Afghanistan deserves better

With the US-led Nato operations in Afghanistan unable to contain the twin menace of the Taliban and Al Qaida, the scheme of entering into direct dialogue with the former, while attempting to isolate and eradicate the latter, is taking shape.

US defence secretary Robert Gates is at one time known to have endorsed the solution of reaching out to members of the Taliban or other militants who may be considered reconcilable, much like the approach in Iraq. In this way an attempt to include those who would like to be a part of the long-term solution for Afghanistan will be made. The answer seems to be in reconciliation - a deviation from relentless attack, which is also exacting a civilian toll. The latter plan has anyway failed in its principal mission: to contain.

What is being overlooked is that entering into a dialogue with the Taliban, known for their fanatical extremism, is not going to be the long-term solution for the people of Afghanistan. The US seems to have forgotten the main lines of its principal dialogue: "We will not negotiate with terrorists, or extremists."

While previously the Taliban were a power unto themselves, unleashing a reign of terror amongst the population, today they have mingled largely with the inhabitants of the tribal belt bordering Pakistan in a bid to destabilise the functioning of both the Pakistani and Afghan governments.

While dialogue does not sound out of place, the interests of the Afghan people, battered by years of meaningless conflict, should never be compromised. It defies logic then that their future could once again be placed in the hands of their former persecutors. The proud people of Afghanistan, both in the cities and in the tribal belts, need to reclaim their identity.

The importance of reading in any given society could not be emphasised more as it plays a crucial role in shaping the development of individuals and enhances their contribution to society. The best way of bringing about this attitude shift is by targeting the younger generation who could be trained to be active readers at an early age.

The recent initiative by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, would help immensely. Accordingly, a free collection of books will be home-delivered to Emirati children during next year's Sharjah World Book Fair. "Each and every national family will be given a bookcase filled with children's books to encourage them to face the challenges presented by the electronic media," said Dr Shaikh Sultan at the opening of this year's book fair. In addition, public and school libraries would also be supplied with books on culture as a means of facilitating easy access to books.

The initiative is promising in its outlook. But it would also need the active involvement of schools and parents among others. Now that the tools are provided, it is time for all concerned to step up to the challenge.

Abu Dhabi Municipality is right to focus on clear cases of overcrowding in villas, and asking landlords to take corrective action. The municipality is not implementing a blanket ban on sharing accommodation, whether in a villa or an apartment. This more targeted approach recognises that in many cases people sharing a villa may be doing so without any overcrowding.

Abu Dhabi Municipality will also act if it finds examples of unauthorised partitioning of rooms or extensions to villas, since such actions would point to deliberate overcrowding.

By being clear on what it is targeting, the municipality has also given the many people sharing accommodation without causing overcrowding a clear reassurance that they are not breaking the law. This is better than a blanket ban, backed up with threats of large fines, yet clouded by hints that in some cases the ban will not be implemented.