My Little Blue Book

[Lachlan09]

Here in Oman, a lenient (compared to the Kingdom of Snotty Arabia) Arabian Islamic country facing Iran over the Gulf, the government recognizes that foreigners like to drink. To protect the local population from our evil ways and from the temptation to themselves, alcohol is obtainable in 3 ways. 1) coming to the country at duty-free, 2) in hotel bars, hotel pubs and in restaurants and 3) bought from discreet liquor shops with a personal liquor permit book.

There is no law against a muslim Omani (or mulsims of other nationalities) going into a hotel bar or restaurant and consuming alcohol on the premises, it is a personal decision – some do exactly that. However, no muslim of any nationality can obtain a liquor permit or get duty free booze – only non-muslims.

Anyway, last week, my Turkish next door neighbours knocked on my door and very nicely asked if I could buy them alcohol and they would give me the money. I thought it would be okay (not knowing all the permit rules) but my wife later told me not to do it. Anyway, I later found out the permit is for the holder’s own use and cannot be used to even give alcohol as a gift. Buying it for someone else is illegal but to give to a Muslim is a very serious offence (remember here, the stated punishment for trying to convert a Muslim to Christianity or other religion is death). So I told them pronto – sorry no can do. I could be imprisoned and kicked out the country for getting them booze. Different if I really knew them and could trust them but I’ve only met them once, at my New Year party. Them drinking my alcohol in my house was not illegal, but handing them a few cans to take home is. Strange rules !

(All my neighbours in my little housing compound are muslims. Some are Turks, some are Lebanese and some are Palistinian-American. The landlord told us before moving in that our neighbours were American which we liked the idea of, but he didn’t say they were muslim Arab-American). I have to be careful, I don’t really trust people like that outside of a “Western” setting and cannot really relax. I better tone down our next party to a few close friends only. The Palestinian wife over the way, a white American convert to Islam, watches everything we do and doesn't say hello even. Yet her daughters dump their candy wrappers outside our front door, not hers. Only last week, her 10 year old daughter said to my daughter “Israelis are killing all the Palestinians” and also said “I hate your religion” (meaning Christianity). I told my daughter and son never to say anything about anything to any muslim. Just be pleasant and say nothing of any import. Don't let them get you angry, even under extreme situations or they'll call the police)