Switch off, make a difference
All of us try in many ways to reduce our carbon footprint and today, we mark Earth Hour, which provides an opportunity for the whole community to join hands to reduce carbon emissions and to make this world a cleaner and a better place to live in. According to a previous Gulf News report, last year, electricity that could be used to power 16 average homes for a whole year was saved in an hour. This year, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has launched a campaign titled, ‘Switch Off’. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Earth Hour and I hope that everyone helps by participating in this year’s event.
From Mr Harshith Belagur
UAE
A horrible way to die
It was appalling to hear about the woman in Afghanistan who was stoned to death for allegedly burning pages from the Quran (‘Afghans react in horror over killing of mentally-ill woman by mob’, Gulf News, March 23). It is extremely sad that she was mercilessly killed despite it not being proven that the pages were actually from the holy book. It is a shame that the men, hundreds of them, ganged up against this defenceless woman while the police failed to protect and rescue her from them. She did not deserve to die in such a painful manner and to have her corpse disrespected publicly. It is infuriating to know that she was badly beaten and even kicked while she lay dying on the ground and no one took pity on her. They seemed adamant on killing her. Islam teaches us patience, tolerance and respect. It instructs men to treat women with the utmost respect and care. This incident goes on to prove the sick mentality of some. We cannot expect women to be at par with men, or to see the country progress, when we have youth mistreating women. In a country like this, gender equality, human rights and protection of women seems a distant dream. I offer my sincere prayers for the departed soul.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
Facebook comment
This isn’t Islam
She was beaten and burnt to death and now these people should face serious consequences! Reports reveal that she was a student of Islamic studies, a woman practicing Islam in an appropriate way. Further information has suggested that the burnt papers, which these beasts labelled as being from the Quran, actually contained poems. The primary threat to Islam is these ignorant people. No doubt God will judge such people who misguide others to this extent! These so-called caretakers of the Quran are actually those who don’t follow its message.
From Ms Iram Seddiq
UAE
Facebook comment
Evil actions
I think back to the mosque bombings in Sana’a and reflect on how bad and sad it is for such an event to occur at all, let alone in a house of worship (‘Riyadh warns of action if Yemen peace bid fails’, Gulf News, March 24). Nothing in our Islamic religion teaches us to do evil things, like killing innocent women, children and men for no reason.
From Mr Amir Alphamale
Dubai
Facebook comment
Stop the madness
When will these horrible people stop bombing and killing innocent people in the name of jihad? Is God not great enough to fight His own battle? When will these militants wise up and stop all of this madness?
From Mr Syed Ali Shah
UAE
Facebook comment
Reckless driving
I think that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) should launch a system to monitor how taxis and buses drive in other lanes, too (‘Cameras to catch bus lane violators’, Gulf News, March 24). Sometimes, I think that the taxi drivers drive like they’re in a movie about race cars! It can be scary.
From Mr R. Ta
Dubai
Facebook comment
Obeying the rules
I wish RTA the best of luck cracking down on these drivers violating the bus lane rule. I think that the RTA should also come up with a plan to enforce left-turning lane etiquette and indicator usage.
From Mr Santino Anaya
Bakersfield, US
Facebook comment
Mind games
This is in reference to Gulf News’ report on Australia’s confidence when playing India in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup (‘Faulker ready for cut-throat contest’, Gulf News, March 24). While the Australian captain, Michael Clarke, was wary of Ravichandran Ashwin, players like Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch felt very confident playing against India. This is nothing new, as the Australian team is known for their mind games. During this World Cup, it has been India’s bowlers who have found their rhythm and been on a roll, bowling out the teams they have played.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Chennai, India
Depressing and shameful
We often hear people remark that children are as lovely as butterflies or flowers, but when we read stories like the man who was arrested over allegedly abusing his daughters, the reality seems different (‘Man charged with abusing daughters’, Gulf News, March 24). It is very depressing. The accused shouldn’t even be referred to as the children’s father. The oddest part of this story is that one of the daughters in question had reported the matter to her mother, who is said to have not believed her daughter about the allegation against the father. What a strange world this is. It’s stories like this that make me sometimes ashamed to say that I am one of its inhabitants.
From Mr Sunny Joseph Mala
Thrissur, India
Know the rules
Airline staff can be so arrogant and rude that they forget that as customers, we have rights, too! The airline industry thrives on customer satisfaction, and in this cutthroat business, one can’t afford to be rude and unhelpful to their customers. I recently flew with an airline and the staff was very unhelpful. My sister was to travel from Dammam, Saudi Arabia to Dubai. She sailed through immigration and even collected her boarding pass, only to find out that there are new laws in place forbidding visas on arrival to women without their sponsors. Now, this was informed to her by the airline staff and when she asked for alternatives, they kept repeating that they couldn’t help. She called their local office, only for her call to go unanswered. She had to miss her flight and go to the office and again, was met with the same response of no one being able to help. She lost around Dh1,200 on her tickets.
The staff said they couldn’t do anything because it wasn’t their fault. Shouldn’t they have mentioned that the tickets and visas were applicable to local laws? When I called their office in the UAE, they said that she should have known about the laws herself, before travelling, and she could have travelled with a no objection certificate (NOC) from her sponsor. Why wasn’t she told that at the airport? She could have easily provided the document, as her husband was there to see her off. All in all, people should be well aware of this law before flying.
From Mr Anas Ahmad
UAE
Social media and privacy
Social media has a strong influence on us. I have grown accustomed to seeing pictures of a friend getting married or a family gathering on video and it is heartwarming whenever such social media content comes across. At times, I see some breaking news from my hometown, but what we find these days tends to be absurd or voyeuristic. For instance, we get messages such as, “watch this video of a crazy young man screaming on the street” or “view the victims of the accident…”.
Regardless of the feelings of their relatives, we are all demanded through the internet to watch, watch and watch. The process on our smartphones has become: shoot, copy and share. No one seems to care about the feelings or privacy of others. Doesn’t anyone believe in karma anymore?
From Mr Mohammad Al Hajiri
Al Ain
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