Afro-Omanis

Last updated
Afro-Omanis
Regions with significant populations
Dhofar, Sur, Muscat
Languages
Arabic
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Omanis, Afro-Saudis, Al-Akhdam, Afro-Palestinians, Afro-Jordanians, Afro-Iraqis, Afro-Syrians

Afro-Omanis are Omani people of African Zanj heritage. Most live in the coastal cities of Oman, with many speaking Arabic and adhering to Islam. Their origins date back to the time of the Arab slave trade and era Slavery in Oman, and when Zanzibar was a part of the Omani Empire. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Many Afro-Omanis are descendants of slaves, mainly trafficked via the Indian Ocean slave trade and the Zanzibar slave trade from the Swahili coast. On 23 July 1970, the Sultan of Oman Said bin Taimur was deposed in the 1970 Omani coup d'état and his successor Qaboos bin Said initiated a number of reforms, of which the abolition of slavery in Oman was one. [3]

Heritage

Some Afro-Omanis are still able to maintain rituals related to healing that are of Zanj origin. The languages used in these rituals are Swahili and Arabic. [4]

Demographics

In the year 2007, roughly 100,000 Omanis out of 2 million Omani citizens were descended from Swahili Omani Afro-Arabs. This means that roughly five percent of Omanis are Swahili Afro-Omanis. These Omanis are called "back-from-Africa" Omanis due to the fact that Sultan Qaboos called on diaspora nationals, to return to their home country after having lived abroad. [5]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Age of Revolution: Omani Empire". Historyworldsome.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  2. ↑ "Zanzibar | Geography, History, & Map". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  3. ↑ Miers, S. (2003). Slavery in the Twentieth Century: The Evolution of a Global Problem. USA: AltaMira Press. p. 346-347
  4. ↑ "The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean World". Exhibitions.nypl.org. Archived from the original on 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  5. ↑ https://academic.oup.com/afraf/article-abstract/106/424/479/46687?redirectedFrom=fulltext
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