Letters: Rediscovering Jinnah’s dream

Rediscovering Jinnah’s dream
This is in reference to the column “Rediscovering Jinnah’s dream” by Aijaz Z. Syed. The author echoed the feelings and sentiments of all broad-minded or rather right-minded Muslims all around the world who question themselves day in and day out as to how their sweet religion had been allowed to be represented by terrorists and extremists. Though, there is no point to indulge in the debate about the wisdom of Jinnah and his brigade to create a nation on religious grounds, the fruits have not been surely sweet.
As expected the international media are always on a lookout to snowball issues that indicate even a tiny element of atrocity in the name of Islam and no wonder the case of Rimsha Masih is reverberating everywhere. Another case which has been reported in the Indian media without a thorough analysis is about a Pakistani national, Gul Mohamed, marrying an Indian woman, Shirley Hodges by deception and holding her as a captive for over 13 years.
If this is true, it is indeed a shameful act and the woman must be rescued and the culprit be penalized. However, it is amusing that when the woman who is accusing her husband and his family of restricting her talks with her family in India did not avail the facility of Internet to which she had full access to alert her family in India? — Safi H. Jannaty, Aurangabad, India

Violence in Kenya
Kenya has of late been witnessing a disturbing spiral of violence, which requires an immediate action to bring peace in the country. Since, early this year more than 300 people have fallen victims to gruesome acts of violence and scores of them have gone missing. At least 64 people died this month when communities in the Tana River delta and in the districts of Mandera and Wajir fought over water and grazing land. Tensions are escalating over the way constituency boundaries are being re-drawn and as ethnic groups and clans try to undermine each other’s political power. — Shaukat Naeem Ghumman, Riyadh

Bling-bling Putin
The recent revelation about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lifestyle by one of his critics is not surprising for those who have been keeping a close watch on this authoritarian leader. According to a damning new report he enjoys as part of his perks palaces, yachts, white gold watches and a £ 47,000 toilet on his plane. In 2008 the reinstalled Russian President famously compared his life in office to a “galley slave” during a press conference. But now a lavish list of luxuries at his disposal have been revealed. It has been estimated that the maintenance of Putin’s residences, jets and cars alone costs £ 1.6 billion a year. The 32-page document listed 58 planes and helicopters and 20 homes with opulent fittings worthy of the tsars, not to mention 11 watches which alone are worth several times Putin’s annual salary. Published under the ironic title “The Life of a Galley Slave,” it denounced the lavish spending as an affront to millions of Russians living in dire poverty. “One of the most serious reasons prompting Putin to hold on to power is the atmosphere of wealth and luxury to which he has become accustomed,” said the report.
— A reader, by e-mail

Sponsor system
Reference to the story of “Sponsor system.” I had the same experience. My son was only 18 years old and was studying abroad. The immigration office asked for a paper which confirms that he is studying in the Kingdom which I failed to produce as he was studying outside. The immigration office put an exit visa on his passport. Now he is staying alone in my country and we are all in Jeddah. I request the authorities to please follow the old procedures so that the expatriates do not face this problem. — A reader, by e-mail