The struggle to establish and maintain such an imamate colors Omani history.
The majority of Omanis are Ibadi Muslims, with Sunni and Shiite Muslims, as well as Hindus, making up the rest of the population. The Hindus and many of the Shiites, especially the followers of the Agha Khan, are Indian immigrants. Ibadis are entirely Omani Arabs; Sunnis are particularly concentrated in the southwestern region of Dhofar; the Shiites are found mainly on the coast.
Omani society is essentially tribal. From the eighteenth century until recent decades, conflicts between two tribal federations—the Ghafiris, claiming north Arabian ancestry, and the Hinawis, claiming south Arabian ancestry—played an important part in Omani politics.
Arabic is the national language of Oman, but there are some small tribes thought to have lived in Oman before the Arabs, and they speak their own unique languages. These are the Qara ("Jibalis"), Mahra, Shera, and Batahira of the south; the Harasis of southeasterncorner of the Empty Quarter; and the Kumazara of the Masandam peninsula.
Religious Tolerance
Islam is the official religion of Oman, and Ibadi scholarship and the study of the Ibadi heritage are actively promoted by the government of Sultan Qabus ibn Said.
This page contains 172 words.
Oman article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 4,247 words
(approx. 14 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Oman Article
