper one; but again the market for cheap khanjars have sprung up only due to local demand and driven by the affordability factor!”
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Preservation of an identity
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ATLOOBA Al Balushi, the quiet supervisor, who preferred to be in the background, displayed original works of art, which the students had created. These included a variety of silverware, including khanjars. We wondered aloud why the market did not directly purchase these pieces from the centre and went for the highly expensive ones displayed in swank malls. Even if they don’t purchase, couldn’t they at least promote centres such as this or support the students? But some queries never find an answer and neither Matlooba nor Saleh could offer an explanation. They were resigned to the fact that most people were attracted to the glitter often forgetting that centres such as these produce fine pieces of silverware and khanjars and market
support could actually spawn small but sufficient industries contributing to the livelihood of at least some segment of the Omani population. However, Matlooba expressed great pride in the fact that the centre contributed to fuelling as well as preserving Oman’s biggest symbol of tradition. THE RIGHT TRAINING “The tradition of the Omani khanjar has been handed over from one generation to another over hundreds of years. The local community still cherishes the khanjar and this tradition is handed down to the youth, who are equally proud and open to learning the craft. “The PACI centre provides all the required knowledge and teaches the craft in a disciplined manner, training and teaching the participants to master the craft and
make it their career or profession. A fully-trained candidate is taught all of the processes involved, the history, the tradition and equip them with market information, so that after the training they are fully equipped to create an Omani khanjar on their own in a span of two years. “The tradition of khanjar will always remain an integral part of the Omani society,” she opined.
Omani khanjar: a symbol of character
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HE young Ahlam Al Siyabi who was directly supervising the current batch of students is a star product of the centre itself. “I was trained at this centre and it gives me great satisfaction to pass on all that I have learnt to the new trainees here,” she enthused. Ahlam, who is from Barka, noted that her initial interest was in making silver jewellery. “I was interested in learning the art of silver jewellery and tried various art forms, but finally found the real meaning in the craft of khanjar making; it was very intriguing and creative. Nothing gave me so much satisfaction,” she
noted candidly. “I can proudly say today that I am able to put together a traditional khanjar in its full form in 20 days. “Of course, the work involved is not done by one person. Many hands are required for the various processes involved, starting from the design to melting silver. Every silver ball melted, every silver thread woven in, stitched, parts created and glued and bound together is an example of strength.It takes a lot of patience and perseverance and I strongly believe that this craft builds character. What you create is not just an ordinary ornament, it is an embodiment of a strong Omani
tradition that has been marked and accepted as the national identity,” Ahlam said proudly. (*) The centre is located behind the Sayyida bint Mazoon bin Ahmed Mosque in Al Mawaleh South, Al Khoud
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EVERYTHING SHE TOUCHES TURN TO SILVER At one point in time, Nadia bint Said Ahmed Al Rawahi, was the only lady silversmith in the whole of Fanja. A creator of exquisite pieces of traditional silver jewellery – from finger rings to khanjars –many feel that everything that Nadia touches turn in to silvery masterpieces. Trained at the PACI, Nadia is one of the finest silversmiths and khanjar makers in town.
The young khanjar maker
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S we peered through the glass doors of Konoz Herafeya khanjar shop in Al Khuwair, we saw, among the shelves displaying khanjars and other silver works, a special space reserved for awards, certificates, framed press cuttings about its owner, Hamyar bin Hamad Al Amri. We were further impressed when we soon met up with the young owner himself, who is a walkingtalking encyclopaedia of khanjar and perhaps the promising face of today’s young Omani khanjar lovers. Khanjars in Oman will never cease to exist. In fact, they would enjoy resurgence, thanks to the likes of Hamyar. After learning the basic intricacies of the khanjarmaking art from Yasser Sulaiman, an experienced khanjar maker in Nizwa, Hamyar went for further training at the PACI where he graduated as a certified khanjar maker, authorised by the body. Since the last five years, he has been in the field, making, selling, sourcing, collecting khanjars and also one of its most ardent promoters in Oman and even in the region. Khanjars mean everything for him, Hamyar said passionately, noting that selling khanjars was also good business. “I have married, I have a car – khanjars have brought me everything! The khanjar is my present and it is my future too!” he enthused.
