اخبار سلطنة عُمان – وطن نيوز
اخر اخبار سلطنة عُمان اليوم – اخبار سلطنة عُمان العاجلة
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-05-30 15:01:00
Books – Saud Al-Akhzma When the tidings of Eid appear until the pains of longing are felt in the souls of expatriates all at once, as if the seasons hold the keys to hidden memory; It awakens the nostalgia that the days have numbed. Then the souls begin their journey of wandering towards distant homes: You have homes in the hearts, homes that are deserted by you and theirs by your families. And images of mothers recounting the old details of the holiday, children’s laughter in the corners of homes, faces of fathers exhausted by waiting, and the voices of neighbors that used to give the places their oppressive warmth, lead to the heart. And in the crowd of these memories stand The expatriate’s soul is drawn to a homeland that expands within him as he moves away from it. He stares for a long time at his phone screen, anticipating a call from his family, and rushes to talk to his mother, who is exhausted by loss, or his children, who keep a lesson gnawing in his chest as they ask him in their painful innocence: When will you come back? Voices echo across the distance, and greetings are crowded on phones and video clips, but something remains missing; This is because the holidays are not complete through screens, and the warmth of mothers is not conveyed by calls, no matter how beautiful the words are. Alienation during the holidays is not only the absence of a body, but the extinguishing of part of the soul whenever the holiday takbirs ring out far from home. That is why expatriates try to weave memories of a temporary home that protects them from the loneliness of the soul, and to lean on the affection and inclusion they find in the societies in which they live. In the Sultanate of Oman, many residents found a humanitarian space that alleviated some of the hidden scars left by exile. With the spontaneity of its people, the generosity of their interactions, and the warmth of its community, it was able to give the resident a feeling of familiarity, so that the holiday there seemed less cruel and closer to the heart. Here the stranger is not seen as a temporary passerby, but is welcomed with all his humanity. He has his place and respect, and he finds for himself among the Omanis a space of tranquility similar to the warmth of the first homes. It is during the holidays in particular that the features of Omani society are revealed in their most beautiful forms. Open doors, crowded gatherings, faces that welcome everyone with a sincere smile, and hands that extend with coffee, sweets, and barbecue before they extend with words. So that many residents feel that the distances separating them from their homelands are narrowing a little in the face of this rare human containment. Through this survey, we approach the stories of expatriates from Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia, to listen to the tremors of nostalgia in their voices, and to discover how Oman was able to pat the stranger on the shoulder and give him some of the tranquility of the homeland. Longing for family reunion Hanan Shehab, a Lebanese teacher who has lived in Bawshar Province for four years, says: The Day of Arafah and the days of Eid al-Adha bring back to us many details that I used to experience in my homeland, Lebanon. The dawn takbirs, the family gathering, the sound of laughter spreading throughout the house, the smell of maamoul and the spread of cream that my mother used to make sure to prepare every Eid. Northern Lebanon is famous for its sweets such as cheese, carrot, madlouqa and mafruka, while the southern region is famous for its Siniora sweets in Sidon in particular, and the Ghuriba as well. Families who greet each other give sweets as gifts, such as baklava, petit fours, znoud al-sit and aish al-saraya, in addition to chocolate, malban, nougat, candy, maamoul, and cakes. But for Hanan, nostalgia is no longer just a passing longing, as the Lebanon she left behind is still groaning under The brunt of crises, wars, and constant anxiety, which is why the holidays become more painful. Memories are mixed with fear for the people I left behind there, facing the fatigue and vicissitudes of life. She says in a voice heavy with nostalgia: “Every Eid, I feel that my heart is divided between the joy of Eid here and my worry for those I love there. Sometimes one takbir sound is enough for the memory to take me back to our old home in Lebanon.” She adds: Omani society has been able to greatly alleviate the burden of these feelings, stressing that she found in the Sultanate of Oman a rare human inclusion, for the Omanis – as she describes them – People with white hearts receive people with sincere love and great respect, without distinction between resident and citizen. She continues: “What touches the heart most in Oman is the quiet kindness of its people. People