Bedu democracy has to do with understanding the power of relationships, meaning that every subject is discussed in detail and meeting on top of meetings essential....

….is understanding the many times confusing ways to get things done in Oman. And, I am sure, in quite a few other Gulf countries as well, where the principle of Bedu democracy is alive. It is easy to forget that Oman, just in a mere 40 years, have kind of exploded out of profound tribalism in the desert to becoming a well to do modern society and one has to understand that changes take time. Every day, travelling through the bustling Muscat traffic, I am stunned at the fact that before Sultan Qaboos kicked his father out, 1970, in a peaceful coup, the country only had a few kilometers of paved road, a couple of hospitals run by American Missions, one primary school and no electricity! And there was a civil war going on at the time! What the Sultan has done for his country since than, no matter what in regards to the lack of Western democracy, (if, as we in the West sees it, our democracy is the only way to enlightenment) it is truly fantastic and couldn´t be better. Truly impressive and the Sultan should be seen as a role model in any civilization.

However, the traditional way of the Bedus is still strongly in place and that is what makes it very frustrating for somebody like myself who wants things to get done. In the way I am brought up, the Western way. Fast. Things are just not happening as fast as I would like and that is not only due to my mistakes and impatience, but also to the fact that I still don´t fully understand the power of relationships and the time (in the Western eye) it takes before one can go ahead. I am still to frustrated to understand, but I am learning slowly. Let me just give you an example what I mean, which in the Western eye, is not only frustrating, but also quite entertaining.

The other day I went to the University in Nizwa to hold a lecture….

First of all, it was set to be today the 12th, so for this reason I was kind of surprised when Talib called me 08.30 in the morning four days ago, whilst I was swimming in the ocean, saying that the lecture was due at 13.00 that day. We, P and me, ran like mad to get back to the flat, have a shower, check the lecture to its full plus the technique, so all was perfect and than zoomed off to Talib, who had initiated the contact and was seen as part of the show. We traveled with Talib in his Porsche to Nizwa, 130 km:s west of Muscat, and we didn´t even stop for lunch to get there in time.

Halwa from Oman...

The Nizwa University compound is large and have more than 6000 talibs (pupils in Arabic). We were met by an assistant at 12.45. He was the assistant to the assistant to the chancellor. He brought us through the compound into the assistant to the chancellor, an old pal of Talib. Mohammed Abdullah Said Al-Adawi greeted us heartily and we sat down on his couch nervously. I wanted to set up my lap top, check the sound and prepare. On top of that I was starving. Talib had said we would get a bite to eat before the lecture.

The University is just a stones throw away from the oasis of Berkat Al Mauz

“Don´t worry” , the assistant to the Chancellor said, “We have moved the lecture till two o´clock. And students have exams today, so I don´t think many will come.”

Then he winked for an assistant to them all, a coffee server, who with great dignity poured Arabic coffe in the traditional small cups and served us sweet halwa. At that moment a female student came in. She was there to show us around the compound before the start of the lecture. Or maybe as an assistance to P, so she wouldn´t roam around the camp in an inappropriate fashion. After about half an hour, it was 30 minutes remaining before the start of the lecture and by now I knew the students had waited for an hour. In my book that was close to a disaster. They would be very edgy. Those few who were apparently there. My hunger pains got worse. I just have to eat to get energy before a lecture.

“We are waiting for you to meet the chancellor!” Mohammed Abdullah suddenly said, then we kind of moved through the campus in procession, whilst more assistants joined us….I have always wondered, whilst meeting a lot of powerful people in Oman, what do these assistants do except sit on a coach and look like the world is passing by?…..They don´t say a lot.

Bedu boy in the Sharquiya, continuing many thousands of years of Bedu traditions and democracy.

Due to the high amount of assistant’s in His Excellency´s room, the Chancellor, we had no idea initially who was who since Omanis all dress in the national costume, a dishdasha and turban, but eventually it turned out to be the oldest fellow. Like all His Excellency´s in Oman he was very dignified, interested and opinionated. I brought up the story about Wilfred Thesiger and his visit to the area, when he wasn´t allowed to come into Nizwa in the end of 1940, because it was such a conservative place and they didn´t like nasranis. (Christians in Arabic) Maybe I was the first explorer they had seen than? I asked.  Not the best choice of conversation… However a lot of photos was taken on all of us together in a handshaking manner. We had some more coffee and sweet halwa.

