Behind closed doors, on newspaper pages, and in between

A recurrent theme from my time spent in the Middle East is, how can we best pursue change? When living under largely authoritarian regimes (even if benevolent! I dig the Sultan, believe me), is it better to try to work within the system, or outside of it?

Usually we contemplate this issue in the context of running for public office (can you do better in the parliament that is given no explicit powers, or outside of this body?) or operating NGOs in-country that only have so much room to maneuver, to name two instances. Do you gain more followers for your women's movement by spurning the headscarf and speaking boldly, or by wearing the abaya and moving slowly?

The topic of participation in government sponsored media or the decision to blog (usually anonymously) reflects this difficult balancing act. How do you reach the most people, while maintaining your credibility, and not getting into so much trouble that your efforts are disrupted?

Naturally, my mulling is spurred by an event. When reading a column by Daoud Al Baloushi, one of my preferred Omani journalists who specializes in environmental issues, I could not pick up on the 'mijaz,' the metaphor, of his piece. By the time I finished the Arabic article, I understood the kalila wa dimna-esque story literally, but was lost in a sea of allusions, unable to pinpoint the main characters' (lions and dogs) real life counterparts. Luckily, talented blogger Lord of the Fjord turned me on to this Arabic blog written by an Omani studying the law in Jordan. Lo and behold, Mr. Al Ma'amari's current post included a scanned imagine of Daoud's cryptic column!

What we have here are two dueling strategies for influencing Omani society. Daoud is setting up camp among those who believe you have to work within the system, and have proof of what you claim before you publish. Al Ma'amari is pitching his tent with the surfers of Oman forums Sablat Oman and Al Hara Al Omaniyya, publishing the whole truth and conjecture alike.

Daoud's column becomes clearer when one is informed of the backstory between these two persuasions, as well as Ministry culture. Al Ma'amari has consistently been posting information on the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, emphasizing the disorganization and corruption of the Ministry particularly questioning who receives permits and whose efforts are stymied. It is obvious that he has inside sources, considering he is currently in Jordan. Daoud's animal and forest imagery mirror the uproar within the Ministry regarding the information posted on Al Ma'amari's site. Ministry members are trying to smoke out the informants and do not like the manifying glass being held to their work. So the lions that preside over the well managed forest in Daoud's article are the Ministry members, while the dogs that try to upset the balance and take governance into their own hands are the bloggers and informants. At the end of the story, the dogs may have the upper hand, but as Daoud states in his closing (which, appropriately for the Arab world, is 3 lines of poetry): "the lions remain lions, and the dogs remain dogs." The lions may represent lazy Ministry employees (the lion is not as strong and clever a symbol as a tiger would be in Arab storytelling) but the dogs aren't going to get anywhere in his eyes.

Yet with media being as poor as it is in many Arab states, for reasons of direct censorship or self-censorship, it seems that the path to change has to fall between these options. Those who decide to work within the system must continue to push the envelope (as Daoud Al Baloushi cyclically) while those trolling the forums and posting anonymously must strive to check their sources and verify the writing of fellow bloggers. All in all, I have to say I'm impressed that environmental issues are causing a stir!