Speed leads to crashes - Oman Daily Observer

THE first time I came
to know something
about the history of
Caliph Omar Ibn al
Khattab (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) was in
the early years of schooling
when I and my schoolmates
learned many lessons and stories
about Omar al Farooq (as
he is nicknamed and because
he set boundaries between
right and wrong).
It was the first time the
word 'farooq' came into my
dictionary; never in my life
had I heard anyone uttering
this word before that. In
another lesson we were told
that Caliph Omar was walking
along one of Al Madeena
streets while a group of boys
WOULD you take
me to purchase
some jewellery?
My wife
had requested me. She further
requested by saying "this
time we will go to Ruwi instead
of Al Seeb". Certainly,
I poorly agreed after knowing
my budget, and said to her
"Yes, darling". Poor husband,
what option he can have except
agreement. Such lovely
and exciting conversation is
not mine alone, but the same
conversation you may find between
each wife and husband.
The topic is not about the
lovely conversation alone, but
it carries some economic queries
and knowledge about gold
with its history, understanding,
market, originality, price and
were playing, and upon seeing
him they took to their feet
as he was a feared person who
was famed for his bravery and
bodily strength and no man
could beat him in a duel.
The Caliph approached the
only boy who didn’t escape
and a conversation took place
between the two which was
recorded in history books as a
story telling us how a strong
ruler like Omar could be affectionate
with little children.
The stories I learned about
Caliph Omar are seared into
my memory. The picture I had
in my mind of him was that
of a sturdy man with broad
shoulders, high stature and
resounding voice.
When I was a little boy I
its economic impact over the
state. In this regard, I asked my
wife by saying; "Darling, what
do you know about gold?"
Well, I don't know much about
it, but what I know is that it is
made for women; gold makes
us more beautiful when we
wear them; and it is available
in nice and attractive style and
design. She innocently and
elegantly answered me at the
same time.
I am not certain how much
knowledge and bargaining
power do Omani women have
in this field. In fact, there is
no specific "Gold Market"
in Oman yet. I have noticed
several times in Al Seeb "jewellery
bazaar" (only a few
jewellery shops), where these
ladies don't look for the origi-
often thought about the right
and wrong between which
Omar differentiated by means
of his sword and imagined
how they were mixed up before
he separated them. The
lesson about Omar converting
to Islam was an interesting
one; the teacher’s strong
personality diminished when
he read Surat Taha (Quran
Chapter 20).
As years went by, I learnt
more about this great per-
nality and the quality of the
gold. They just go and purchase
it based on the way it is
manufactured. In such circumstances,
many women can be
cheated as they lack in knowledge.
One of our neighbours
had given her gold earrings to
one of the jewellery shops for
cleaning or putting some extra
decoration on them. When
she went to take them back
she found that the originality
of the gold had already gone.
They were not as they were.
Historians could not find exactly
how gold was discerned.
However, archaeologists have
dug up gold jewellery dating
from about 4000 BC near Varna,
Bulgaria, on the coast of
Black Sea. According to some
books it is written that South
Africa is by far leading in gold
production. The United States
is the second largest producer
of gold, followed by Australia.
Economists always go for its
value: what value it had yesterday,
what value it has today
and what value will it be having
in future. The price of gold
also fluctuates like any other
commodities.
According to London Gold
sonality. Once an envoy of
the Sassanian king Chosroes
came to Caliph Omar and to
his astonishment he found
him sleeping underneath a
tree, he uttered his famous
saying: "O' Omar, you ruled
justly, therefore felt secured
enough to sleep". This is the
state of security and peace of
mind that no Arab ruler felt as
Omar did.
Later in life I broadened
my knowledge of Caliph
Market Report at end of July
2012 where it is reported that
gold prices held above $1,620
per ounce in London. This indicates
that gold has a price in
international market, and so it
has a value. Gold can be having
a role in a country's economy,
as many countries accept gold
in payment for international
debts. On the other hand, the
same gold can be used for jewellery
as it is common. It was
found out that approximately,
two-thirds of the gold is used
commercially each year. Common
people purchase gold
as jewellery items and also
keep them as a means of savings.
Investors purchase them
for the sake of their business.
They buy at lesser prices and
sell them at a higher price.
Young girls purchase gold as
ornaments.
Since the gold has importance
like oil, gas, money and
other commodities, someone
has to have the knowledge of
it. Gold is not only for jewellery
items with different colours
and designs.
There is one more observation
about these jewellery
shops, which is lack of Omani
4 OUTLOOK
OMAN DAILY Observer
SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2012
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.
Caliph Omar, Ramadhan’s ‘Guest of Honour’
If a ‘Muscat
Gold Market’
is established
on the lines
of many other
countries besides
appointing some
Omanis wearing
traditional dress,
it can also have
the potential to
attract tourists
Mohammed Al Hadhrami
This Ramadhan, the
personality of Omar Ibn
al Khattab is presented
in a TV drama starring
an unknown Syrian actor
called Thamir Ismail and
directed by Hatim Ali who
succeeded in drawing Arab
viewers to the series from
the first episodes
Omar through reading books
such as Mahmoud Abbas al
Aqad’s The Genius of Omar
and Mohammed Husain Haykal’s
Omar Al Farooq. The
contents of the books were
almost consistent with the
picture I drew of Omar from
my schooling years with elaborate
description of the noble
values and ingenuity that
distinguished the personality
of Umar Ibn al Khattab. The
books also focused on Omar’s
Why can’t we have a Muscat Gold Market?
