The Real Issues

I found Abeer Mishkhas’ commentary “Time to Deal With Real Issues” (June 15) on the National Dialogue Conference in Madinah quite sound. However, I would emphasize two points: Many women in our society (as earlier noted by Raid Qusti) continue to resist change, partly because they either don’t know their options or don’t have them, and partly because they simply don’t want to carry out any change.

My argument is that one single rule, opinion or constitution cannot govern every woman in the society. But the “one-size-fits-all” is what works here. There should be a constitution to give liberty and freedom of choice and to accommodate various casts and categories in our community. Basically it’s called “live and let live”. Like Abeer said, women should decide for themselves — but without one line of thought discounting the other. Conservatives must not decide for the more liberal and vice versa. New laws and rules must address different situations.

The second point is that policy-makers must be able to draw lines as to when to intervene or allow agreement by consensus. We need to learn to coexist, accommodate and live progressively. This will not happen quickly, but a start must be made by the decision-makers, the press, the intellectuals and all others concerned. We cannot expect a royal decree on each little change. Our crown prince emphasized the importance of women in our society. Logically, we cannot expect him to pencil out the minor instructions on how to do it.

Reem Asaad • Riyadh published 18 June 2004

The Real Issues [2]

I am so pleased that the women’s forum is taking place. What some seem to forget, while they are quick to point out that a woman should be at home to look after her children, is that some of us have no choice, especially those of us who are widows. We would love to stay at home with our children, now they are left with only one parent. However, we are given a pittance to survive and so have no choice but to go out and work in low-paid menial jobs to try and survive with our children. We have become the breadwinners for our families. Surely we should have access to better-paid jobs, instead of being able to barely survive. A forum like that should have explored all different situations of women, not just those of single girls and married women.

Trae • Jeddah published 18 June 2004

Rubbish Skips

This refers to the article “All Those Noxious Smells From Rubbish Skips” by Abdur Rahman Al-Shayyal (June 15). Regarding the obnoxious smell of rotting garbage, I have a suggestion that might be feasible here with the cooperation of the authorities. Back home in America, I did organic gardening, the essence of which is fueled by compost. The rotting garbage of Jeddah, combined with natural nitrogen sources such as cow dung, horse dung, camel dung, or cut grass could make tons of great compost — otherwise known as “gardener’s gold.”

Apart from getting rid of the garbage and the accompanying bad odor, this has the benefit of replenishing the soil with the best fertilizer — compost. Many cities in the US recycle garbage, dry leaves, etc., turn it into compost, and then give it away to anyone who wants it. Last week I ate a locally grown tomato that made me sick. I’m sure it was treated with some chemical pesticide. It is a shame. Right now I’m making my own compost to experiment with growing vegetables in containers. With the excess of sandy soil here in KSA, more organic techniques are required to improve local soil fertility. The practice of dumping trash everywhere is an outright shame. To say that it’s the Indians’ responsibility to clean up is an outrage. The throwing of trash and garbage, the way I see here in Jeddah, is totally un-Islamic and not in line with the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him. “Cleanliness is half of Iman (faith)” is authentic.

Abu Ishmail • Jeddah published 18 June 2004

Rubbish Skips [2]

It was an incredibly disturbing article. People who think nothing of littering on the beach tend to move up to larger abuses — like pouring used motor oil into the ground or tossing old tires into rivers. You are going to have a generation of environmental destroyers.

Peter C • United States published 18 June 2004

Excess of Population

Abid Khazindar made some very good points in his article “The Other Face of Saudization” (Local Press, June 14). The thing that was not said was about reducing the birth rate, the highest in the world. My understanding is that there is no religious objection to doing so. Many Muslim countries have made it a priority program. Iran began promoting birth control a long time go. It should be done here in the Kingdom too. And excess population brings big problems to society.

