Day of mercy for entire humanity

Dr. Mohammed Abdo Yamani’s article on why we should remember the teachings of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) was excellent and very thoughtful (March 9).

As the former minister of information rightly pointed out, the need of the hour is to re-read the glorious chapters in Islamic history and to remind ourselves and the world of the accomplishments of Prophet Muhammad. Let the world know about our love and respect for the Prophet. This can be done by holding fast onto his teachings and spreading the ideology of Islam throughout the world. The world needs to be reminded of how our peace-loving Prophet united warring tribes and nations in a short span of a little over two decades. The Prophet’s life still remains a beacon of hope, peace and love for everybody. Adopting the principles laid down by Prophet Muhammad can still save the humanity. All problems afflicting the world can be successfully resolved in the light of his guidance. It is for this reason that George Bernard Shaw described the Prophet as “the savior of humanity” in his book “The Genuine Islam.”

The Prophet’s birthday should, in fact, be declared as “Yaum-e-Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen” (Day of Mercy for Humanity).

Jamal Qadri, Jeddah published 11 March 2009

Pakistanis are the best

This has reference to Noel Frank’s letter (“Laughing out loud,” March 2). It was highly offensive. How dare he insult Pakistanis? We have lost more soldiers than those from NATO. The Americans started this illegal war. If they are giving money to Pakistan, it is because Islamabad is bearing the brunt of America’s war in the region. America must pay the bill. What is wrong with that? Our economy is crippled due to the problems in Afghanistan.

Frank should know that Pakistanis are as good as anyone else; it is just that they always get a bad press. Some of the most brilliant engineers, doctors, lawyers and bankers are from Pakistan. It is plain ignorance on Frank’s part to belittle Pakistan. His comments remind me of the trashy tabloid press here in the UK. He is biased.

Zafar Raja, London published 11 March 2009

Zakir Naik

This is regarding Dr. Zakir Naik’s talk at King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh on March 5. He was to speak on dialogue between religions. I, therefore, decided to go and hear him. It was a very bad experience though. I had gone there in the belief that I would gain some knowledge about the peaceful aspects of all religions. But there was nothing about interfaith dialogue as the original topic suggested. He instead mocked the way Hindus greet each other. I naturally felt insulted.

If I had known that he was there to insult other religions, I would have avoided going. Then at the end of his talk he insisted that he would take questions only from non-Muslims. Why? Just so that he could humiliate them even more. How can people feel better by berating others? I just don’t understand. If he were a learned person, then he would have learned to respect followers of other religions and their customs.

Shashi Yadav, Riyadh published 11 March 2009

And now, Saudia nightmare

My family and I went from Riyadh to perform Umrah. We planned our trip meticulously by making sure all our reservations were confirmed. The journey from Riyadh to Jeddah was uneventful. On the return journey, the flight was at 1:50 p.m. and we were at Jeddah airport at 12:20 p.m. We stood in a queue for getting boarding passes. There were about 10 to 12 people ahead of us and we thought everything would be all right. Initially there were only two counters. After a while, there was only one. We waited and waited and waited for our turn. Finally, when our turn came, we were told that the flight had closed.

From then on our misery compounded. We were sent from pillar to post. We saw that we were not alone in our suffering; there were more than 20 people in the same situation. We were the only non-Arabic speaking family though. From the executive supervisor to all other Saudia staff — everyone was unhelpful. After hours of running around from counter to counter, person to person, we gave up and phoned our relatives in Jeddah who came to our rescue. They took us home and contacted several people and finally managed with great difficulty to get us tickets for one of the flights the next day.

After learning from past experience, we thought it would be better to get our boarding cards the night before. Again we thought nothing could be simpler than this. Little had we anticipated that more shocks were in store for us and again we had to go through a lot of procedural work, pay SR70 for every ticket for no mistake of ours (the claim was that we were all no-shows) and finally after four-and-a-half hours we managed to get the boarding passes. Tired to the bone, we finally managed to come back home to Riyadh.