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Cow horn used for making handles
FIRST HOBBY, NOW CAREER “As a young boy, I was always intrigued by the Omani khanjar. Maybe the inner artist in me was enamoured by the intricate design, the rich-crafted look, and the royal shape of the khanjar. After studying design, I joined the PACI training and learned the traditional form of khanjar making with all rules and regulations and ventured into this field. I have an official ID issued by the PACI. When I joined the PACI, we were a team of 23 members (three male and 20 female students). I see more girls entering this profession" KHANJAR – OUR IDENTITY “What does the khanjar mean to me? Well, everything. Our khanjar is part and parcel of our lives. It is not just a long-standing tradition, it is our national identity. Not many countries in the world have a unique dress, a head wear or khanjar as its attire -- Omanis have a unique identity. In fact the AGCC itself has a unique identity and the people of other Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Qatar also wear khanjar,” Hamyar noted. The khanjar has also come a long way, evolving in its design, shape and lifestyle, as according to its use. “My wish is that we proudly uphold, cherish and preserve the Omani khanjar in its true glory and pass it on to the future generation. Our beloved and wise leader has taken
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(L) A OMR 100 khanjar and (R) a OMR 300 priced khanjar
all the steps to preserve its glory, preventing its erosion by restricting the import and export of khanjars, setting a standard policy of design and production. I look forward to a future generation who would wear khanjar at all times, on all occasions and not limiting it to weddings and festivals!” he opined. MORE YOUTH AS CUSTOMERS Although the youth were buying khanjars, Hamyar said he noticed a trend among them to choose more lighter and modern versions. What is important is that the Omani youth are not just proud buyers but equally proud wearers, displaying their unique heritage and identity. “I have many customers from the young age group; they select and buy what they need. So we should not call it a dying tradition. I am sure more youth will get into this trade as a fulltime profession, carrying forward the Omani tradition,” he said. COLLECTOR Hamyar’s love for khanjar also has another dimension: he is also an antique khanjar collector. “I do online research and participate in various auctions (online) and buy old khanjars from the USA to Australia to the Europe, bring them down to Oman, learn and study, even repair them and resell, if not collect them.
A collector's piece
I travel to old museums and places to collect materials and older designs. It is my passion to learn more and more of the khanjar!” ONLY ASLIS Hamyar was also of the opinion that there are no fake Khanjars in the market. “You get cheaper ones made with low quality materials. But the design, though not intricately and traditionally engraved, still remains close to the old and traditional design. The shape is the same as the old traditional one, so is the design and the content. What differs is the weight and quality of the silver, the material used on the handle, the intricate
www.blackandwhiteoman.com carving of the design and the leather and woodwork used. Earlier rhino horns, ivory, sandalwood and other rich and expensive materials were used for the handle, stainless silver for the sword, heavy silver for the intricately designed covers. “Every single piece was a collector’s item, a designer piece, one of a kind. Now the trend is for cheaper, simpler, lighter khanjars. So
COVER STORY it is mass produced. And therefore they are quite affordable. In the olden days, the khanjar was a matter of prestige and tradition. Every Omani considered it a piece of his culture and invested in it, passed it on, from one generation to another. It was a matter of pride and dignity. Lot of thought, effort, money and time was invested in it. And all of them wore it every day. The
February 2019 P51 difference today is that khanjar has become an occasional wear. But, the pride and dignity and identity still remain the same, although not much thought and effort and investment is put on it. The new generation want variety not only in design, but affordability is also a key deciding factor. The youth wants it cheap and wants it quickly. When there is a demand, there is supply too,” Hamyar said.
