Gaza Border

I must confess that I am not able to understand the logic of the Egyptian authorities “urging” Abbas to take control of its border with Gaza as reported on Jan. 29. The people of Gaza have no trust in Abbas or his Fatah. That was why they gave a majority to Hamas which, capitalizing on that mandate of discontent, drove Fatah out of Gaza. Whether Hamas organized the breach of the wall or people, driven by despair, did it on their own, it is clear that, after the first breach, it was the Hamas leadership that directed the moves of the people. Then, when nothing has indicated that there was a change of attitude among the Gazans, how can Abbas believe that the same people who rejected him will obey his soldiers’ orders to go back home to wait to see their children starving?

Egypt has a stake in this. It does not want to be put in a position of having to shoot the Gazans. It will affect its image in the Muslim world and also will be a wonderful gift to the Muslim Brotherhood, mentors of Hamas. Israel and America also will make big gains: If one Gazan gets killed by Abbas’ soldiers, that will set the scene for many more years of inter-Palestinian fighting, putting an end to all dreams of a Palestinian state.

The question is: Why did Abbas agree? Was he playing America’s game again? Don’t these people think?

Anees Muktar, Jeddah published 4 February 2008

Interference in Lebanon

As a Lebanese, I do not blame the Americans for maneuvering for power in Lebanon. They see a weak country and are moving in to bring it under their sphere of influence. The Syrians and Iranians are also doing the same thing.

I blame us, the Lebanese, for allowing ourselves to be, yet again, manipulated by all. As usual, we Arabs blame everybody else for our problems. The truth of the matter is that it is our perpetual weakness of character that allows foreign powers to do this. It’s our fault, not theirs. They’re acting for their own personal benefits. Hopefully one day, we will start doing the same.

Amin, Lebanon published 4 February 2008

Ineffective Relief

We thank the government for the steps it has taken to minimize the effects of skyrocketing food prices on the people. However, while it is true that this is a global phenomenon due to the fact that too many people are chasing too little food, it must be stressed that the main reason is the weak dollar. All exports to the Kingdom have to be invoiced in US dollars as per bank requirement for LC. Hence, prices marked in strong currencies such as euro and sterling pound are converted into the weakened dollar. At the same time, even though we have a strong currency in the riyal, we pay the same old rate that we used to pay for the strong dollar 10 years ago for the much-weakened currency. This is a double hit so far as importers — and ultimately consumers — are concerned.

The government’s offer to cut the tariff by 50 percent to ease the burden on consumers will be of negligible benefit. The existing duty on food and other essential items is only 5 percent. With the new cut, it will be 2.5 percent.

What we fear right now is the new regulation to be introduced by the customs. Up to now, all dry food items like rice and canned food were shipped to the Kingdom in normal containers and only perishable items were brought in refrigerated ones. According to the new rule, no dry food item can be brought in normal containers. However, there is no detailed specification on the type of container to be used.

Exporters say that they are using normal containers to export dry food items everywhere, including Europe. The change in the containers will definitely cost more to the importers and finally it will be an additional burden on the consumer. In whatever container these dry food items arrive, they will be stored in the normal dry stores as before. These facts need to be considered by the authorities.

S.H. Moulana, Riyadh published 4 February 2008

Ineffective Relief [2]

We thank the government for reducing the cost of essential medicines and iqama/visa fees. However, it must be noted that the ones to benefit from these steps directly will be sponsors and medical insurance companies.

Another appreciable step was the increase ordered in the salaries of government employees. However, the price hike has affected all. Businessmen are greatly enjoying the situation, while workers and employees in the private sector are greatly affected since there has been no salary increase except in the government sector, either for nationals or expats. The effect on the expats is two-fold: the loss they take when remitting money to their home countries and because of the price hike. Taking these facts into account, the government needs to issue instructions to the private sector to increase a percentage of the salary in order to compensate for the effect of price hike and exchange rate.

Mir Mohiuddin Ali, Jeddah published 4 February 2008

Women Alone

Arjuwan Lakkdawala’s report “Single Mothers Face Immense Obstacles in Raising Their Children” (Jan. 29) was a touching account of the misery of a class of people whose pain goes unnoticed by the community.

All of them, regardless of their religion or ethnicity, deserve our sympathy and respect. I would like to salute them all. Even the fact-based article under reference has failed in giving us an insight into the difficulties that mothers with no one to share their burdens are going through.

However, it must be understood that it is not only Saudi women or Saudi Arabia that has to face this problem. Women belonging to every country in every part of the world — whether advanced countries like the US or backward countries in Africa or Asia — have to face them. A woman living alone, either as a single parent or as a single person, is not being accepted by society — any society. People, who never had to stand in their shoes, are always bugging them.

Salma Azeez, Jeddah published 4 February 2008

Double-Speak

This refers to the lack of interest, as reported in the story “Fears About Pak Nukes Misplaced” (Jan. 28), shown by Moulana Fazlur Rahman in the revival of the Rabita Trust and in solving the long-festering repatriation issue of the stranded Pakistanis living in shanty camps in Bangladesh. I was shocked at this indifference from a person who is the country’s opposition leader, has been trying to become its prime minister and who, day in day out, champions the cause of Muslims worldwide. This is not the first time that he has demonstrated apathy toward these poor Pakistanis. In 2005, when questioned on the issue, he had shrugged his shoulders and asked the questioner to contact the MQM as, according to him, the issue did not concern him.

Such a callous attitude on the part of a senior leader, especially one who never gets tired of talking about Islamic duty toward Muslim’s plight worldwide, is despicable. He should be told to stop this “talking the talk” without, any time, “walking the walk” for the cause of Pakistanis living a subhuman conditions without any help, assistance or even sympathy from the Moulana and others like him.

May Allah guide him and make him realize that some day he will be answerable before Allah for his double-speak.

Faiz Al-Najdi, Riyadh published 4 February 2008

Double-Speak [2]

I was dismayed by the report that quoted Maulana Fazlur Rahman, one of our prominent political leaders, claiming that he was ignorant of the issue of stranded Pakistanis. His statement that he was not aware of the freezing of the Rabita Trust in 2001, which was set up during the presidency of Zia ul-Haq in 1988, was astounding. I found it interesting that he was upset that he had not received the treatment that proper protocol entitled him to during his overseas trip, but was not at all worried about the quarter million patriotic Pakistanis who have been languishing in Bangladesh for 36 years.

Since overseas Pakistanis are not voters, there is nothing that we can do to show him our disapproval of such attitude. I wish the people at home would see the true picture of our leaders before they cast their vote in the coming election. They talk a lot about Pakistan and patriotism, but in reality, most of our leaders do not have any idea about national issues. Such leaders will never be able to deal with our problems.

M. Fazlur Rahman, Jeddah published 4 February 2008