24 Friday | fEBRUARY 25, 2011
Vol. III, Issue 4
The pleasures
of reading
T
hroughout my eighteen years at the university,
I have always tried to instill a love of reading in
my students because this skill has immensely
influenced my life, making it fuller, richer and more
gratifying.
Having mastered the reading of the Quran at
the hands of my mother and our village teachers, I
turned to reading the books that my very primitive
school made available to me. My love of reading,
coupled with a thirst for knowledge about different
cultures, places, stories and ideas, has made me
an avid reader. I can still remember my intense
excitement on the first day of school because
I knew I would be getting books to read. While
most students were apprehensive about their first
day at school, I couldn’t wait to get there to seize
my prized gift of books. At the end of each day, I
would run home and go to mom’s room to open my
bag, praying that no one would disturb me until I
had finished looking through my books and reading
whatever caught my interest. I would continue
reading for the rest of the day and wouldn’t stop
even after nightfall until my mother announced that
the lantern had to be turned off and that I had to go
to sleep in order to get up early, which I naturally
did because of habit.
Our society in those days being an oral one,
books were not an available commodity. In my
community, they were found in small numbers,
and owned only by the learned. Still, I did my
best to read every book I could get hold of, and
to read at every opportunity. When I could find no
more books, I re-read old ones, which enabled me
to memorize big excerpts from them. Poetry and
prose were my favourites. I never tired of reading
fiction and verse.
That is why I still remember a great many
lines of poetry, even though decades have passed
since I was at school. Reading literature eased the
pressure of schoolwork and the endless domestic
chores which were my responsibility as my
mother’s eldest child. I read poetry for pleasure -
my own way of pampering and treating myself.
It was also the ultimate reward when I had
accomplished an important goal or task or when I
had earned an excellent mark on any of my tests.
Of course, I never ceased to read the Quran.
My mother insisted that I read it daily with her.
Sometimes my brother would join us, and since
then he has always been an excellent, in fact
erudite, reader.
When I finished high school and entered SQU,
I majored in English and so much of my attention
went into reading English texts. I loved that too.
In fact, I paid the Main Library a visit immediately
after I got my lecture schedule. I was enthralled
by the number of books. I was filled with wonder
Dr Rahma Al Mahrooqi
and all I could think of was the question: “Is there
a better heaven than this?” I wanted to live in the
library in order to use every chance to read. I read
a great deal, but coursework was demanding, so I
turned my attention to my academic books and to
other related texts. I reasoned that those carried
knowledge too.
I read them with interest. They were fun. I
did not look on studying as an obligation. Heaven
forbid! Studying was a privilege and I was just too
happy to be at the university to complain about
anything. I wanted to use every minute of my stay
there judiciously and carefully. Because of reading,
I loved my university years.
I read more when I registered for the first MA
programme at SQU in 1992, but I read most of all
when I was in America for my PhD. Reading was a
way of actualising myself and indeed my only way
of defending myself, Arabs and Muslims against
stereotype criticism and prejudice.
I had a very solid Islamic and Arabic education,
but I know little about American history and
literature. Therefore, I turned my attention to
these subjects. I read obsessively, as though on a
mission. And in truth I did have a mission: I wanted
to make myself understood, and I wanted to help
others to see the central reality: that we are all one
race and so are intimately connected. My readings
helped me. Because of the knowledge I gained, I
was able to interact with others and participate
in important discussions. I changed some people’s
prejudiced ideas and earned their respect. I enjoyed
my stay in the States thoroughly, and now I never
shy away from any cross-cultural interactions.
Therefore, my dear students, you need to read.
Read daily. Read for information and for pleasure.
Build up your character through reading. Learn
from the lessons that literature in both Arabic and
English can teach you. It is a wonderful privilege to
be able to read.
Notes of
inspiration
On a personal level, his ambition is to create in his children the passion for music
and other performing arts. On a professional level, he hopes to plant love, apprecia-
tion and desire to the study of music in his students. Team H!SQU strikes a chord
with Dr Majid Al Harthy, assistant professor in the Department of Music, SQU
M
AJID Hamdoon Al Harthy was born in a small
central African country of Rwanda. After
spending his formative years in a small town
of Ibra in the Sharqiyah region of Oman, and following
his graduation from high school, Majid travelled to the
United States of America where he studied classical
music and received a BA in Music in 1997 and a MM
(Musicology) in 2000 from the University of Arizona.
At the University of Arizona, Majid studied under,
among other professors, the distinguished professor
of piano, Nicholas Zumbro.
After returning from Arizona, Majid was a lecturer
at the College of Arts and Social Sciences at SQU.
As his observation, appreciation, and fascination with
Omani musical forms of expression developed, Majid
became attracted to the field of ethnomusicology.
He entered the renowned doctoral programme at
the Institute of Ethnomusicology at Indiana University
(Bloomington) and received a Ph.D degree in 2010.
Majid is now an assistant professor of music at
SQU’s Department of Music and Musicology, College
of Arts and Social Sciences.
Inspiration
Majid holds degrees in two broad fields of
music. His first two degrees focused on classical
music with training in piano, and his Ph.D focused
Friday | fEBRUARY 25, 2011 25
Testing time
Few students really love tests, and that’s quite understandable, but what if you turn up for a test
and the first glance at the questions confirms your worst fear: you have studied the wrong subject.