‘Arbabs’ taught the expatriate khanjar makers
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HANJAR stocks in some of the jewellery shops in Muttrah Souq originated from expatriate khanjar makers, mostly from Sur and Sinaw. “These khanjars are obtained from expatriate khanjar makers from Sur and Sinaw who make them and also deliver them to wholesale buyers in the souq,” noted Irfan Amanat, a salesman of Abn Al-Mardoof Trading Establishment – retail jewellers – in Muttrah Souq. “We get stock of the cheaper range of khanjars, which are mostly around OMR120. These are not just for tourists -- we get buyers from the local population too,” he said. Asked how the expatriate khanjar makers learnt this art, Irfan pointed out that they were taught by the traditional Omani khanjar makers, who were mostly their arbabs (sponsors) and once they picked up the art, they began to practice the trade too under the Omani supervision. “This is of course common knowledge,” Irfan noted.
silver articles for the last 10 years, six or seven of which in Salalah. I have seen the khanjar selling trends and I feel that there is always a market for them. “We sell aluminum-coated souvenir pieces at OMR90 onwards, but those are just display pieces, not for wearing.” A smaller-sized khanjar for children and youngsters is sold around OMR90. “Our shop mainly sells khanjars of this price range. They KHANJARS FOR OMR90 TO OMR are quite in demand now with 200 AVAILABLE locals. The silver content in these “Our shop has a collection of silver cheaper versions are very low and khanjars and aluminum-coated ones the craftsmanship is also of lesser too,” Irfan said, adding that the latter standard. Local customers want were only used as souvenirs. “I am to have a walk-in, instant purchase in the business of selling khanjar and today. They do not want to invest
too much and wait for long periods for their orders to be realised,” Irfan said. DEMAND UP DURING EID Irfan noted that their sales peak during specific months. “So we stock up more during the Eid and other celebratory and wedding seasons. Most of our sales are by walk-in customers and there is always a bargain on prices; there are standard rates in market, so a local customer knows what he is asking for. They know what they are buying. These khanjars are not traditional silver heavy, hand crafted ones. They are quickly made, lesser priced because of the cheap materials used, but swiftly consumed!”
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Youth love the khanjar
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s part of our story, Black & White also stepped into the jewellery shop – Ismail Yusuf Sumar and Partner -- in Muttrah souq where we met up with Farook Sumar Al Saigh. “My great grandfather Sumar Abdul Qader established the jewellery in 1910. I learnt this great art from my grandfather Yousuf Sumar,” he told us. Farook noted that Omanis loved their rich culture and tradition. “And I am no different. It is my love for Omani traditions that I am still in this profession. And, I believe that the tradition of khanjar will be here forever. However modern they are, the Omani youth truly loves the khanjar. And so, it is a tradition that will never die as the next generation is always there to take on the mantle and pass on the legacy of the khanjar. And I don’t mean, just the boys, the girls are even more attuned to tradition. As a whole, the Omani youth care about their culture and tradition. However, the current lifestyle makes it a bit difficult to wear a khanjar on a daily basis. But I personally know that more and more people buy the khanjar today. The demand is more, and supply is less. So maybe this could be the reason that lighter khanjars are in more demand.” FEW OMANI CRAFTSMEN LEFT The making of the traditional Oman khanjar takes lot of hard work, effort and talent. The craft is part of a very old tradition,
spanning hundreds of years and is part of the Omani culture that every Omani is proud of. It takes a lot of time – maybe months – to make a full-fledged khanjar and requires team effort. “The khanjar is worn by every Omani male, irrespective of age and social status. It is part of our attire. Though in the good old days, it was part of the everyday dressing, today it is reduced to being a part of every occasion and celebration.” WE DON’T CALL THEM FAKE “Sur and Sinaw are considered the hub of khanjar making, not just now, but since centuries. There are some expatriates making the khanjar at these souks and shops and are the distributors to the jewellery souk and khanjar shops in Muttrah too. These expatriates are making the khanjar, learning from the older generation of Omanis since the early 90s. Also the older Omani craftsmen are very few in numbers and are not physically capable of putting in hard work and long hours, these expatriates learn the trade directly from them. These khanjars are not the traditionally hand-crafted heavysilvered rich ones, but come in lighter versions with less silver and less craft work. Even the handle is made of cheaper fiber fibe material, not the rhino horn or ivory as in the past, but whatever the material, they the are crafted according to the local standards and specifications. These cannot be called a fake – rather, it is a cheaper
version. These lighter ones come in the range of OMR100 to OMR250 only and are affordable to all, while a traditional handcrafted heavy silver khanjar would be in the range of OMR350 rials upto OMR2500,” Farook explained. RENT-A-KHANJAR There are many who even rent a khanjar for special occasions, reveals Farook. “While many cannot afford the heavy-silvered khanjar, others don’t have the time to get a full-fledged khanjar made. So a new market is emerging for those who are in a hurry and need to get a ready khanjar for an occasion or a ceremony,” he said. It should be borne in mind that a khanjar is not worn every single day. They are reserved for weddings and special occasions and most of them today want it for a temporary purpose and don’t have the means to invest in it. “The cheaper versions are born out of convenience. Also do note that the materials used, if they are cheap, will only last that longer. The sword quite often turns rusty. These would be thrown away and not cherished as the real expensive ones, which are passed on from generations. This cheap version will only be a stand by and will never be considered to be equivalent to the traditional one.”
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The sole silver ‘stringer’ of Muttrah
Not many old and traditionally rooted Omani khanjar makers exist, yet, the youngsters are taking up the art very seriously. But there are other areas, like manual silver stringing, which may soon disappear. Very few manual silver ‘stringers’ and silver ‘threaders’ exist, according to the PACI officials and thanks to a lead from the Training and Production Centre for Khanjar and Silver Works in Al Khoud of the PACI, we get the chance to meet Mohammed Anwar, a silversmith, who is believed to be the only manual silver ‘stringer’ in Oman. Anwar, who hails from Sialkot, Pakistan, has been the lone silver stringer in Oman for the last 40 years or so.
A
NWAR’S DEN Tucked away in one of Muttrah souq’s labyrinthine network of narrow lanes, inside a nondescript shop, sits Anwar. The small, fair-looking man – probably in his late 60s -- sits on a sheet on the floor of his tiny workshop, toying with the silver strings as we walk in unannounced. He is busy, but he is neither rude, nor dismissive. In fact, he is gracious, humble and friendly, a testament to the culture of the past to which he belongs. Sensing our impatience, he quickly poses for photos and briefly unveils his past: SIALKOT TO MUTTRAH “I landed in Oman in December 1976 and started as a gold and silversmith. Then, in a few years time, after some stints in other segments, I finally stepped in to the world of silver. I hail from Sialkot in Pakistan
and Oman is – needless to say -my second home for the last four decades plus. “Although I was doing it only manually in the early period, slowly, over the years I brought in machinery to assist me and also help make the work I do in a more authentic and professional manner. All machineries are from Pakistan,” Anwar said. 40 YEARS OF ‘STRINGING’ SILVER Almost every day for the last 40 years, Anwar has been at his shop working from morning to afternoon and then late afternoon to night. It’s the only thing he knows, but the difference was that he knew it well. Referring to market trends, Anwar noted: “When I started work, silver was just OMR48 per kilo but over the years the rates have been steadily escalating and today it is as high as OMR600 per kilo.
“But what this means is that there is demand for good silver work and I think it will remain in the future too. Since the last 40 years I am in to silver works, melting silver to produce silver strings of all sizes and measurements. I can proudly say I am one of the last few silversmiths who can produce silvers strings of the finest 24-carat quality that is used in many Omani jewellery productions and mainly in the Omani khanjar silver works too.” WHAT AFTER HIM? We pounce on his statement of being the last few silversmiths – and perhaps the only one in the area – and ask him that not too subtle query: so what after him? Anwar displayed a very noncommittal smile but his eyes held a revealing glint. We get the drift.
Text: Adarsh Madhavan and Priya Arunkumar. Photos: Hisham Al Riyami.
P54 February 2019
BLACK & WHITE
Cooking with
Squeeze a little lemon juice to your cooking, and have zesty lemon menus on your dinner table in minutes! Lemons contain a high amount of vitamin C, soluble fiber, and plant compounds that give them a number of health benefits. ... Not only are lemons a very healthy fruit, but they also have a distinct, pleasant taste and smell that make them a great addition to foods and drinks.
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February 2019 P55
Basil and lemon shrimps Ingredients: • 2 half tablespoons olive oil or butter, melted • 2 lemons, juiced • 1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves • 3 cloves garlic, minced • Salt to taste • White pepper • Fresh large shrimp, peeled and deveined Method: Mix together olive oil and melted butter. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil, and garlic, and season with salt and white pepper. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat grill to high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade, and thread onto skewers and cook for 3/4 minutes, turning until opaque.
Lemon pepper green beans Ingredients Fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed 2 tablespoons butter Quarter cup sliced almonds 2 teaspoons lemon pepper Method: Place green beans in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover, and cook until tender but still firm, and drain. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute almonds until lightly browned and season with lemon pepper. Stir in green beans, and toss to coat.
LEMONY TIPS: Lemons are available throughout the year Select lemons that are bright and yellow, thick skinned and heavy The outer skin of the lemon, which is referred to as zest, contains a lot of flavor that can also be used to enhance the flavour of foods.
Lemon juice can be used to tenderise meat or it can be used as a substitution for vinegar in dressings
When added to steamed vegetables will help them keep their bright colours and enhance their flavor.
Sauces and foods containing lemon juice help in the digestion of fried foods
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P56 February 2019
The elephant(s) in the room By Sitara Morgenster
H
OW often do you completely ignore someone’s question, to broach the subject you actually want to talk about? I don’t know about you, but it seems drilled in to me to try and answer someone as accurately as possible. Especially in formal situations, where I feel my reputation is at stake. I even seem to have developed an antenna to give the “asker” the answer I think they want to hear. I’m not talking about a politician evading a direct answer to a question from an interviewer, by presenting a whole lot of waffle. No, I’m talking about the politically incorrect way of changing the topic to address one or more elephants in the room. The way that tickles our innate inclination for curiosity and true exploration. The way of pushing boundaries to create real human growth. The way historian Rutger Bregman did at the World Economic Forum in Davos, at the end of last month. Sitting on the Time magazine panel on equality, he was asked a question about his book, but instead of politely answering, delivered a one-and-a-half minute speech confronting all the rich, tax-evading millionaires, billionaires and zillionaires to start paying their share. He explained later in a talk show in his home country that he’d been feeling increasingly uncomfortable during his stay at the high profile global event, “like a firefighter at a firefighters conference, where no one is allowed to talk about water.” So, the night before his appearance on the panel, in his hotel room, he memorised
what he really wanted to say, and sprung it on the unassuming audience and panel leader when asked, well, something completely different. “I hear people talking the language of participation, justice, equality and transparency but almost no one raises the real issue of tax avoidance, right? And of the rich just not paying their fair share,” he said. Of course, it wasn’t just the fact that Bregman challenged the status quo and the powers that be, that got me excited, but the content of his message. “We can talk for a very long time about all those stupid philanthropy schemes, but we’ve got to be talking about taxes. That’s it. All the rest is bullshit, in my opinion,” Bregman said. He also dared to mention that he felt it was odd that around 1,500 Davos participants traveled there by private jet (to hear David Attenborough talk about climate change!). I’ve always felt a frustration with charitable organisations, because none of them proposes any fundamental changes that will begin to profit all of humanity. Charities do fantastic work, but always only with a fragment of life on earth to try and make the world a better place, whereby they operate within the framework of the existing power structures. Oscar Wilde, in “The Soul of Man”, called charity “a ridiculously inadequate mode of partial restitution... usually accompanied by some impertinent attempt on the part of the sentimentalist to tyrannise private lives [of the poor]”, as well as a remedy that prolongs the “disease” of poverty, rather than curing it.
Upside Down & Inside Out
I couldn’t agree more. The wonderful thinker Slavoj Žižek says it even more brutally honest: “When confronted with the starving child, we are told: ‘For the price of a couple of cappuccinos, you can save her life!’, the true message is: For the price of a couple of cappuccinos, you can continue in your ignorant and pleasurable life, not only not feeling any guilt, but even feeling good for having participated in the struggle against suffering!” I’ve always felt that there (still) are enough resources in the world to feed everyone and to provide people’s basic needs for a fulfilling, healthy and happy life. In that sense, charity is a natural phenomena and operating on the principle of individual sacrifice. In his book, “Utopia for realists, and how to get there”, my Davoshero Rutger Bregman shows that poverty has nothing to do with laziness, or stupidity, a personality defect or lack of character. It’s caused by a lack of cash. And there are a few very effective, creative and relatively easy ways of solving this problem. All we need to do is come together for the sake of all humanity and make the necessary sacrifices. It can be that simple. The necessary political clout will follow. It will have to.
