Letter to Editor - Feb 2006

Revelations on a rainy day
27 February 2006

• THE recent downpour has opened the eyes of the people to the poor quality of construction of some buildings which had remained hidden behind the glossy and cosmetic cover-up of marbles, tiles, glass, paint etc. Buyers unwittingly fall into the hands of real estate agents who display eye-catching images of these apartments to lure them. The owners of such buildings will now regret purchasing property on impulse. Isn’t the proverb ‘All that glitters is not gold’ very apt in this regard?Many people waste their hard-earned money by investing in such buildings. The authorities concerned need to attend to this at the earliest. The problem lies in accepting the lowest tender for construction work and setting unrealistic deadlines to finish the job. The quicker the job has to be finished, the more stringent should be the quality requirements. There is also the need for independent third party organisations to inspect the buildings to guarantee the quality of construction. Everyone, I suppose, will agree that the UAE needs more rain, but it certainly does not need any leaky apartments for sure.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Scribble, scribble (www.gulfnews.com)
20 February 2006

• Graffiti is a sight that can evoke mixed reactions. The public views graffiti as an eye sore. Why do people scribble on the walls, especially in public washrooms? I don't understand what secret delight individuals derive by writing vulgar remarks on the wall. I think the solution lies in changing the public's perception of toilet graffiti. We should welcome it by giving a chance to the rebels and having them scribble on writing boards.

From Mr A. Ghori,Abu Dhabi

Friday sermons (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
17 February 2006

• I FEEL a large percentage of the people who attend Jumah prayers are passive listeners during the sermons. This is because the majority of the people are immigrants who cannot decipher the Arabic language though they can say the prayers and read in Arabic. Yes, it is important to learn and understand Arabic language but given the situation, are we comfortable when what the Imam says does not reach out to the majority of the people? Does that achieve the intended purpose of the whole exercise? Topics of importance to Muslims are delivered by the Imams during the sermons and the people need to know what is being said. I feel efforts should be made to translate the information delivered for the benefit of those who do not understand. To start with at least the summary of the sermon can be printed and distributed in various languages.

· Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Corruption in the medical profession (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
7 February 2006

• CORRUPTION is something that has to be checked with strong measures. I agree with most of your views in the Comment in this respect (KT, Feb. 5). Gone are the days when the medical profession was considered noble. Doctors are driven by greed and pride instead of empathy and compassion for their patients. Many join the profession for status and wealth, not for service.Today, it has become a multi-million dollar business. In the subcontinent, the concept of five-star and seven-star hospitals, linking treatment with tourism, is leading to greed and rivalry among the medical practitioners. The doctors at government clinics have their own private clinics and the poor patients are referred to their clinics for better care. It seems many doctors are running the show for the pharmaceutical companies. Quacks are everywhere. Selling of human organs is rampant. In many third world countries, because of high rate of poverty and illiteracy, the middlemen succeed in cajoling the poor people into selling their body organs, blood and what not. Everyone turns a blind eye to the sufferings of people and cares only about material gains.
  — Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi