From Russia with love

Well, whatever the reason might be behind the present Arab-Russian love affair, it wouldn’t hurt the Kingdom to start a nuclear weapons program. In this day and age, when people cross your borders and take possession of your land and occupy your oil-fields at will, and also with the threats of pre-emptive attacks by the two self-anointed world policemen — America and Israel — the Kingdom certainly needs nuclear weapons to defend itself. As far as I know, there are no rules that say a country cannot have nuclear weapon. The Americans, the Russians, the British — they all have them. Even a country that was created on land stolen from other people has nuclear weapons.

It is nice to do global business and play global politics. But one usually performs better at the negotiating table when one has a couple of nukes in one’s back pocket.

Azad Miah, Oldham, UK, published 11 November 2008

Road safety during floods

Many of those who know of the Kingdom as a desert area are surprised when they hear about people dying when their vehicles are swept away by floodwaters. Flooding can occur when streams and rivers overflow, when the walls of dams or levees collapse or even when streets and roads — not designed with water and floods in mind — become rivers when there are rainfalls of significant duration and intensity.

Keep these facts in mind when you are on the road during heavy rains.

• Flash floods can come suddenly. They can occur within few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall or when a dam or levee collapses or when a body of water held in check due to any other reason is suddenly released. The best we can do is to be cautious.

• Do not drive through flooded areas. Turn around, find another route to your destination. If there is no other route, get to higher ground and wait for the water to recede.

• Even if the water appears shallow enough for your car to cross, do not try it. Water can be deeper than it looks or there may not be any road at all under the water. Flooding can scour away the entire road surface and a significant amount of ground beneath.

• If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground

• Six inches of water will touch the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control or possible stalling and one foot of water will float most vehicles. Two feet of rushing water can sweep away most vehicles including SUVs and pickup trucks.

Akudinobi Ifeanyi, Riyadh, published 11 November 2008

Fake doctorate

When I read in the report “IISD principal gets doctorate from US” (Oct. 30) that E.K. Mohammed Shaffe got a doctorate from Washington International University, I opened the database of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (a US-based Association of 3,000 degree-awarding colleges and universities) to check if this university appeared in the list of educational institutions in the US and other countries. It does not. Further, I found several official websites that confirmed my doubt. Wikipedia has this to say: Washington International University is an unaccredited institution of higher education founded in 1994 and currently incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Internationl_University).

It is hard to believe that the principal of the Indian International School was so naïve or ill-informed as to approach and get a doctorate from an unaccredited university. Shaffe has embarrassed the entire Indian community by adding to his credentials a fake doctorate.

Safi H. Jannaty, Dammam, published 11 November 2008

Democracy in America

The people of America showed their genuine commitment to the values of democracy — which is acceptance that all human beings are equal regardless of their physical differences — when they voted in a man of different racial and cultural lineaments into the White House. They have reaffirmed the basics of democracy by creating a situation so fundamentally different that it looks as though it is a rewriting of the rulebooks.

At this juncture when America has voted for change and has put in power a man who promised change, we hope change will come in both external and internal policies. The new president should take decisions that will increase human happiness at home and abroad. The Bush term is evidence that the pursuit of selfishness does not add to the glory or power of any nation. A diplomatic approach pursued with understanding and logic is much more effective than irrational decisions imposed with military might.

His predecessor is the best proof of the inadequacy of might.

Muhammad Shaker Hussain, Riyadh, published 11 November 2008

Misconceptions about Pakistan

S.H.A’s letter “Feudal Pakistan” (Nov. 3) was based on misconceptions. People all over the world are used to stereotyping Pakistan and Pakistani women. The women in Pakistan have as many rights as their sisters in the other countries of the region. We are certainly not primitive or illiterate.

The actions of one person or one group of people do not represent a nation’s views or define its character. Reports such as “Newlywed girl fed to dogs, shot dead in honor killings” (Oct. 28) make people believe that Pakistan is a “thriving, feudal society.” It is only a few people belonging to certain tribes and regions who treat their children in such ways. The rest are sane people, with a sane and normal culture and traditions. If Pakistani women are not free and modern, who it is that you see working in hospitals, schools and government departments? Wasn’t Benazir Bhutto a Pakistani woman?

You need to see the truth. We are a country with a mix of every kind of people, and there are some who may have radical views. This is true not just of Pakistan, but all countries. We are doing our best to change this. InshaAllah, we will succeed.

Farah Q., Jeddah, published 11 November 2008

Chess champion

Viswanathan Anand made Indians proud when he retained his world chess title by beating the challenge from Russia’s Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn, Germany. Thanks for a lovely Diwali gift to all Indians. Anand is undisputedly the best in the chess world. His consistency over two decades is much superior to any of his peers in India. He has inspired thousands of young chess players all over the world. May he have more success in the years to come.

Mir Gazanfar Ali Zaki, Jeddah, published 11 November 2008

Why ‘rebel’ league?

I really cannot understand why the Indian Cricket League (ICL) is being called “the Rebel League” by newspapers and TV channels. What rebellion did it stage to deserve the name? The ICL has been made to look like an illegal outfit and the players who join them as some kind of crooks. On the contrary, it’s the IPL that should be called rebel league because they were the ones who started another cricket league because of the jealousy of ICL success initially.

Shabir Zainudeen, Dammam, published 11 November 2008