Maria L. Ortolani • Riyadh published 18 June 2004

Reporting Extremism

On June 4, the Kingdom’s highest Muslim authority, headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh issued a fatwa calling on citizens and expatriates to inform on “suspected” extremists. I don’t know what exactly the authority meant by the term extremists. In my book, they are those who deny others the right to have an opinion and force on others their own prejudices. If it is so, the highest authority should investigate Dr. Muhammad Al-Arifi, of the Teachers’ College in Riyadh. His performance at the Women’s Dialogue Forum in Madinah, insulting and attacking all those who held views different from his, reflects the attitude and philosophy of those who were responsible for the bombings, shootings, slitting of throats and kidnapping of innocent people just because they were of different ethnicities or faiths. Such views are very unhealthy, especially when held by a person who is training teachers. Imagine the kind of young generation this country will produce when they are taught by Arifi’s students.

All the fulminations against extremism will not have any effect so long as educational institutions are training grounds for intolerance. With teachers like Arifi around, nobody need wonder why many youths have deviated from the right path.

Francisco R. Cabel • Riyadh published 18 June 2004

The Legacy of India

I thank Sharifa Al-Shamlan for the words she wrote about my country in her article “The Legacy of India” (Local Press, June 13). Home to the second largest Muslim population in the world, India is a natural ally of the Middle East. From the very first day of its life as an independent nation, it has supported all Arab and Muslim causes. When Jawaharlal Nehru, its first prime minister, took the lead in forming the Non-Aligned Movement with Presidents Nasser and Sukarno as leading partners, the underdeveloped nations of the world got a forum to articulate their views and formulate their policies. The Palestine cause got its most powerful support from NAM. That was why leaders of the Palestinian resistance from Ferhet Abbas to Yasser Arafat made New Delhi one of their first ports of call when they needed international support.

Jamal Muhammad • Jeddah published 18 June 2004

The Legacy of India [2]

It is very strange that the author, who praised India so much, forgot to mention Pakistan, which was part of the united India. But I am not surprised. The Middle East countries always pamper India and give it preference in trade and commerce while disregarding Pakistan and its people. While performing Haj, I found that Indian Hajis got greater support from the Saudi government than Pakistani Hajis did. Indians were allowed to bring from India all kinds of foodstuff for use while Pakistanis were forbidden from bringing even toothpaste. Canned foodstuffs were confiscated by the Customs. We Pakistanis have always supported all Muslim causes — Palestine, Bosnia, Kosovo, Moros of the Philippines and all Middle East countries. But when we speak to any Saudi or Arab national we find them supporting India against Pakistan. Why is this?

Mohammad Mobeen Kashif • Jeddah published 18 June 2004

Vajpayee’s Anguish

India’s former Prime Minister Vajpayee’s tears for the victims of the Gujarat riots come a little too late. Why did he not feel the sense of shame that he is now overwhelmed by when an expression of it would have done some good — when it would have saved lives and women’s honor?

The Supreme Court described the leaders of the Gujarat government as “modern-day Neros who were looking elsewhere when innocent children and women were burning”. It is impossible that he did not know what was happening. But he chose to remain silent not to anger the Sangh Pariwar. What persuaded him to break his silence? If the last election had given a victory to the NDA, the hardliners would have read it as a mandate to kill Muslims and Vajpayee would have kept his “deep anguish” under tight control.

Nevertheless, the anguish is welcome as is the censuring of Modi for the carnage. It must be noted that Vajpayee is the only one among the BJP’s senior leaders whose conscience hurts. The RSS’ anger is not directed at Modi or at those who organized the massacres but against the media who refused to cover up the pogrom: “All English newspapers and electronic media blew the post-Godhra riots out of proportion,” said its chief, Sudarshan.

All Indians who believe in justice continue to pay tribute to India’s English newspapers and the world media for giving extensive coverage to the carnage and to the prominent leaders, writers, editors, advocates of peace, average citizens, social activists and human rights activists for condemning it. They exposed the shame of tainted investigations, the fear psychosis of witnesses and the manipulation of evidence that resulted in the denial of justice to the victims. They did justice to their profession and conscience. We will always remember them with gratitude.

We will also remember those high-profile “secularists” who remained silent while the pogrom was going on. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”.

Prem Nizar Hameed • Riyadh published 18 June 2004