Apartheid is over, what now?
The referendum, a voting system allowing only the whites to cast their vote, was held on March 17, 1992 (“Life after apartheid in South Africa”, Gulf News, March 17). The results of which prompted the lifting of apartheid in South Africa. Nelson Mandela and many other freedom fighters fought against the discrimination based on colour and race. The many years that they spent in prison for this noble cause led to the country’s ending of the apartheid. While P. W. Botha imprisoned Mandela for 27 years, it was F. W. de Klerk’s decision to call for a referendum that resulted in the transition of power to the African National Congress (ANC) after calling for elections. Has this helped solve the actual issues of the common man in South Africa? It still remains a question.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
Worst crisis of our time
Syria’s civil war has created the worst humanitarian crisis of our time (“US plans for Syria include another 1,000 troops”, Gulf News, March 17). Syria is bleeding and its citizens are dying. We all read about their cry for help. The arrival of US troops may add fuel to the fire.
From Mr Govind Nayak
Dubai
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Collateral damage
Shame on the US (“US claims deadly north Syria strike, denies targeting mosque”, Gulf News, March 17). If you drop a bomb on a target that’s only 15 metres away from a mosque, you can be 90 per cent sure there are going to be civilians who will get injured or killed. The targets must have been very important for the bombing raid to go ahead in a populated area like this.
From Mr Lee Fall Guy Majors
Ras Al Khaimah
Facebook comment
Violence against civilians
And then they beef up security at their airports. If you stir up a hornet’s nest, what do you expect? The world has become more dangerous to live in because of these so called superpowers. What exactly is this terror or terrorist they are looking for in their war on terror? Innocent civilians? They sure are creating more terror for the world.
From Ms Mahnaaz Sheikh
Dubai
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Sad day
My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and who were affected by this terrible series of events.
From Mr Midhun Dharmaraj
Dubai
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The dichotomy of USA
And there’s no international outcry? But if other countries committed this strike, the US would be all over it claiming on human rights abuses and every other string it can pull.
From Mr Plutorch Llauder Maglaque
UAE
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Arabs battle for peace
This was a thought provoking article (“The UAE finds its voice in the fight against injustice”, Gulf News, March 15). With a vast experience in the UAE for decades, the author has nicely analysed and elaborated on the Arab culture and how Arabs in the region are fighting injustice, for peace. Over the decades, the Arab world has demonstrated peace and fought against terrorism. Hence, the stability in the region should be laudable.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
Smart pedestrian cameras
There should be a system that allows cameras to take pictures of those who misuse the pedestrian crossing, and break rules (“Watch: First smart pedestrian traffic signal installed in Dubai”, Gulf News, March 18). Then, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) would have complete details of the person and could fine them. It would follow the same system as cars do – information about the violation and fine could be sent by SMS to the offender.
From Mr Junaid Khan
Dubai
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Other emirates, too!
We need this system in Abu Dhabi – it’s hard crossing the roads here.
From Ms Ashleigh Roebuck
Abu Dhabi
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Stop the trucks!
This is to raise concerns about heavy traffic with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), as they are well aware of the traffic timings of deploying heavy loaded trucks on Emirates Road (E611). From Jebel Ali to Sharjah, a big tailback of traffic disrupts commuters’ daily travel routine. These heavy trucks are mostly sand dumpers or glass-carrying vehicles, which are loaded so heavily that they are not able to move as per their speed limit. The concerned authorities should look into the timings of these vehicles - either to travel between 3pm and 5pm or after 9.30pm to ease the traffic on all major roads including the Emirates Road. This would help daily travellers get to their destination within a short span time instead of wasting over an hour in stress. Normally, the travel time is less than 45 minutes.
Please revise the timings of heavy trucks on highways to allow passengers and private vehicles to travel with ease after a long day of hard work. I hope the concerned authorities would come to a solution for a smooth daily commute.
From Mr Prasad Warrier
Sharjah
Are we ready for more rain?
I really enjoyed the article regarding the creation of rain by negative ions. In my opinion, the UAE is not prepared at this point of time to handle the water from lots of rain. The rain water drainage systems have to be improved to manage the water and avoid flooding. Most of the cities have little or no drainage system at all.
The other problem would be about storing the rain water. A lot of catchment areas have to be made and the government should take measures to create them. I am very sure the UAE will be a green country very soon then.
From Ms Jyoti Kaushik
UAE
Not just an issue in Egypt
Criminals are everywhere, all around the world (“In Egypt, lifting the veil on sexual violence”, Gulf News, March 17). We have to accept this reality. Crime against women is a global challenge, especially in underdeveloped countries. We have to collectively fight against this culture.
From Mr Azam Hameed
Dubai
Facebook comment
Communal forces at work
The recent Opinion article on militant nationalism in India was vivid and striking, and should give food for thought to those who fervently wish India to continue as a secular, forward-looking and democratic nation. Communal dragons are trying to turn the clock upside down and destroy the ethos of the ancient Indian culture – ‘Bharatiya samskriti’. India’s civilisation may have been fundamentally influenced by Hindu culture and traditions. But, in the fullness of time, it became a modern, tolerant country, which became a leader in terms of culture, for the entire Asian continent. Contrary to this spirit, certain communal forces are at work to make India a ‘Hindu’ nation. These renegades want to push Indian culture back to the days of communalism. This would surely eat up the fabric of genuine nationalism. Nationalists cannot and should not be associated with Hinduism. Nationalism is a natural feeling, which should emanate from the hearts of the people.
From Thomas Matthew Parackel
Kerala, India
Live and let live
In Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recently announced a 500 million rupees (Dh17.52 million) fund for the betterment of the Hindu community in Karachi. As a citizen of this nation, this news brought a smile to my face. Even though I have spent very little time in the country, having been raised in the UAE, every time I have visited, I have witnessed a lot of discrimination based on religion. My extended family has been living in Pakistan for years, and they constantly point out a person’s faith, which would leave me very confused. How does it matter what people’s beliefs were? For a change, Sharif is doing something that is worth praise. I commend his actions and hope that more people living in this beautiful nation open their eyes and minds to the possibility of coming across someone who may or may not believe in the same things that you do. Their belief system does not take away their rights of being called an equal citizen. It doesn’t take away from their patriotism or love for their country. In this day and age, when many countries around the world are facing troubles in the form of civil wars, the least we can do is accept each other for who we are. Live and let live.
From Ms Rabia Shahid
Sharjah
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