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February 2019 P57
Time to present our true selves By Nasra Al Adawi
Y
ES, there is no denying that today it is hard to be away from social media. I know. For I, as an adult, have also been swept into the same current. We all know that social media has become the core of everything that we do now. Furthermore, I’m really intrigued in observing youth within social media but this observation is beyond judgement of right or wrong or in terms of negative or positive impact but more in terms of the perspectives of identity and authenticity. When I look at social media now, I keep asking myself whether we can really present ourselves like that? What was it that triggered that phenomenal change: where in we are able to comfortably showcase – within the lens of the social media -- what could not be accepted traditionally. I recall quite vividly how socially unacceptable it was to show your photo as a woman even if it were for the purposes of propagating an idea or a product thought in the form of a news article. Now this is a thing of the past. The identity of people and values have become so vivid within social media screens that we, as a nation, find it hard to be as authentic as we should be. Perhaps, the influence of social media globalisation has swept that authentic nature of our nation’s cultural uniqueness. In an
article titled Identity in the Age of Social Media: Blowing the Whistle on Authenticity, Dr Anna Akbari described individuals, in particular youth, who are in social media as avatars, and gave an example from the USA that today, authenticity has become a highly desired and almost elusive value. This means that most of us who are in the virtual world have masked ourselves in various avatars. These avatars are wearers of thin masks not akin to candidates running for political slots or running for office. In all honesty, this is no better than the photos we take in coffee shops or restaurants and has as little value! The article continues to present the other face in terms even if one tries to maintain a certain authenticity, still one lags behind as we naturally would like the best avatar of ourselves. To admit, we could hardly escape in terms of perfect projection within the lens of social media and at times we are in the danger of defeat in the face of personal obsession of earning followers and earning digital praises and the price is opting out. Yes we get out-of-control in the race towards creating an imaginary persona and denying the chance to present our real identities. The work of ‘avatar-tization’, as Dr Akbari labeled it, is an unending one. Personally, I admit it is exhausting. My idea is this: Let us try hard not to project our online avatar more than our real physical
self. Let us ask ourselves why we maintain virtual stories of ourselves in gyms or restaurants and for what, is the virtual likes worth all these exhausting acts and are we for real? Why do we have to take a selfie of what we eat and put it on social media? What do we get from that? We need to stop and listen and only then we will find out that our virtual presence does not provide a genuine satisfaction. In contrary, a lot of times it causes us anxiety as we feel the compulsory need in keeping up with followers and yes I would like to direct this message to me as well. I guess I am part of it too! In creating a social media experience, we ought to remind ourselves to audit in terms of what we project. This may help us to be more authentic, and will reduce creating fake avatars and if we are lucky enough present the true us.
Serious Musings &
P58 February 2019
KIDSTUFF
Fun facts about
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KIDSTUFF
February 2019 P59
A lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land. Not including oceans, lakes contain about 90 per cent of all the water on Earth’s surface. Salty or fresh, lakes are some of the only freely available water sources on land. Aside from rivers and streams, the rest of the world's freshwater is locked up in ice or trapped underground. There are 117 million lakes on earth, covering 3.7 percent of the continental land surface. The biggest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea, which is in Europe and Asia. It has an area of more than 143,000 square miles (370,000 square kilometers)! The lowest lake is the Dead Sea (it’s considered a lake but called a sea), which is in the Jordan Valley of Israel. The surface of the water is 1,340 ft (408 m) below sea level. The Dead Sea is also the saltiest lake in the world. People who study lakes, rivers, and other inland water are called limnologists.
TONGUE TWISTERS: LUCKY LUCK Luke Luck likes lakes Luke’s duck likes lakes Duck takes licks in lake luke luck likes Luke Luck takes licks in lake duck likes
P60 February 2019 ARIES March 21-April 20 As you lick your finances into shape this week, your confidence will rise, and you’ll stick out your neck over getting your own way professionally and personally. Others may not like the fact you’re more independent so you may try blocking you. They won’t succeed.
HOROSCOPE
BLACK & WHITE
TAURUS April 21-May 20
GEMINI May 21-June 21
Strong emotions will influence your thinking this week, so if you don’t understand why a person is acting in a certain way, or if it feels someone is out to belittle you, take the bull by the horns and ask them outright what they’re doing and why. Take control.
