Cats and Monkey

Well said (“Arabs Divide; Israel Rules”, April 1). The Arab World, like the “Islamic bloc” is just a collection of countries without a common goal and whose policies outsiders dictate.

The present situation of mistrust among Arab nations reminds me of the famous parable of the two cats who had found a piece of cheese and, not trusting each other to divide it equally, decided to go to a monkey for a fair distribution. For those who have not heard the story, the monkey cut the cheese in two. As one was bigger, he cut a piece from it and ate it. Then the other piece of cheese became heavier. So he cut a piece from that one and ate it, too. He continued the process until he had eaten the whole cheese.

The moral of the story is: It is better to trust your own kind even if he tries to gain some advantage at one time or another, rather than trust an outsider who has only his self-interest at heart. Substitute the two cats with the Arab countries and the monkey with the US and other Western countries. The result is the same.

Rahmatoola Rujeedawa, Canada published 11 April 2008

Higher Education

It is good that, as P.K. Abdul Ghafour’s report “Higher Education Getting a Major Facelift, Says Official” (April 1) detailed, as part of a 25-year development strategy, the Kingdom is opening 12 new universities in various parts of the country and is entering into cooperative agreements with leading universities in the US, Europe and Asia. While they are all welcome steps, it should never be forgotten that what the Kingdom needs more urgently are steps to improve basic levels of education. The authorities need to review and revise the elementary, secondary and high school education. Opening up high-class universities will not solve the problems of lower education and, hence, will not benefit the Kingdom’s citizens unless the authorities take serious steps to strengthen the real foundation of education — from Standards 1 to 12. Nothing strong can be built on a weak foundation.

Mohammed Faheem, Riyadh published 11 April 2008

Restrooms

I agree with everything in Fatima Sidiya’s report “Highway Users Complain of Poor Services at Rest Stops” (March 30). I have traveled throughout the Kingdom, the condition of the restrooms along the highways is deplorable. The first thing you need at a rest station is a place to wash hands before ordering food. But when you see the condition of the comfort rooms, you don’t feel like eating.

Romarico Gaspar, Tabuk published 11 April 2008

Restrooms [2]

The first time I used the restrooms along the Jeddah-Madinah highway was in 1984 and the last time was in 2006 — and the deterioration in their condition is truly shocking. In 1984, they were well-cleaned, always had water, and there was no stink. The authorities should investigate the reasons for the deterioration and take action to improve their sanitation, especially during the Haj period. Incidentally, the mention of Haj brings another related subject to mind: the condition of the camping areas and restrooms of Muzdalifa.

Munye Sheikh Omar, Jeddah published 11 April 2008

Gaza

Commenting on Imran Khan’s excellent article “John MacCain. His Border State and Gaza Strip,” Shelly Wiggins inquired in her letter “Gaza” (April 1) if Khan had visited Gaza to speak authoritatively of the situation there. Let me ask: Had Wiggins herself gone to see for herself the reality in that virtual prison to question Khan’s facts? Had she tasted the bitterness and horror the local people have to endure because of the invasion of this Asian land by European invaders and troublemakers?

S. Wasty, Jeddah published 11 April 2008

Targeting Islam

The film “Fitna”, the play “Satanic Verses”, the Danish cartoons and so many other attacks on Islam and Muslims, coming one after another, cannot be just coincidences. Why is the Qur’an and the Prophet (peace be upon him) targeted in this manner? It is part of a concerted and well-coordinated drive by the imperial powers of the West to impose their hegemony over the Muslim world. Control over oil and strategic sealanes, the majority of which border Muslim countries, is the motivating force. To establish this control and dominance, the neocolonialists have to target Islam because it has often served as the ideological inspiration for resistance to Western hegemony. This is why hegemonic forces have always sought to malign the religion.

Predictably, Muslim governments and religious leaders have issued statements condemning the film. So have the secretary-generals of the OIC and of the United Nations. Muslims in different parts of the world have been holding demonstrations to protest the film.

However, it is important that protests remain peaceful. Otherwise, Muslims would be playing into the hands of those who are hell-bent on portraying Islam and Muslims as violence prone. The Muslims in the Netherlands should produce films that tell the truth about the Qur’an, the Prophet, and Muslim history. These films should be shown in the cinemas and posted on the Internet. There should be an honest and sincere attempt to discuss and understand violence in different religions and societies. The Dutch people should be made aware that there are references to violence in most scriptures —- the Torah and the Talmud; the Old and New Testaments; the Qur’an and the Hadiths; the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha. What one should not do is to take them out of context, distort and misinterpret them.

The proposal by the former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, to boycott Dutch products is worth considering. Middle- and high-income Muslim countries import a lot of foodstuffs from the Netherlands. For a global boycott to succeed, there should be careful planning, organization, mobilization and monitoring. As an immediate measure, it may be more feasible for Muslim governments to conduct a thorough review of all current projects and contracts with Dutch companies. Both a consumer boycott and a review would serve to persuade Dutch citizens that it is in their own interest to isolate Islam baiters and other type of racists.

Chandra Muzaffar, United States published 11 April 2008

Ban on Bangladeshis

Those behind the concerted campaign accusing Bangladeshis of a variety of criminal activities can congratulate themselves: They have succeeded in tarnishing the image of an entire people, among whom are doctors, engineers, teachers and professors, businessmen, consultants and executives as well as office assistants, cleaners, drivers, sweepers, guards, farmers, daily laborers and others — just like any other expatriate group in the Kingdom.

They have been accused of crimes such as import of banned items and trading in them, dealing with porn videos, duplicating iqamas and other legal documents and so on. Granted. But what about law-enforcement agencies? Should they too be blamed? Why don’t we see a single punishment given to those engaged in such actions? How do they carry on without the police touching them? From where do they get support? Clearly, the ones who are running the operation, the brains and money behind it, are still unknown and remain behind the screen. They cannot be the unskilled Bangladeshis. Why is it that nobody touches the real dons? It must be an influential mafia of powerful men whom law-enforcing authorities cannot touch. Whenever a gang is caught, we read in newspapers that “some Asians” were arrested. No mention of the “non-Asians” — the real bosses — ever.

Bangladesh is passing through a critical time. Abnormal price hike of daily commodities, scarcity of food and grains, collapse of state-owned industries, unemployment, corruption, social instability, natural disasters that leave millions of people dead and homeless, bring diseases and destroy cattle and crops are only some of their problems. A few lucky ones from among them manage to come to the Kingdom with the hope of supporting their starving families. They sell their small plots of land to pay a high price for work permits and work for. low pay — as low as SR280 a month, the same amount that I spend for a light dinner with my friends. Under such circumstances, they are susceptible to any plot.

The Labor Ministry has confirmed a temporary ban on new recruitment from Bangladesh — leaving the real facts uncovered and the real villains. I hope the measure is short-term and they will be welcome here again.

Abeed, Jeddah published 11 April 2008