Letters — Is it double standard ?

This refers to the article “Sheer double standard” by Alsir Sidahmed (June 13). The article dwells on the so-called double standard being applied by Canadian officials that results in human rights violations. First of all, no country has a perfect score on human rights, but some countries are far ahead than many others, especially the Third World countries. The world is in the midst of a struggle against extremists, which is being waged in many Muslim countries and this is tarnishing the image and good standing of the 99 percent of the innocent peace-loving Muslims. High profile terrorist acts in the US, the UK, Spain and elsewhere were all works of these Muslim deviant groups, who have taken upon themselves to challenge the established orders.
We must not measure democratic and free society standards by some narrow criteria. Most countries were involved in rendition, tortures and other inhuman acts, but all these must be measured in the context of what other alternate options were there to handle the global menace of Al-Qaeda franchises. Some tortures have revealed many important leads that have resulted in apprehension of some dangerous terrorists. Now you do not expect them to be housed in a five-star hotel, so that even good, law-abiding citizens get lured by this deviant ideology and philosophy. Detention centers for the convicts have to be most undesirable places.
One has to ask those living in Canada or the US and find out how much free political, social and cultural environment exists. How on earth can a black American, a first generation US citizen, who was not even born in the US, and is a son of a black Kenyan, occupy the most powerful institution in the world — the US presidency? In Canada, after 3-5 years, a law-abiding person can become a normal citizen and aspire for any office — including high political powerful offices. How many countries can boast such humane treatment? (Seif A. Somalya, Jeddah)


Women's rights
This refers to the report "Many women in India living with no choice, voice or rights" (June 14). Whenever we talk about women's rights, we must not forget that the issue is not limited to India only, but it is a universal issue. Since time immemorial, women have been facing violence all around the globe in some form or the other.
I would like to highlight a few of these violent acts: Ritual servitude in Ghana, female genital mutilation practiced in many parts of Africa, female circumcision, women trafficking, honor killing in many Gulf, Western, European as well as Asian countries, acid attacks mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, bride burning in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, bride kidnapping in Turkmenistan, domestic violence, physical/mental abuse, gender inequality, dowry killings, rapes and so on.
The most common threat to female dignity is rape. Women have to rethink their work plans if they wish to earn in order to fulfill the needs of their family. Based on what I heard from many of my friends, I concluded that a woman's profession does not really matter when it comes to dignity. Whether you are a female teacher, a doctor, an engineer or a media person, your dignity is always in danger.
The main reasons for this are narrow mindedness and illiteracy, both of which can be eradicated via various TV shows, such as Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate, anti-violence campaigns, etc. And if a country wants to succeed on the economic front, it must remember that women play a vital role in any nation's development. Governments should implement safety measures against these cruel acts and pass laws to uphold women's dignity and honor. The guilty must be severely punished. (Dr. Areej Rana, Jeddah)