There’s a lot of interesting new ways to get ahead at work this week, but if you come across to others as arrogant or egotistical, someone will be more than happy to cut you down to size and put you in your place. You’ll get more with honey than vinegar.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
June 22-July 23
July 24-August 23
August 24-September 23
You’re torn between spending more time at work or spending more time at home, but you know as well as I do that home and hearth will win every time. Just as it should be. Discuss joint financial commitments with partners and see if there’s a way to trim excesses.
Leave no stone unturned in your quest to find the answers you’ve been looking for, be it over work money or love. You have no intention of being fobbed off with excuses, so it’ll be a tense time until you’ve got what you were looking for. Don’t burn too many bridges.
Don’t assume everyone around you is as reliable as you, as they may be trying to lull you into a false security in order to get information, and when they get it they’ll feather their own nest. Its not like you to be so trusting anyway, so beware.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Sep 24 - Oct 23
Oct 24 – Nov 22
Nov 23 - Dec 22
Focus on your priorities this week and don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked by petty diversions. Others are taking note of your actions, attitude and how you deal with situations, so don’t give them any reason to doubt that you’re the person to look out for.
Your current level of enthusiasm can be of great help in giving support and encouragement to those who need it most. Show others you’re kind hearted by losing this façade you employ of being aloof. You’re anything but. You’re warm hearted and kind. Shine!
Don’t allow the lunar low to take the wind out of your sails. Yes there may be minor issues that lead you to doubt yourself and your abilities a bit, but then something wonderful is said to you via a compliment or thank you from someone you’ve helped.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
December 23-January 20
January 21-February 19
February 20-March 20
Don’t allow minor setbacks in your plans at the start of the week to affect you too much. You can always start again from different angle midweek, so stop giving yourself a hard time. Keep thinking sharp and on the ball and others will see you’re a force to be reckoned with.
This is a fairly positive week where you’ll have plenty to crow about. You’re loving the feeling of optimism in everything you do and that’s great, but just don’t stand on anyone’s toes to get to your goal. It’s not worth losing a friend just to get a leg up.
If you feel you’re having to work too hard to get along in a relationship, you really need to stop and ask yourself if its worth it. Focus on finances as the week moves on, but don’t allow your opinions to be coloured by others. Do what you can to smooth things out.
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February 2019 P61
Let’s celebrate ‘Brave Girl Rising’! inequality. Why make a film about a refugee girl? Simple. The global refugee crisis is the worst humanitarian ARCH 8, 2019 is crisis of our lifetime. There are more International Women’s Day than 68 million people across the (IWD), when we celebrate women and girls around the world – for globe who have fled their homes and 17 million of them are girls. The their resilience, courage, and bravery. social, economic, and health risks for We often celebrate award winning refugee women and girls can not be athletes, celebrities, and political overstated. Compared to refugee leaders who have persevered and men, women have elevated risks of broken through the proverbial glass poor health due to higher rates of child ceiling. marriage; depression; lower literacy We must celebrate them but we must not overlook some of the bravest and education; higher prevalence of being widowed; lower social support, girls in the world today, refugees. and lower physical activity. For Refugee girls are perhaps the most adolescent refugee girls in particular, vulnerable in the world, and we need the health risks are even more to see them, listen to their stories, significant as more evidence is pointing and celebrate their tenacity and fearlessness. This year on International to the fact that child marriage and early pregnancy is particularly high among Women’s Day, Brave Girl Rising will those in fragile communities, including premiere as the newest story in Girl refugee settlements. Why the Rising’s global campaign for girls’ increasing number of child marriages? education and empowerment. Brave Communities in conflict are dangerous Girl Rising is a 20-minute film, made and parents often believe that early in collaboration with the International marriage provides a level of protection Rescue Committee, Citi, HP, and for girls and a more secure future. Amplifier. The film was written by However, this perceived protection Warsan Shire, a young poet laureate, comes at a high cost. Marriage at a and Tessa Thompson, a Hollywood young age can pose multiple threats actress, voices the film. to a girl’s health, livelihood, and Brave Girl Rising will introduce future. For example, along with child you to Nasro, a 17 year old Somali marriage comes early pregnancy which refugee who made the trip to Dadaab can be life threatening for young girls Kenya with her grandparents when whose bodies are still developing. she was just seven years old. Nasro’s Married girls are also at greater risk courageous drive to continue her for cervical cancer, malaria, death education is inspired by the magical during childbirth, and obstetric fistulas. dreams of her mother and the These risks are intergenerational and sisterhood of her friends. Nasro joins young girls’ offspring are at increased a group of remarkable girls whose stories bring attention to the persistent risk for premature birth and death as neonates, infants, or children. And problem of gender discrimination and
