Homeless and Hungry

Badea Abu Al-Naja’s report “Flat-Out Help for Makkah Tent Family” (May 12) gave glad news that Abdullah, the Gulf-war veteran who had been living destitute with his wife and nine children in a tent, has now a home where he can live without paying rent. He is now living in luxury, keeping in mind that “luxury” is comparative. Compared to a tent in a “derelict part of the city,” a three-bedroom flat costing SR15,000 a year is the ultimate in luxury. What is more touching is that it was not the only offer of free accommodation Abdullah got. He received many others.

I wonder why none of the offers came to him before the first report, a day earlier, detailing the man’s problems. The offers definitely were not made with an eye on publicity — as it happens in many cases — because most of the offers came with the condition that the name of the benefactor should not be revealed. Clearly, there is limitless willingness to help those in misery; but they do not know which cases are deserving.

The solution is charity organizations — not international, national, state, or even district ones — but local ones. There should be a separate organization specifically for the area covered by one mosque, whose people come to, and meet at, the mosque every day, five time a day. Elders as well as youngsters in the locality will know, or can know with some effort, who has no shelter or food, which house has orphans and destitute, who has been abandoned and who are being driven to suicide. When so much kindness is waiting to be claimed, it is a crime to let people suffer.

Let some young men — and also older people — start such a project in their mosques today. That is what mosques are for — Allah’s worship and love for his creation.

Abdussamad Haddad, Makkah published 16 May 2008

Degree Mills

Switching to e-learning, as mentioned in P.K. Abdul Ghafour’s report, “Most Saudi Universities Switch to E-Learning by Next Year” (May 11), is going to be a huge mistake. No reputable company will hire an engineer, nurse, doctor, accountant, banker, electrician, mortician — and the list goes on — who has graduated from those universities. This will lead to “fake and fraud” degrees being given out like the degrees from “Suffield University,” which is classified as a “Diploma Mill.”

These “mills” even state at the bottom of the page that if the subject area that you want a degree in is not listed, just write it down and they will put it on the paper: “Just send the $900.” Degrees of any consequence are earned and paid for with excellent teachers, time and money. This is shortsighted in its approach and definitely not “forward looking” — which is what the Kingdom is aiming for, with its educational reforms. You will end up demeaning earned degrees and bring shame on the organizations and entities that you are employed with — which will defeat the purpose of higher learning.

I appeal to you to reconsider this action. There is no shortcut to real education; the only people who benefit from this are crooks. The ones who will suffer will be the Saudi students.

I am not talking about distance learning.

Brian L. Nolen, Dhahran published 16 May 2008

Interest in Tattoos

Hasan Hatrash’s report, “Increasing Interest in Tattoos, Body Piercing Fueling Underground Business” (May 10), is a saddening indication of how a variety of stupid influences have crawled into the Kingdom and corrupted the minds of Saudi youth. There is nothing to be proud of in “the increasing interest” in these stupidities.

That an increasing number of youths are “discovering” tattoo and body piercing is something that should cause alarm in Saudi society. However, while dealing with the trend, two points must be borne in mind. First, in the youth, there is an undying hunger to conform to contemporary trends and fashions, regardless of their moral and spiritual implications. Second, the view that “following the trend” is liberating and a sign of progress is a mentality that Western civilization has imposed on the non-Western world. Turkey is a good example of this. Believing that a society could become progressive if it did not allow women to wear the hijab, it discarded its spiritual heritage and cultural values and embraced the dictates of the West.

Is that progress? How does a woman’s removal of hijab, contribute to progress? Or, how does tattoo and body piercing contribute to the progress of Saudi society? We have to take a harder look at our priorities.

Mario Yusuf Germino, Jeddah published 16 May 2008

Concept of Jewish State

The rhetorical question at the end of Ayman Al-Amir’s article, “Sinkable Israel” (May 11) — “While en route to New York the Titanic hit an iceberg on Feb. 14 and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic, to the shock of the world and the maritime industry. How long can Israel afford to behave like the unsinkable ship in the Middle East?” — gives Israel and the whole Zionist project too much credit. It is time to say bluntly: Stop it! We are sick of Zionism and the idea of “the Holy Land.”

Besides the colonial strategy of Zionism, it is built on the European concept of the state. Then a state has a people and a people have a state. Before nationalism, the Jews didn’t consider themselves “a people,” they were living in Europe in religious communities. Those who were tired of religion, stepped out of these communities. Hitler introduced the dictate of the territory that houses a blood-bound people. Europe as a union has moved past that blood-and-soil-theory. Europe has no “people.” That is why the English don’t like Europe. Think about this in relation to Iraq.

Irene Veenstra, Netherlands published 16 May 2008

Concept of Jewish State [2]

It is difficult to get things right, as the repetition of phrases in the Western press and TV makes one blind of the realities without realizing it. I believe, Ayman Al-Amir’s comparisons are very right. I would add one more: the parallel between Myanmar and Gaza.

One big success of George Bush was the introduction of the word “terror” into politicians’ armory. Since that word was launched, Sharon, who never used it in the past, suddenly used it on a daily basis. So congratulations to the remark that the Germans look into all corners to find a “terrorist” against Hitler to prove their resistance.

Even though the author’s thoughts are okay, the West will not side with the Arabs. There was one man drawing caricatures of the Prophet and the Arabs blamed “the West.” There are a handful of suicide bombers in London and Germany and the West blames “the Arabs” and “the Islam(ists).”

But this is another tragic story of generalization, which has been dealt with in Arab News lately.

Mark Martinitz, United States published 16 May 2008

Restoration Issue

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N had no choice other than that of quitting the newly formed coalition government when faced with PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari’s adamant objection to the restoration of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf in violation of the spirit and letter of the Pakistani Constitution. Zardari, as leader of the biggest elected party in Parliament, has a voice that cannot be challenged. He is the key person behind power.

The coalition government was formed under a firm agreement that all dismissed judges should be restored to office. This was the pledge the parties opposing Musharraf had given the government and which had played a major role in winning the majority mandate for the opposition. So, when the two leading political parties agreed to form a coalition, the restoration of judges was the first promise they gave the nation. But soon after, Zardari found Sharif less important as he came to some underhand understanding with Musharraf. He would not mind even if Sharif quit now.

When interviewed by the BBC, Zardari was not clear about the 30 day time given to restore the judges and subconsciously mentioned that he went to sacked Chief Justice Iftekhar Chaudhry five times for his case, but did not get a favorable judgment.

Musharraf is removing all cases filed against Zardari — something that gives him the power to control him from behind the scene.

Abeed Khan, Jeddah published 16 May 2008