Mohammed Al Balushi
morwared@hotmail.com
employees/Omanisation.
There should be at least one
Omani staff member to serve
Omani clients, especially for
those who come from interior
regions since they may face
communication problem in the
prevailing situation. Another
advantage of employing an
Omani youth in such jewellery
shops is that it gives an opportunity
to him or her to understand
about manufacturing of
jewellery, design, style, price
and the price trends in the gold
market.
Gold is considered as one of
the economic areas where the
country can do better in growing
the economy of the country.
Therefore, if a "Muscat
Gold Market" is established on
the lines of many other countries
besides appointing some
Omanis wearing traditional
dress, it can also have the potential
to attract tourists. This
can pass the message to tourists
that there is a market in
Oman which is called "Muscat
Gold Market" and secondly
it can give the message that
young Omanis are capable of
handling tourists and regular
clients.
judgement and attitudes which
in many cases were quite concordant
with the revelation.
This Ramadhan, the personality
of Omar Ibn al Khattab
is presented in a TV drama
starring an unknown Syrian
actor called Thamir Ismail and
directed by Hatim Ali who
succeeded in drawing Arab
viewers to the series from the
first episodes. This historical
drama has manifested the personality
of Caliph Omar in a
INCIDENTS of escape by
criminals or defendants
have been a never-ending
story ever since the
criminal behaviour began on
the face of the Earth and societies
started efforts to contain
unlawful acts and outlaws.
The Omani society is paying
the price for its modernity
with the increasing number of
illegal practices such as drug
smuggling, theft, robbery and
even murder, mostly committed
by expatriate workers who
are brought into the country to
contribute to the nation’s economic
development.
The escaping on July 31 of
a convict trio from the Seeb
court building is the latest in
a series of similar incidents
that annoyed all members of
the public and left them wondering
as to how a group of
three Asian convicts managed
to run away through a toilet
window on the second floor of
the building where they were
being held after they were
way that made us feel as if he
was living among us.
In another instance, Qatari
culture magazine Al Dawha
republished Taha Husain’s
book Al Shaikhan which first
appeared in 1960, as a special
gift to its readers on the occasion
of Ramadhan. The book
is about the life story of two
of the four Rashideen Caliphs
(truly guided caliphs who
succeeded the Prophet Muhammed,
peace be upon him,
sentenced to jail terms of 10,
15 and 30 years for murder,
attempted murder, robbery
and fraud.
The escape was not discovered
until 2 pm when the
guards came to return them to
prison. The trio may have fled
hours earlier from the building
on Sayyida Mazoon road
in Al Khoudh and made their
way through narrow roads to
escape the ensuing manhunt.
The fugitives may be hiding
somewhere within the
boarders carrying out criminal
activities along with other ring
members after the efforts to arrest
them have come to a halt,
or perhaps they fled by sea to
their home country or crossed
the boarders to a neighbouring
country. During the hours that
followed their escape there
have been checkpoints on the
main roads which affected
the traffic flow for some time
and left the people wondering
whether a fleeing convict
could appear at a checkpoint
as rulers and commanders of
the Muslim nation).
Today all the radio and satellite
channels are broadcasting
aspects of Omar’s life and
role in spreading Islam with
scholars, preachers and TV
programme editors displaying
this iconic Islamic figure.
In his TV show Omar: A
Civilization Maker, the Muslim
preacher Amr Khalid is
highlighting the biography of
Omar Ibn al Khattab.
Convicts at large and
the public in the dark
Salim Al Jahwari
on the main road. The only
thing that can be done for the
time being is to launch investigation
and collect information
that could help pinpoint their
hideout.
In such incidents the citizens
need to be made aware
of the facts and risks posed
by fleeing criminals through
a statement by the authorities
concerned. It would be
quite helpful if the fugitives’
pictures are published so that
members of the public will be
able to help the police arrest
them. Besides, there should be
monetary reward for anyone
who provides information that
helps the police get a clue to
their whereabouts.
The absence of such an
official announcement could
leave the people seeking information
about the incident
on Internet forums and mobile
messages. The officials apparently
withheld information
and refrained from alerting
the public on the pretext that
the incident occurred due to
negligence on the part of some
personnel.
Such incidents happen in
many countries and the Sultanate
is no exception. However,
the crucial thing is to furnish
the public with the facts because
with the availability of
modern means of communication,
the facts will be revealed
sooner rather than later.
The escaping on July 31 of a convict trio
from the Seeb court building is the latest in
a series of similar incidents that annoyed
all members of the public and left them
wondering as to how a group of three Asian
convicts managed to run away through a
toilet window on the second floor of the
building where they were being held