Fairon the Magnificent
Sweat, panic and leave the hall in tears? Ahmed Ali Al Balushi gets three students to tackle the tough
situation
The shimmering black beauty leaves crowds awestruck. It’s sheer delight to see the king of bulls
strides into the battlefield, writes Mohammed Abdullah, a teacher at the Language Centre, SQU
on the studies of traditional music. The passion for
studying classical music was ignited by the music
of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart after listening to the
third movement of Mozart’s piano concerto no.22.
As for ethnomusicology, Majid’s interest grew as he
desired not simply to understand his country’s music,
but more importantly, to identify how these forms of Kaab Al Kaabi Azzan Al Aamri
expression reflect the history and culture in Oman.
Spare time
Among his interests outside the academia are F irst, I will try to relax. Then I will try to recall
to my memory all possible answers to the
I will spend the first five minutes thinking about
how many questions I can answer and how this
test will impact the overall grade. I will be grateful
reading, traveling and culinary arts, but his priority is questions. Of course I will spend more time on to God if I manage to do all right; otherwise, I am
his daughter, Mayya, whom he guides in music and the questions that have high grades. I might ask going to leave the paper as it is and enjoy the rest
arts and trains in piano. my instructor for some help and request him for a time of the test.
Overseas lessons make-up test if possible!
Majid spent more than 15 years studying music
in the United States, where his education could be
characterised by many opportunities offered and
taken. It was in the United States where, without Radhyiah Al Hashmi
any experience or education in music, he received
the chance of a lifetime to study Western classical
music. There, the prospect of performing the piano
music of Mozart, Beethoven, and others became
I think that I’ll cry if I faced such an embarrassing situation…again! I faced
a similar situation last year when all the students headed for another
exam hall and I didn’t know what was happening. I had tried calling my
a reality to him. Also, it was there also where the friends but it was too late because the test had already started and
prospect of studying his own music became a reality, everyone’s phone was out of service. I was terribly scared, then luckily I
where he made a transition from studying the music got my best friend on the phone who helped me to relax and offered some
of the other to researching his own music. alternatives which led me to the right exam hall. Eventually, I took my
T
decision to take the test. HE name Fairon or Pharough means an Fairon’s muscles ripple in the sun as he strides
Egyptian king whose power was renowned and then there is a call to test his mettle but the
far and wide. That about sums up Fairon the strongest bull in the arena is no match for him as
bull who resides in Al Naaman which is very close Fearown dismissively butts him out of the way
to the Barka bullfighting grounds. without even breaking a sweat.
As Fairon enters the bullfighting grounds, there As you admire his amazing visage, geological
Oman and India
is a look of shock and disbelief as the crowd of words like blocky and massive come to mind.
about 5,000 first whispers to one another and Fearown provides irrevocable proof that there is
then breaks out in a tremendous and spontaneous a God the creator because something as superbly
Prospects and Civilization applause to dissipate the nervous energy which
has built up. As he is led around clockwise in
splendid as Fearown could only have been created
by Allah. Fearown consumes 100kg of dates a day
the circle and people are able to grasp the full as well as 50kg of alfalfa hay and over 50 liters of
dimensions of Fairon, people gravitate towards water each day.
him because they want to get close and touch him His daily workout routine consists of pulling a
A three-day symposium to be held by SQU in coordination with the Indian Embassy will turn the focus to confirm that he is real. stone cart around the fields to work up a lather
on the age-old relations between Oman and India. Sulaiman Al Rawahi invites the students to the There are no adjectives which suffice but and keep in shape. He is a superb breeder as well
words like magnificent and spectacular come to and sires out for over 1000 or per session.
sessions
mind, as well as unbelievable and splendid. All If his body was not enough evidence, his huge
the superlatives in the English language fall short scrotal sac hangs almost to the ground which
T
HE office for external cooperation and the Omani India in science, economy, culture and education’s of describing this black, shimmering and very ensures that there will be many more Fairowns in
Studies Centre at Sultan Qaboos University, in fields. muscular king of the bulls. As he parades around the future. It requires him to walk rather delicately
association with different governmental bodies n Recognise Omani and Indian achievements in the the outer circle of the fighting area, a growing and so as not to do any damage to the delicate
and the Indian Embassy in the Sultanate, are organising various fields. awestruck crowd of thousands follows him and testicles contained therein. It also ensures that the
a symposium on ‘Oman and India: Prospects and n Enrich research on the four fields mentioned tries to get close and keep out of his way at the quintessential and undisputed king of bullfighting,
Civilization’. This symposium, scheduled for February previously. same time. the champion of champions, will always remain in
27 to March 1, will shed light on the long-standing ties n Strengthen the relations between the two countries It’s the same image as the wind blowing the wiliyat of Barka what is iconically recognized
between Oman and India in different aspects such as and expand the horizons for future cooperation. across a field of ripe wheat as the crowd is literally to be the quintessential home of bullfighting in
culture, economy and education. mesmerized by the power and magnificence of Oman, the Middle East and maybe even globally,
The organisers said the symposium aims to: Lectures, workshops and exhibitions will form part of Fairon as he slowly moves around. Insha’Allah.
n Identify and explore the links between Oman and the symposium.