Middle East Policy has been one of the world’s most cited publications on the region since its inception in 1982, and our Breaking Analysis series makes high-quality, diverse analysis available to a broader audience.
Middle East Policy Council
In this timely New York Times op-ed, Nicholas Krisof suggests that education is one of the best bulwarks against extremism in the Arab world. He examines the case of Oman, a country that has been transformed dramatically over the past 40 years, transitioning from “hidebound” and “fiercely tribal,” to “peaceful and pro-Western.” Kristof argues that this is the direct result of gains in education, and the Omani model could offer a guide for stabilizing those nearby nations teetering on the edge of collapse.
What Oman Can Teach Us
Nicholas D. Kristof
As the United States relies on firepower to try to crush extremism in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, it might instead consider the lesson of the remarkable Arab country of Oman….
Visit Oman today, and it is a contemporary country with highways, sleek new airports, satellite TV dishes and a range of public and private universities. Children start studying English and computers in the first grade. Boys and girls alike are expected to finish high school at least.
It’s peaceful and pro-Western, without the widespread fundamentalism and terrorism that afflict Yemen. Granted, Yemen may be the most beautiful country in the Arab world, but my hunch is that many of the young Westerners who study Arabic there will end up relocating to Oman because of the tranquility here….
In short, one of the lessons of Oman is that one of the best and most cost-effective ways to tame extremism is to promote education for all. Many researchers have found links between rising education and reduced conflict. One study published in 2006, for example, suggested that a doubling of primary school enrollment in a poor country was associated with halving the risk of civil war. Another found that raising the average educational attainment in a country by a single grade could significantly reduce the risk of conflict.
Middle East Policy has been one of the world’s most cited publications on the region since its inception in 1982, and our Breaking Analysis series makes high-quality, diverse analysis available to a broader audience.
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Middle East Policy Council
In this timely New York Times op-ed, Nicholas Krisof suggests that education is one of the best bulwarks against extremism in the Arab world. He examines the case of Oman, a country that has been transformed dramatically over the past 40 years, transitioning from “hidebound” and “fiercely tribal,” to “peaceful and pro-Western.” Kristof argues that this is the direct result of gains in education, and the Omani model could offer a guide for stabilizing those nearby nations teetering on the edge of collapse.