here do not pretend to be generous, but rather live it with beautiful spontaneity. You feel that the smile is real, and that the welcome comes from the heart.” She points out that the Eid atmosphere in Oman is associated to her with Omani barbecue, sweets, and Omani coffee that is served in the gatherings with all welcome, pointing out that Omani rituals of hospitality carry within them a deep meaning of humanity and inclusion. She also expressed her admiration for Omani folk arts such as Al-Razha and Al-Azi, considering that they are not just traditional performances, but rather scenes that express the authenticity of the Omani person and his pride in his history and identity. She explains that the members of the Lebanese community in the Sultanate of Oman are keen during the holidays to hold small family gatherings, prepare traditional Lebanese dishes, and exchange visits and social evenings, in an attempt to create Warmth that resembles home, even for a short time. Hanan believes that among the initiatives that can enhance residents’ sense of familiarity are organizing joint cultural festivals between Omani communities and families, and holding heritage and artistic evenings, in addition to activities for children and families during Eid, because such details – as she says – greatly alleviate the pain of exile. At the end of her speech, she sent a message of love to Oman and its people, saying: I pray to God that Oman will maintain its security, stability and reassurance, and that It preserves its generous and kind people who gave us a feeling of security in a time when reassurance has become rare. Oman… another homeland of familiarity. As for the Egyptian teacher Muhammad Mahmoud Hussein Al-Juhaini, who has lived in the Sultanate of Oman for twenty years, he says: The long years that I spent made me feel that Oman is no longer just a country of residence, but rather another homeland that I live in and that resides in my heart. He adds: The holidays in the beginning of my exile used to awaken within me a great longing for Egypt; To family gatherings, Egyptian fattah, ragag with meat, cakes and biscuits; Where the smells wafted out and filled the homes days before Eid. But little by little – he says – Oman began to give him a different feeling, until he no longer felt alienated as he had before, explaining that the reason for this was due to the morals of the Omanis, their good treatment, and the sincerity of their affection. He says: “The Omani is a person who carries within him a rare purity. You do not feel like a stranger or far from your family with him. People here surround you with respect and appreciation in a way that makes you feel like one.” He recalls many humanitarian situations that are still stuck in his memory, including one of his Omani neighbors visiting him on Eid and offering him barbecue, dates and Omani sweets, stressing that those simple details carried great meanings of generosity and affection. He points out that what most draws his attention in Omani society is its adherence to its customs and traditions despite the changes of the times, as the gatherings are still full, the family ties are present, and people exchange visits. With generous hearts. He added: During the Eid, the members of the Egyptian community in Muscat are keen to hold family gatherings, social and sports meetings, and prepare some Egyptian folk dishes, in an attempt to restore the atmosphere of the homeland. He also expressed his admiration for Omani folk arts such as Al-Razha and Al-Azi, considering that they express the Omani pride in his heritage, history and courage. Al-Juhaini suggests holding annual festivals for the resident communities during the holidays, which include Arkan. For popular foods, traditional arts, and family activities, in a way that enhances human rapprochement among everyone. At the end of his speech, he said: I pray to God to preserve Oman’s leadership and people, and to perpetuate the blessing of security and stability, as it is a country of peace, generosity, and humanity. When kindness becomes a homeland from Tunisia, teacher Shuaib Boubakar, who has lived in the Sultanate of Oman for 4 years, narrates his experience and memories by saying: Perhaps as we reside in these blessed days on the land of the Sultanate of Oman, we are attracted by a nostalgia that does not leave our souls towards our distant homelands; Where the memory is alive and the scenes rush to the heart, pardon the mind. There in the southwest of Tunisia, specifically in Umm al-Arais in the state of Gafsa, these days had their own rituals; People celebrate the pilgrim before he travels to the holy sites, and they gather around him, old and young, in a scene filled with familiarity and prestige. As the Eid approaches, conversations become preoccupied with the sacrifices and their vibrant markets, so the religious and social dimensions mix in an image whose details are inseparable from the memory