2.30 p.m, one and a half hour late we arrived in the auditorium,which was packed with students, maybe 350 of them. Talib, who was suffering from the flu and severe hunger, said we would get food after the lecture. I had absolutely no energy left. And of course, nothing worked technically so that took an additional 20 minutes, so just before 15.00 hours it all started….. with a student reading from the Quran illustrated with pictures and quatations. All hell and fire. This is one thing with promoting religion I do just not understand. Why scare, like most religions can do, of fire and hell, instead of bringing up the positive aspects of the religion? I do know that much about the Quran and its suras and hadiths to know, that there are so many other, much better choices of readings and quotations which will inspire not scare.  Being brought up myself in a society where baptists where part of life, I just dislike the selling issue of, if you don´t do as the book says, you will end up in hell.

This young, smiling man was follwed by a young lady reading my full CV, which isn´t that short, see it here. When she was over, a film done by a student followed and that point was followed by another young lady reading a poem. At 3.30 it was my turn and it started off with the professor of cultural studies, a Sudanese, who once again read my full CV…

Once it was my turn, at 3.45, I was hungry, totally free of energy and the students, they had waited for two hours and 45 minutes, they had no energy left either. Or patience. It was the worst lecture in my life. The students talked, screamed, sent text messages, slept, walked in and out and when it was time for questions somebody shouted, a group of female students at the back, that they wanted to leave….it seems like these quotations of hell and fire doesn´t work too much…..well, it was the worst lecture of my life!

The lecture was finished with the assistant to the Chancellor presenting me first, than Talib, with a painting with a quotation from the Quran. Very nice gift! Many official photos was taken. When all that was over, the assistant left us in the hands of other assistant´s and 8 hours after eating breakfast we had lunch.

The punchline? Well, I went to lecture to the students because it is my mission to try to build bridges of understanding, trying to educate these young people, not to meet a lot of dignitaries, shake hands, chat a bit, drink coffee and eat halwa. It seems like at times Omanis care more for this, than the actual mission, to inspire students. As a whole it was a good lecture for me in traditional beduism!

Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said

The old hajji....

“Isn’t it still expensive to do a pilgrimage to Mecca? My teacher told me yesterday it is still very expensive and for most people, if it is possible at all, that once in a life time is an achievement, a dream.” I said, remembering Rashad telling me that he hoped to do a pilgrimage, but that it would take him many years to save the money needed, “He said it would cost him at least half a million rials (approximately 2500 dollars) to do a proper pilgrimage, since he had to go through a travel agent here in Sana’a specialising in pilgrimage tours to Mecca. About 25 days including hotels, transport, air tickets, a visit to the prophet’s grave in Medina and so on. And he said that the Saudis only allowed a certain amount of pilgrims per country a year.”

The giant mosque built by the president Abdullah Saleh

“The Saudis….” , the old hajji said with a grim face, “…charge you for everything including breathing.”

A very good friend of mine, one of few Muslim explorers on earth, a true Ibn Batutta of today, said that he flew from Afghanistan to Mecca to do his first pilgrimage and was treated like shit until he showed his American passport. He wasn’t too fond of the Saudis in Mecca either. I have to say, they don’t seem to have the best reputation in the world, neither among ex pats or other gulf Arabs. Than again I have heard a lot of opposing views. That the Saudis are amongst the friendliest and best people on earth. The idea seems to be to avoid Jeddah, Riyadh and Mecca/Medina. The reason I bring Saudi Arabia up is that it is a country everyone continuously talks about in these parts of the world. In Yemen every day. The Saudis are in many ways very influential and powerful players in the global economy of not only the Gulf, but in the rest of the world as well. I look forward to travelling through Saudi-Arabia a lot!

Inside the mosque which seats 20000 devotees....

“So you are contemplating to travel by camel?” the old man said more as a statement than a question and than added: “It is the best way to travel! Just treat them well and they will be your best friends forever!”