I request all those who suffer such treatment to write to the media instead of just forgetting about it. Maybe the authorities will one day take notice and get things in order. The Saudia staff at Jeddah should provide the best and exemplary service as they cater to the guests of God most of the time.

I have a few suggestions that they could take on board if they were serious in improving services. An enquiry counter should be open at all times, staffed with people who should be able to help passengers rather than being inept and unhelpful. In case of problems, the staff should not just try to pass the buck, but actually try to help the passengers or guide them in the right direction.

Saudia should appoint people who are genuinely interested in serving people; they should train the present staff in customer care, public service and courtesy. A simple “sorry” and “please” would be a good start.

Dr. Rafiq Siddiqui, Riyadh published 11 March 2009

Sick of European Union

In his article (“Essential solidarity and national egoism,” Feb. 27), Timothy Garton Ash brings up a number of issues relating to the European Union. Most noteworthy was his statement about “the quality of European leaders, and the space and trust they are afforded by their national electorates.” The quality of our European leaders (read “masters”) is an abysmal and thumping low one.

For the 14th consecutive year, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has refused to sign off the accounts of the EU. Now if the EU, for 14 years, cannot keep its own domestic house in order, and is riddled with fraud and corruption, how can the concept of a stable euro and a prosperous eurozone be considered as viable? Try to square the circle!

Ash then goes on to say that “even in Britain, a discussion has revived about whether or not we would be better off with the euro.” There is no debate. Those who want Britain in the eurozone are the minority politically correct (PC) elite represented by the Guardian/Observer/Independent alliance and the chattering classes of Islington. The “man on the Clapham omnibus,” however, wants nothing to do with the EU.

Recent polls in the United Kingdom indicate the following: 71 percent of people want a referendum to decide on Britain’s continuing membership of the corrupt and wasteful EU. Seventy-five percent do not think politicians do enough to stand up for Britain’s interests in Europe. A mere 29 percent think that Britain gets good value for money as a result of its membership of the EU. Sixty-three percent complain that the EU prevents Britain from adopting its own immigration policy and a massive 83 percent are opposed to European law overriding British law.

No wonder the British people are sick to the back teeth of this organization.

Francis Andrew, Nizwa, Oman published 11 March 2009

Dangerous pesticide

Aluminum phosphide releases lethal phosphine gas on contact with water or moist air, so I wonder why it is used at all in the humid climate of Jeddah. How lethal is it? If a small amount of aluminum phosphide, less than a barrel for example, is spilled in water, the area should be cleared of people for 90 meters in all directions, and people up to 2.7 km downwind should be warned and protected (as per a chemical data website in the US). Phosphine gas can ignite spontaneously.

Apparently people persist in using it, even in homes, because it is cheap and available. The fact that it is used so much but is so lethal, may mean it has caused other deaths which were not recognized as being related to phosphine exposure.

It cannot be stated with certainty whether phosphine contributes to the Kingdom’s high rate of birth defects (81.3 per 1,000 live births, according to a study by the March of Dimes in 2006), but common sense should apply here. A lungful of phosphine gas will neither help a pregnant woman nor her baby.

Because phosphine gas has no known antidote, the only way to save lives is to prevent poisonings from taking place. Banning this pesticide may be the most effective way to prevent further poisonings.

Following a ban, people would need to know how to dispose of the pesticide without contaminating the environment, how to turn in any stock on hand if they cannot dispose of it safely, and which pesticides can be used as a replacement.

Y. Garcia, Anchorage, Alaska published 11 March 2009

Poor STC service

My record of 15 peaceful years in Riyadh was abruptly broken when I became a Saudi Telecom Company (STC) customer. Ever since, there is one problem or another and it is like a nightmare now. Technical problems, poor service, incorrect invoicing — I have seen it all in the last six months. STC has many offices in and around Riyadh but it seems they are intended to hook customers like me and not to provide customer service.

I wish STC would give serious consideration and provide one-stop service to customers instead of making them run around. Also, the policy of pay-first-discuss-later regarding invoice problems is misguided. There is no one to listen to.

Ziaul Islam, Riyadh published 11 March 2009