What will the world do to stop Boko Haram?
Before this most recent tragedy, Boko Haram was kidnapping children, but now they are burning them alive, according to the latest development in Nigeria (‘Boko Haram burns children alive in Nigeria’, Gulf News, February 2). The recent brutal attack in Dalori, killing 86 people, was never witnessed before. The Nigerian government should act fast, with the cooperation of the international community, to save the people as well as safeguard assets. The ongoing crisis in Nigeria should be put to rest and we should see the radical and extremist leader of Boko Haram severely punished. Will this happen in the near future? We will have to wait and see.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
Strange future ahead
The fact that we are now genetically modifying human embryos means that we officially have some pretty eccentric people in this world (‘Britain gives scientist go-ahead to genetically modify human embryos’, Gulf News, February 2)! If designer babies are given the go-ahead, then we might see some aliens or mutants on Earth!
From Mr Aju Jacob
UAE
Facebook comment
Only science!
Take a deep breath and calm down, Mr Aju Jacob. It’s just science.
From Ms Swey Vishwanath
UAE
Facebook comment
Why did she join Daesh?
Instead of jail for this UK mother joining Daesh, the UK government should find out what her reasons were for her actions (‘UK mother gets six years for joining Daesh’, Gulf News, February 2). She seems to be very lucky to be alive. May God save her from evil actions.
From Mr Faizan Seddiqi
Manama, Bahrain
Facebook comment
She is a radical
This is not a ‘UK mother’, Mr Faizan Siddiqui, she is a radical mother. Instead of giving a sound education to her child, she was learning about how to kill innocent people.
From Mr Barron Greg
UAE
Facebook comment
Too harsh
Six years is too harsh a sentence. Firstly, it wasn’t proven that she participated in killing or recruiting. Also, it’s not quite clear if she managed to escape with her child.
From Ms Ludmila Chekhomova
Manama, Bahrain
Facebook comment
Threat to security
Take the child away from her. Leave her alone there and ban her from returning to the country. She is a threat to its national security.
From Mr Tio Nugroho
Dubai
Facebook comment
Save the child
What a silly thing for her to do. I don’t think six years is enough. Social services should get involved and take away the poor child.
From Mr Sarmad Ali
UAE
Facebook comment
Strip citizenship
Her nationality should have been taken back from her.
From Mr Irwan Jendra Gunawan
Dubai
Facebook comment
Where’s the consideration?
A long week of work was over and the much awaited weekend was here. After a quick meal, I went to sleep, thinking about the prolonged rest I would get the following Friday morning. I am sure many others feel the same way. The next morning, much to my surprise, I was awakened by the uninterrupted sound of a security alarm at its highest decibel level. It went off in a car parked near my building. I could hear my heart pounding as I jumped out of bed to check on my children. The infuriating honking of the car alarm went on for more than 10 minutes. My morning siesta was annihilated. It forced me to think about the sick, the elderly and infants in the vicinity. They, too, would have shuddered out of their peaceful slumber. Now, I would have to wait another week to experience a late morning sleep in complete tranquillity.
The same day, when speaking to an acquaintance regarding the same, I was told that a few days ago, at around 7pm, the security alarm of this very same car went off and created a racket for more than 15 minutes, until the car owner was summoned by the nearby shop dealer. I wondered to myself, how can one be so oblivious and insensitive towards the feelings of others?
From Ms Lynette Weilson
UAE
Disrespectful
I think that calling this man the ‘Tree Man’ is utterly disrespectful (‘Surgery for Bangladesh’s ‘Tree Man’ soon to remove bark-like warts’, Gulf News, February 1). This is a disease and we should pray to God for his recovery.
From Mr Fazley Rabbi Surjo
UAE
Facebook comment
Hope surgery helps
I have seen this condition before and I wish him good luck and health for the surgery. I hope he is able to lead a more normal life afterwards.
From Ms Em Dodds
UAE
Facebook comment
Sad for him
I have seen similar cases on television. It’s very painful to see someone going through such an unusual disease.
From Arman Hassan
Dubai
Facebook comment
Pray for him
May God make the surgery easy for him.
From Mr Salman Ali
UAE
Facebook comment
Global warming is serious
I am studying global warming in school and how greenhouse gases get trapped in the atmosphere and cause the surface of the Earth to heat up. We must take global warming seriously. All the ice in the North and South poles are melting. This could cause whole continents to be under several feet of water. Whole island countries might be under water in the next 50 years. Something must be done! I hope the polar bears and penguins get a new lease on life.
Mr Mozzammil Shafique Mirza
Dubai
Chennai deserves World Cup
There is absolutely no doubt that the Chennai Chepauk crowd in India is one of the best in the world, as they applaud not only the home team, but also the performances of visiting players when they excel. Who can forget the 1999 Test match loss to Pakistan, that too by a whisker? Though we felt sorry for India’s legendary player, Sachin Tendulkar, the crowd was magnanimous in applauding the winning Pakistani team.
However, despite such a sporting crowd, it is really unfortunate and disappointing that due to the rivalry of past and present Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, not even a single International Cricket Council (ICC) T-20 World Cup match has been allotted to Chennai. It is really shameful that personal enmity seems to come ahead of the game!
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
Rahul is making matters worse
What is Rahul Gandhi out to prove? That during the Congress rule for the major part of Indian independence, such a thing never happened (‘Rahul joins Hyderabad mass hunger strike’, Gulf News, January 31)? Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, this politician loves to sit with the farmers, who have been committing suicide since Congress ruled. Where was he when they were in power? Also, he loves to eat with India’s rickshaw drivers to sympathise with them, and now he is focusing on the Hyderabad University agitation, after a student committed suicide.
Caste politics were very much there when Modi was not in power, too. What about the scams that took place during Congress’s rule? Where did Gandhi disappear during crucial times, to hide?
By doing all this, he is doing nothing, rather increasing intolerance and igniting unrest. Congress should have provided compensation to Rohit Vemula’s family out of compassion, if nothing else. Just sitting with farmers, rickshaw drivers and participating in strikes with students, isn’t helping. What is he trying to prove? Has he done anything concrete? I hope better sense prevails.
From Ms N. D. Antia
UAE
Selfies: Lives or likes?
Taking selfies is considered the second most important routine these days — probably just after eating food (‘Poll analysis: How do we reduce death by selfie?’, Gulf News, February 2). It is a great entertainer and a very effective way of boosting one’s self confidence. Though the idea of being in front of the camera in mobile phones was not primarily thought of, taking pictures of yourself has become trendy and to an extent, fatally addictive.
People try to capture the perfect moment when there is a speeding train, before evaluating the risk they place on their lives. It is extremely shocking to know that there were 27 recorded deaths due to selfies. Such tragedies are avoidable, if we put in a little effort from our end.
By taking selfies, we are actually snubbing our environment and everyone around us. While selfies are a mode to connect ourselves with the global community, it is also a mode of intellectual disconnection. So, it is up to us to choose: lives or likes?
From Ms Parvathi Sreeraj
Dubai
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