海角大神

Today we look at Israel鈥檚 Iran dilemma, the fallout of Latin American protests, a city鈥檚 reach to save its schools, a deeper take on women鈥檚 self-defense, and the joyful noise of fiddlin鈥�.听First, we remember a Mideast peacemaker.听

When news came Saturday that Oman鈥檚 Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Gulf nation鈥檚 ruler since 1970, had died, Monitor editors began trading messages. At a time of great regional polarization, the sultan鈥檚 decades of quiet mediation deserve notice.听

His passing felt like 鈥渢he closing chapter to a more civil time,鈥� says the Monitor鈥檚 Taylor Luck, who wrote in 2017 about Sultan Qaboos鈥� importance to the region. In Muscat, Oman, yesterday, Taylor notes, 鈥渏ust for a moment, everything stopped and reverted back to [a time] when respect trumped rivalry, and dialogue overcame differences.鈥�

Recognition came from Saudis and Qataris, from Iranians and Americans. 鈥淲arring factions of Yemen鈥檚 civil war all stopped to pay tribute,鈥� notes Taylor, 鈥渟peaking to the sultan鈥檚 legacy.

鈥淨aboos was not a model democrat, but he was a model statesman, working for prosperity for his people and peace for his neighbors,鈥� Taylor wrote in an email from Jordan. 鈥淭raveling and living in the region the past 12 years, I heard nothing but kind words for Sultan Qaboos from princes, politicians, farmers, and fishermen.鈥�

The values that may have helped inspire that 鈥� trust, respect, empathy 鈥� were celebrated in a Monitor editorial in 2018. They have long extended to Oman itself.听

鈥淭he country鈥檚 diplomacy focuses on understanding the interests of other countries rather than trying to maximize its own gains,鈥� read the editorial, quoting an official in Oman鈥檚 foreign ministry. 鈥淚t relies on seeing them as 鈥榯hough we were as them, to see the world through their eyes.鈥� 鈥