Oman Distances Itself From Flydubai Pilot's Extremist Views
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
Oman is officially silent on the identity of a Flydubai co-pilot with Omani citizenship who allegedly planned to crash the plane in Israel. Sources suggest Oman is trying to distance itself from the pilot, whose extremist views reportedly developed outside the country. Public sentiment in Oman has grown more anti-Israel since the Gaza war.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Oman remains officially silent on a Flydubai co-pilot's alleged terror plot.
- The co-pilot holds Omani citizenship but reportedly developed extremist views abroad.
- Oman is reportedly trying to distance itself from the pilot's actions.
- Public sentiment in Oman has become more anti-Israel.
- The Grand Mufti of Oman has not commented on the incident.
Oman is attempting to distance itself from the actions of a Flydubai co-pilot, Mam Al-Hami, who reportedly planned to crash the aircraft in Israel. Al-Hami, who holds Omani citizenship and was born in the UAE, was identified by the UAE as having attempted a terror attack. While the UAE has officially stated Al-Hami's intentions, Oman has remained officially silent on the new revelations.
Sources indicate that behind the scenes, Oman is working to distance itself from the co-pilot, who previously worked for Oman's national airline. He was reportedly moved to a management position due to his religious extremism. An unofficial Omani source familiar with the government's sentiment told Kan News that while there has been no explicit condemnation, this might be because Al-Hami's Omani nationality has not been officially declared. No one in Oman, even among the most religiously extreme, is praising the attempted plane crash.
The Grand Mufti of Oman, Ahmed Al-Khalili, who has a history of inciting against Israel, has also remained silent. The Omani source from Muscat stated that Omanis are in a state of denial, hoping Al-Hami will not be identified as Omani. The source added that Al-Hami spent most of his life outside Oman, particularly in Syria, suggesting his extremist views did not originate in Oman.
Since the October 7th events and the war in Gaza, relations between Oman and Israel have cooled under the current Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, with increased anti-Israel sentiment and support for Palestinians and Hamas among the Omani public. However, the Omani source clarified that this sentiment is limited to calls for boycotts, support for resistance, and refusal of normalization.
This source also rejected the notion that Oman's views on Israel have become more extreme due to a change in leadership after Sultan Qaboos's passing. Instead, the source argued that Israel has changed for the worse, and it is not just Oman but even European countries that have become cooler towards Israel.
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