of the place. Then the day of Arafah comes, and eyes are glued to the screens following the pilgrims, while palms are raised in supplication and souls are overflowing with longing for those great scenes of faith. As for the day of Eid, it is the joy of meeting in the prayer halls and the echo of the takbirs that bring people together in one unity before they return to their homes to slaughter sacrifices and exchange visits and greetings. However, Eid remains a balance between the joy of meeting and the pain of remembering those who are absent and departed, leaving in the heart their indelible mark. He says: The members of the Tunisian community in the Sultanate of Oman are keen during the holidays to organize small family gatherings, prepare Tunisian food and exchange visits, in an attempt to preserve the spirit of Eid far from the homeland. He believes that among the beautiful initiatives that can be organized is holding open meetings for communities in parks and public places, and organizing heritage and artistic evenings and competitions for children. and families; Because such events create a feeling of familiarity and greatly reduce the feeling of alienation. At the conclusion of his speech, he said: “I ask God to preserve Oman’s security and stability, and to preserve its good people who, with their morals and generosity, have been able to make many expatriates feel that they have a second home here.” A space of safety and reassurance. Despite the difference in nationalities and the distance of their homelands, the voices of the expatriates interviewed by the survey were similar in one thing: The nostalgia that does not fade, no matter how many years of exile, and the deep gratitude for Oman, which was able to make the holidays less cruel to distant hearts. In this land, which has been known throughout its history for tolerance and human generosity, the resident does not feel that he is just a passerby, but rather finds containment that relieves him of the weight of distances and the loneliness of the seasons. Here, gatherings turn into spaces of familiarity, coffee into a language of welcome, and Eid into an occasion in which everyone shares joy, regardless of their homelands and dialects. The Omani person, with his tolerant morals, spontaneous generosity, and sincere kindness, has been able to leave an unforgettable impact on the souls of many residents, to the point that Oman has become for them more than a place of work or residence. Rather, it is a space of safety, reassurance, and human warmth. Among the proposals they made in their dialogues, which would alleviate the horrors of alienation, is to transform occasions and holidays into a vibrant cultural space that brings together different communities under the umbrella of familiarity and acquaintance, by establishing heritage markets in which each country allocates a special corner that reflects its cultural identity and displays its most famous foods, sweets, traditional costumes, and social customs. These corners become open windows to peoples’ memories and scents. Their distant homelands. These events can also be accompanied by artistic and folklore performances, evenings of chanting and singing with their own folklore, workshops for traditional crafts, and spaces for children that introduce them to diverse cultures and give expatriates an opportunity to regain part of the details of themselves that they left behind. It is also nice to organize group meals during the holidays around which residents and their families gather in an atmosphere in which the alienation of the place disappears and hearts become closer to each other, in addition to devoting evenings to folk tales, memories and experiences. Successful expatriation, and exhibitions of photos and heritage collectibles that carry the scent of old homes. Such initiatives not only provide entertainment, but also create a hidden reassurance in the souls of expatriates and make them feel that their homelands are still close to them, no matter the distance. In a time when wars, crises, and harsh alienation are widespread, Oman appears to many expatriates as a true window of peace, in which they find some of the tranquility they missed, and faces that give them a feeling that humanity is still fine. That is why the words of expatriates in this survey were not just passing testimonies, but rather sincere messages of gratitude to a country that was able to embrace those coming to it with love and respect, and to make the Eid warmer, foreignness less painful, and the homeland closer to the heart even if it is far away. The supplication remains present at the conclusion of every conversation: that God preserves Oman as a land, a sultan, and a people, and that He perpetuates upon them the blessings of security, stability, and peace, and that it remains as everyone knew it, a homeland of reassurance. It is a haven for love and a welcoming home for all who are distressed by life.
