Stand up for equal rights, against triple talaq
The issue of triple talaq in India should be resolved by legislation in Parliament under the guidelines of the Supreme Court verdict (‘New divorce law would replace talaq’, Gulf News, May 16). At present, we can see helpless Muslim women being unilaterally thrown out of their marriages, without people even hearing their story. Nowhere in any of the Muslim countries has triple talaq been practised and applied like this. In India, even the basic rights of women are denied. Men can send divorce notices via letter, Skype or WhatsApp. Here, in the UAE, triple talaq in this manner is unconstitutional and against gender equality. Any court or any competent authority should hear the concerns of a woman before divorce is granted, but by applying triple talaq, it is unanimously favouring men. In a pluralistic society like India, all religions are bound to follow the Constitution as well as rule of law, but at the same time, all religious beliefs should be taken care of, and the Muslim personal law should also be considered. Interestingly, most Muslim countries have discarded triple talaq and even in India, within certain sections of Muslims, they do not follow this. Let us hope all women get equal rights and the Supreme Court in India will come up with an amicable solution.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
Educating drivers
I salute the officer in Ras Al Khaimah for his extra effort (‘Watch: RAK officer gives smiles, not fines’, Gulf News, May 15). Rather than simply giving a fine, he convinces, educates and promotes the use of seatbelts. These tactics are helpful in improving driving, in my opinion. People will be less nervous around police officials, and it puts them in a relaxed mood, rather than keeping them on edge. I think despite fining people, they continue to make mistakes again and again.
From Mr Khalid Shabbir
UAE
Facebook comment
Reducing salt intake
The Gulf News article on salt consumption in the UAE was the need of the hour (‘Salt: Silent killer, or body’s friend?’, Gulf News, May 15). Thank you for creating awareness among the masses. Of late, my 30-year-old husband has developed high blood pressure, which was detected after a random visit to the pharmacist. The detection was followed by visits to the general practitioner (GP) to undergo tests, medications and finally, a visit to a cardiologist! At the end of all this, we were told the main culprit was salt intake in food. Since then, we have reduced our salt intake and now his blood pressure remains in control and he’s off medication, too.
From Ms Juhi
UAE
Full name withheld on request
The baby suffered
It’s such a sad story when we read about women who are unable to have children (‘Dubai mum jailed for killing her son’, Gulf News, May 15). How can a mother kill her own child? Surely the husband noticed the bruising and should have questioned it. In the end, this poor baby suffered for 14 months. Rest now, baby.
From Ms Gloria Butler
Dubai
Facebook comment
Too little, too late
If she needed help to take care of the baby, she should have asked. Where were close family members when all this was going on? What about the neighbours? Why does it always take a life for people to give solutions to problems?
From Ms Shamim Amin
Dubai
Facebook comment
Post-partem depression
Three years is a small amount of time, if she was found sane. But, she could also be suffering from severe post-partum depression. The trouble is that sometimes, fathers also leave the whole process of childcare to the mother even as she is suffering from a major change in her life. We need more awareness about post-partum depression. Earlier, it was less known, because of a closed family, and these days, stress levels are also very high. It could also be possible that she may have been taking out her frustrations on the poor little thing, as after birth, a lot of things change for a woman. Sane or sick, a poor baby died a horrible death at the hands of the one who was to be his protector.
From Ms Mahnaaz Shaikh
UAE
Facebook comment
Hard to miss
Sadly, there is a lot of child abuse that goes on, with silent witnesses afraid to intervene, around the world. It is better to report a problem and be wrong, than to ignore it. The husband must have known of the abuse, how could he not notice?
From Mr Kevin Henson
Saint Raphael, France
Facebook comment
A great achievement
High winds and unusual snowfall are the main obstacles when trying to reach the Himalayan summit, and despite these hurdles, among 750 climbers waiting, six climbers made it to the Everest summit (‘Six Indian climbers make first Everest summit of season’, Gulf News, May 14). It is laudable that Indian climbers are known for their climbing achievements. Kudos to them.
FROM MR K. RAGAVAN
Bengaluru, India
Targeting Muslims
As an American citizen born in the US, and as someone who is not a first or second generation citizen, with nowhere for me ‘to go home to’, I would say the bank was targeting Muslims, specifically, in a racist way (‘Woman kicked out of US bank for wearing hijab’, Gulf News, May 15). The US has always had to struggle to get over its racist history. We do have religious freedoms in the US; any religion is accepted and you are legally protected to practise it so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.
If the woman had worn a niqab (full face veil) at the bank, I could see it being a security issue, but a hijab is common place and it’s worn by nuns to cover their hair as well. So banning hair covering is not realistic in the US. We have a lot of Muslims and it should be common place to see a hijabi walking around on a regular basis.
From Ms Lindsay Hartman
UAE
Facebook comment
Hypocrisy
Had it been a woman from another religion, with a head covering, this would not have been an issue. Either way, it’s interesting how people actually believe that it’s just the law being implemented, in a country that brags about freedom. This clearly reinstates the hypocrisy of the US and those who are turning a blind eye to what the country is becoming. From police brutality towards African Americans to the country’s expenditure on needless warfare, instead of dealing with unemployment and the homeless population... for a superpower or a developed country, they aren’t setting a good example of how to be one.
From Mr Abdullah Ali Ajmy
Dubai
Facebook comment
Dark side of social media
Social media not only invades people’s lives, but also shapes people’s perceptions today (‘11 basic steps to social media and online safety’, Gulf News, May 16). The platform has become a place for gossiping, sharing, provoking others and for unreliable messages, images and videos. Several videos shared on social media platforms show extreme intolerance and this is viewed and recorded by many without any filter. Many videos show how people stop and witness horrific incidents, only so they can shoot it on their smartphones. This section of the society only seems interested in sharing information rather than helping those involved in an accident or a calamity. People today have become more prejudiced and just want to enjoy the credit of witnessing and recording such an incident rather than lending a helping hand. It has made people insensitive to others’ problems.
From Mr Ramachandran Nair
Oman
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