By Dr Amita N. Vyas
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finally, married girls are at higher risk for intimate partner violence which affects almost one third of girls and women worldwide. Nasro’s story in Brave Girl Rising is one we should celebrate. But we must also do more than that. We must take her inspiration and advocate for programmes and policies that support refugee girls and women, those in Dadaab and elsewhere. Policies and programmes must educate communities, raise awareness, engage local political and religious leaders, involve parents, and empower girls through education and employment. As you celebrate women today and every day, watch Brave Girl Rising at https://girlrising.org/brave Share it with your friends and family, and take action to support women and girls in your country and around the world. I am the mother of two beautiful and brave girls, and I would do everything in my power to protect them. Instead of child marriage, we must give parents other ways to protect their daughters. Then and only then, will we transform the world, and ensure that ALL girls are educated, healthy, and safe.
Girl Rising &
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P62 February 2019
Even the blue jackals howl! By Priya Arunkumar
T
HE blue jackal howled. When a pack of jackals howled, the blue one could not control its natural instinct. It had to howl. Jackals are meant to howl. But jackals are not meant to be blue in colour, neither are they, leaders of the jungle, right? So when the blue jackal, who was living the life of the lion of the jungle, howled along with the pack, imagine what would have happened? Exactly! Ever heard of the story of the blue jackal? Or rather the jackal that fell into a tub of blue dye and turned blue and lead the jungle with its newfound hue? I belong to an era that grew up with the colourful Panchatantra (Indian animal fables) tales for the kids, which came with a simple moral. It would be mostly not to lie, or not to be greedy or to be true to yourself type of simple morals, which the creators of the fables, or the older wiser generation, felt right to lead the younger ones with. It was fun reading those ‘animal’ comics and learning the basic facts of life, or whatever morals those fables taught us to, in a visually creative spread. Life was simpler then and acceptances to preset morals were easy. The same story would have many more interpretations in today’s tech world. The morals could change to ‘make the best of situations’, opportunities don’t knock twice, the story would even go well with the famous quote of Albert Einstein… imagination is better than knowledge! Opinions and views would take sides of the jackal, patternising a different concept of morals and values altogether. But it will still remain a story, and a so-called life lesson. Speaking of life’s lessons, when you go through turbulent times, what comes free and in abundance is free advice and talks on credibility
and expectations. People judge you; decide that they are better than what they think you are. Many a time I sat through one of those sermons on credibility and how once it is lost, it will never be regained. Not once, many times. And not in these simple words but in a much cruder version; not just what credibility is; but also what people assume credibility is. I used to sit, I used to listen, I used to learn. People don’t change! Not an earth-shattering truth, which I found out overnight, but, still, true! And of course, many of the existing personality theories state the individual’s type is inborn and does not change. The inborn traits maybe hidden, withdrawn, suppressed; the effort taken to make up with external add-ons remain a futile attempt. It just camouflages their real image. Faking it till they make it philosophy; just like the blue jackal tale. The basics don’t change. Scientifically it might be right to say time changes everything; but it does not change people; their true character. The inherent traits come out when the guards are off, when the pretending wears off, when they face the toughest stretch of their lives, when they don’t get what they want; they howl – even the blue jackals howl – if that is what their inbuilt nature is. No matter what colours and masks they wear. The masks fall off in time. Because time cannot change you, from what you are to what you show yourself as. Time can grow you, evolve you, enhance you, strengthen you… but you still remain you. People cannot change; they should not change. Just be what they are.
The Good Side priya@blackandwhiteoman.com
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