Letter to editor (local daily)-Dec

DEC-2005

Beyond the veil (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
24 December 2005

• THE article, ‘Beyond the veil’, by Irfan Hussain (KT, Dec 22) is quite interesting in the sense that it highlights the plight of women by family bondage.Women should be more vocal, united and forthcoming if they really want to change discrimination. It is not going to happen outright, but will take its own time. Things have to change internally and the steps they take will ultimately lead the society to change and to accept them. There are societal values that support discrimination against women and legitimise violence against them. An example is the honour killing. This is so common in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Jordan. What honour, and what values? Isn’t this horrific?Marriage by force is another case in point and this issue is common in the religions of the subcontinent. Until prejudice and injustice and discrimination are ended for all people, none of us can claim to be truly free. Women should stand up and speak against the culture of shame and also fight for their rights which they feel they are being deprived of rather than having a common agenda of aping men. However having said that, in my opinion, men and women cannot be equal. Men and women are stronger in their own respects. The problem is when we are trying to equalise the opposites. Both need each other and both are strong in their own ways. Women and men are different and it is proven scientifically that men and women think differently. Both have different physical characteristics. I always believed that one should not try to act stronger or control the other, but instead go hand in hand to achieve the common ground. Therein lies the solution, and instead of fighting for equality one should fight for respect, dignity, discrimination and their common rights.
  — Ahsan Ghouri, Abu Dhabi
  

Corrupt parliamentarians (www.Khaleejtimes.ae)
18 December 2005

• WHEN representatives of the people elected by the people for the benefit of people accept bribe and do not perform his job, it undermines democracy. It betrays the trust and tolerance of the people. It takes two or more to create corruption. Both the giver and the taker should be punished to stop this corruption spreading like cancer. The Indian government should take concrete action and immediately expel the corrupt members from parliament. The country is developing into a regional super power and so corruption, which is prevalent there, is dangerous for the economic and political development of the country.
  — Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi
  

Smile please (www.gulfnews.com)
1/12/2005

• Smile is the only curve that straightens things up. But why do most people not smile at all, be it strangers or neighbours? Many would have encountered people in the elevators trying to avoid looking at you. The atmosphere in the lift is definitely heavy and dry. Is it because of lack of trust or no concern for fellow human beings?
  From Mr A. Ghori,Abu Dhabi