I am sorry but I do not agree with the government going on with the fiasco of the obviously sorry state of Muscat Festival 2006 - not financially nor ethically.
Why?
Because for one, MF '06 has become such a joke to have to repeat the same various actitivites and mistakes again and again and again. I mean, have they no brain (the officials behind the whole festival)?
They're repeating the same thing from singers, activities and for God sake's, who in his right mind wants to go for a lecture in a time of 'celebration' (i.e.: the festival) ? (!!!)
Plus not to mention the fact that all the numbers are faked. Would you believe in less than three days of launching the festival that we have over 100,000 visitors to the festival grounds? A friend of mine was joking that they must have also counted in all the officials and organizers, too. I bet you that he's not that far from the truth.
Abdullah Abbas may have introduced Oman in general, and Muscat in particular to the idea of having a seasonal festival to increase tourism and financial flow into the country when he first launched Muscat Festival 1998, but the whole concept is becoming repetitive because there is nothing new.
And I have a question here for the government officials whom announce public holidays. When the former Ruler of Dubai had passed away (God rest his soul), the government officials in the country postponed Dubai Shopping Festival 2006 until further notice. When the Prince of Bahrain passed away in a tragic car accident, all the nations announced mourning for a three day period. And now that the Former Kuwaiti Prince had passed away, Kuwait announces forty days of mourning and the State of Qatar decides to cancel their 4th Qatar Singing Festival in respect of the tragedy. What are you guys waiting for to cancel your festival? Or is your respect worth all the money that you paid to Haifa Wahbi, Roubi, Miami; and Abdullah BalKhair?
You people should get your act together - pronto.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Wrong Wrong Wrong
Posted by Sleepless In Muscat at 23:32
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12 comments:
They should just merge Muscat festival and the Khareef Festival in Salalah together, instead of the unjustified waste of resources and spare us the traffic jams.
that's another poing they should take into consideration..
and btw; I just found out today that Muscat Municpality had sent out 25,000 SMS messages through Oman Mobile saying that even though it was a time of mourning (during which the Ruler of Dubai had passed away) that Muscat Festival was still to go on..
we are the only country in the GCC to be running their festival during this year and season - adding to which that Hala February '06 was cancelled ..
is tht all u ever do?...complain? intead of being thankful tht the country is actually progressing somehow..u do nothing but complain....?!...
anonymous: maybe you should re-read the topic...because it was about Muscat Festival 2006 and not about the 'country's progress
@ anonymous: I agree with you! Ali, festivals and attracting tourists IS part of the country's progress. Let's face it, Oman can't afford to lose tourists AND income just because SOME rulers from different GCC countries happened to pass away. If that's the case then maybe we should cancel all celebrations eveytime someone in the world dies! And honey..... alotta people die everyday! Now we're getting into a different topic but to summarise what i'm trying to say, I think that we should be thankful for Abdullah Abbas's contributions! Maybe we need a little cheering up to help forget about all the other terrible things going on around the world!
Whether MF '06 is a mistake or not doesn't matter. Trying to promote tourism and entertain the society is better than switching you're t.v on, looking for something to watch, and end up having to watch some funeral of someone u personally never knew! I missed alotta movies on channel one!
ok...this is getting a bit out of hand..
@2nd anonymous: i still don't agree...what if it was - God forbid - your relative ...wouldn't you like someone you know to respect the time you are in to postpone the festive period?
nice idea Mehdi I'm sure your big ideas to terminate tourist revenue streams just because a MORTAL MAN died are sure to attract foreign investment to Oman... I guess that's why you have such a high ranking job, ha?
@Ahmed Race:
- first of all, my name is Ali and not Mehdi..if you're gonna criticize and insult at least get it right the first time..
- secondly, Muscat Festival, as I know and as far as the committee knows, is targetting to get more GCC tourists than international so somehow I don't see how your arguement holds up in sustaining financial progress of the country's economic wealth agenda.
- thirdly, those 'MORTAL MEN' you so galantly quoted are still HUMAN BEINGS and it is in decency measures that when one is brought upon death that one should respect the departed in mourning by at least not celebrating.
- and lastly, whether or not I have such a high ranking job is none of your concern nor is it related to the topic at hand. So kindly, stick to the topic and crawl from under that big rock you hide under to show your real name and what your hidden agenda is.
u asked for comments!! why do u make it sound like the guy who died (god rest his soul) is YOUR relative...this whole festival isnt sumthing the country worked up over night, theyve been putting a whole lot of work into it, maybe you shouldve researched on wht it took the officials to even come up with somehting like this festival.. think of the children, they like it, why r u still complaiing? if its so distressing for you to see this whole festival take place due to he deathe of...one person or another..then stay home!! watch TV! mourne for all we care! but bear in mind, if you are going to critize the officials on theyre jobs, then try to FIND YOURSELF ONE......then say something.......:D cheers
@anonymous:
- yes i asked for comments, not insults.
- i usually take the death of a person WHOEVER THEY MAY BE personally, not that's something YOU would comprehend.
- for your information, organization for Muscat Festival started only 2 months prior to the date of it's launching. Dubai Shopping Festival, Qatar Singing Festival and Hala February took an entire year's of work of preperation, but the officials decided to drop them the minute they heard the news.
- children can still go out and find other things to go and play around with such as their friends; the electric rides at the Qurum Natural Park. Not unless you're referring to yourself - in that case, I suggest you seek professional help of a psychiatrist.
- And lastly, if I am one who has no job because I criticize the festival and the officials behind it, then what do you have to say for yourself critcizing someone you hardly even know over a blog on the net that people hardly ever come by? Like I said; show your true name, instead of being the coward you are.
I really don't understand what this whole fuss is about!
Ali, everyone's entitled to his/her own opinion! If you think that this festival is wrong or is being celebrated at the wrong time then that's your own opion. Obviously, from what i've gathered by reading all these different comments, you seem to have alot of people opposing your opinion. Which is fine! There's no need to get all worked up about it! This is a blog that, as you said, people BARELY read, so let people say whatever they want to say!
As for me, well, I too have to disagree with you because as much as I respect the former ruler of Dubai and the Bahraini and the Kuwaiti..etc, I don't think that their passing away required CANCELING the festival but simply postponing it!
I appreciate everything people such as Abdullah Abbas have done to our country, but I can see why you seem to frown upon the idea of being cold and un-hearted by carrying on with the celebrations.
At the end of the day, the internet promotes freedom of speech more than anything else, so accept the fact that people are going to disagree with alot of the things you've posted here!
@anonymous:
i am not the one getting worked up about different opinions. in fact, i encourage it but fact of the matter that a number of these comments contained personal insults towards me and my opinions. and that is something i do not take lightly no matter the circumstances.
everyone is entitled to their opinion. i have nothing against that. but personal insults i will hold against a barrier of thick impenetrable steel.
thanks again for coming by..
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