Opinion | Letters
June 28, 2009
Letters to the Editor: June 28, 2009
- Gulf News
- Published: 22:43 June 27, 2009
Black and beautiful
I have had cats for pets all my life as I do not have any siblings. Cats kept me from feeling lonesome as a little girl and continue to do so. People come and go, but pets stay with you for life. Many people might think it is silly but we benefit a great deal from our pets - they give us unconditional love, never complain and are always happy to see us. Animals are capable of loving us and deserve the same kind of respect that we give people. Recently, I felt a strong urge to adopt a black cat since the very first cat I had - it was with me for 12 years - was black, too. I then met a kind Iranian woman living in Jumeirah-3 who had rescued cats. She had two male cats at the time, so I just took home the first one that came to me. We follow a unique practice in France when naming pets. Every year has a letter associated with it and we would check which year the animal was born in. August 2007 had the letter 'D'. As my new pet was black and naughty, I called him Diablo. He was very sweet, a bit timid and when he meowed, I could barely hear him, especially as my two other cats were much noisier. However, he looked distinctly classy with his sleek body and shiny black coat! One morning, on the way to work, one of my friends asked me if Diablo was home. He wasn't. She then told me that a black cat had been run over on the road, but it was so far from my house that I refused to believe it was him. Later I realised that it was in fact Diablo. He had been hiding in my friend's car as she drove to work and decided to jump out as he must have been terrified and hot. The incident has left me feeling deeply distressed and guilty and I often think about his sibling. If he has been adopted and the owners would consider giving him away, please do let me know!
From Ms Francine Shahparaki
UAE
Don't impose views
Islam as a religion gives undeniable rights to women ("French parliament sets up commission to study Islamic burqa," Gulf News, June 23). The burqa is a symbol of freedom, not of imprisonment. It has been proven to give women freedom from exploitation, harassment, subjugation and eve teasing. Women such as Yvonne Ridley, a former Christian, and Kamala Surayya, a former Hindu, were both well educated women and fully aware of their rights. These women accepted Islam based on free will and adopted the burqa or veil voluntarily. No one coerced them to do so. Islam as a religion prescribes a dress code to its followers - both men and women - which has to be adhered to. The West should not impose their views of freedom on Muslim women. Muslim women must be given a choice to decide what they want to wear, especially in a free society.
From Mr Mohammad S. Khan
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Pitiable public transport
We reside in Musaffah, in Abu Dhabi's Shabia area. I would request the concerned authorities to kindly look into bus services connecting these areas. Buses currently operating on these routes are very old and in a state of disrepair. Faulty air conditioning on most of the vehicles and waits of almost 45 minutes for the next bus don't make matters any better. Surely, something can be done about this situation as a lot of people residing in Shabia work in Abu Dhabi.
From Ms Mini Jacob
Abu Dhabi
Don't rush school bus drivers
I write this letter to highlight the poor driving etiquette displayed by a lot of motorists, which invariably becomes the cause of major accidents. When bus drivers pick up school children from designated spots, some motorists waiting behind start to get impatient and honk repeatedly, thereby forcing the bus driver to act in haste. I have observed this on a regular basis, since I usually accompany my children to a pick-up point. The persistent honking forces drivers and conductors to rush children boarding the bus. When I recently asked the driver to be patient with the children, he got out of the vehicle and started talking in a language which I could not understand. But I sensed from his body language that he was extremely agitated. I fail to understand why some motorists have to be so impatient. Aren't they taught to respect other road users while learning to drive?
From Mr Pradeep M.
UAE
A veritable encylopaedia
I don't have enough words to praise Gulf News for keeping us so well-informed. When I first came to the UAE five years ago, I checked on all leading products before going for a subscription. Today I am happy I chose Gulf News. Besides covering almost all news stories, the recently added Your Turn page is outstanding, too. I feel it is not merely a newspaper but an encyclopaedia of news. Just one suggestion though - it would be highly appreciated if a section could be dedicated to children, too.
From Mr Indra Mohan Borah
Dubai
Your turn
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