It was Mohammed, Hussein’s employee and best friend, who had set me up meeting this old man, who’s first name was Abdullah and came from the same village as Mohammed. They had the same second name, Al Mawari. Many people’s second names in the Arab World also tell a visitor the geographical background of a person. And ever since I was given a great gift from my great best friend Pamela, see last report, a zannah (ankle long white robe), a silver belt with an expensive jambiyyah with a Bedu background and a turban or head cloth, sharh,  with a colour and pattern which makes locals sometimes call me Palestinian, I have honorary been given the name Ahmed Al-Hamdani. Basically due to the way Hussein made up my turban, just like a Bedu from the Hamdani region. Even Abdullah called me a Hamdani, even though Mohammed had to translate. I have to say I still somewhat surprised how honoured and happy the locals are when you are dressed like them. This I have never seen anywhere else, well, maybe Oman.

Hussein, Ahmed Al-Hamdani and Mohammed outside the presidents mosque...

“So you stopped using and working with camels as long back as 30 years ago, what do you miss the most regarding these fantastic animals and do you have any advice to me to bring on my journey?” I asked him, because I had earlier asked Hussein if he could find a Yemeni who had travelled to Mecca by camel and could tell me which route they had taken, since I would like to stick to the traditional pilgrimage route from Sana’a to Mecca.

“I used to travel from Sana’a to Al Hudaydah (link to Yemeni map) on the west coast, and back, bringing food for people and animal, it used to take eight days and we travelled 16 hours per day”, he recounted with passion, “And what do I miss? I miss the freedom and the evenings in front of the fire. And I miss the camels. If you treat them with love, you will always have a loyal friend.”

Praying at the mosque....

“Which route did your dad take to Mecca?” I asked again, because our conversation was on and off disturbed by other locals in the room teasing and laughing at the old man, just because he used to work camels and right now was a quite hard line Muslim belonging to the Shia arm of Islam. All others Yemenis in the room were Sunni. The war in the north, between the government and the Al Houthi could in some ways be called a religious one. A war between Sunni (government) and Shia (al Houthi).

The "birthday" cake from my friends....the inscription reads Mikael - the sheikh of the Bedu

“Quiet!” he hissed at his teasers, who laughed back and teased him a bit more, but he continued: “Well, the pilgrims and hajjis to be, always set out from Saada and from there travelled to Mecca via Baqim, Zahran, Haraja, Khamis Mushayt, Abha and down to the Saudi coast and from there on to Jeddah and Mecca.”

Amazingly enough exactly the route I had planned just by looking at the map geographically 3 months back and searching for the existence of valleys, plains, paths and roads. However, my Expedition is still far off in time, in shallah, if all goes well, we will set off in January next year, but, this fact apart, yesterday I was also given an especially made cake by Pamela, Hussein and Mohammed, thick and tasty and its chocolate decorated with a white camel and the words:

“Mikael – the sheikh of the Bedu”.

After the party we went to the souk after midnight to eat some kebabs at this place....

People here in Yemen, my friends, are the best of the best. Warm, generous, funny, smart and they all love life. I still don’t know what we were celebrating, but it filled me with great joy! On top of that I was given a full Sanaani outfit including the most macho of all male symbols in Sanaa, a jambiyya, and together with Pamela, Hussein and Mohammed we took a taxi –this was another “birthday” surprise organised by Pamela for me- and we ended up at the spectacular Presidents Mosque. Its main hall is so big so that it can seat 20 000 devotees facing Mecca in prayer! We weren’t the only foreigners there, me, Ahmed Al Hamdani, and Pam dressed as a Sanaani woman, then named Pamela Al-Sanaani to make it easier to get in during prayer. There were many Indonesians and Malaysians amongst the devotees. Security was hard, but Hussein got us through everywhere with his kindness, humour, baton and peculiar ideas. It beats the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Muscat. It is grander.

“The cost to build this mosque equalled ten hospitals”, Mohammed commented with his down-to-earth wisdom:” I think most people wanted hospitals, but the president wanted to be remembered.”

Hussein, Pamela and Mohammed outside the Presidents Mosque.

I have also realised that most local people don’t really appreciate the war against the Houthis, which many see as their brethren and fellow Moslems. The war planes are still leaving Sana’a in great numbers. It is still a very unnerving feeling. Thank God for friends like Mohammed, Hussein and Pamela!