Life of an Innocent

I found the article “Nothing Is Worth the Life of an Innocent” by Mohammad T. Al-Rasheed (Dec. 4) very touching. I offer him my condolences on the killing of Talal Al-Rasheed. You are right, nothing is worth the life of any innocent. This American at least has added Talal to her list of those who died on Sept. 11 as well as all others killed by terrorism, state-sanctified or not.

My greatest wish is for peace, and voices like yours are the most important tool in achieving it.

Betty Anderson • United States published 9 December 2003

UN Resolutions

This refers to your report “UN Votes Against Israeli Measures in Jerusalem” (Dec. 4). Unfortunately, all resolutions adopted by the UN are spurned by Israelis, which knows that no action will follow if they refuse to comply with them. Unlike the Security Council resolutions, UN General Assembly resolutions carry no weight whatsoever.

In the case of Security Council resolutions and against countries the US deems “rogue states”, action is immediate. The United States and the UN impose sanctions on member states that do not comply with Security Council resolutions — just ask the Iraqis how destructive and vengeful these measures can be.

The UN resolutions the report refers to have criticized Israel’s actions in Jerusalem and the Golan Heights and pledged support to the Palestinian people.

The resolution on Jerusalem declared that Israeli actions to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the holy city are “illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever.”

The resolution on “Syrian Golan”, adopted with a 104-5 vote, also criticized Israel for imposing its laws and jurisdiction.

These resolutions are nothing but eyewash. The United Nations has been turned into a useless forum by an autocratic Security Council system that allows permanent member states to abuse their veto power to overrule majority wishes; this contradicts the basic principles of democracy that the Americans claim they advocate.

It is of no significance that 155 member nations — representing around 99 percent of the world population — vote in favor of justice for the Palestinians. The Americans can readily take care of that and thwart any real effort to provide a comprehensive and just solution that protects the rights of the Palestinians.

Nizam Addien B. Yagoub • Abqaiq published 9 December 2003

A Sea of Black

The article “A Sea of Black” by Tariq Al-Maeena (Dec. 6) is thought-provoking.

The woman the columnist refers to probably thinks that being a woman gives her the right to cross the road at night wearing black abaya without looking around.

Most people here are very much hidebound by traditions, and that is one of the reasons why they are reluctant to change even if that means changing for the better.

Your suggestion of colors in abayas is very practical, but I am afraid it will not be heeded.

Saadia Satti • Riyadh published 9 December 2003

A Sea of Black [2]

I’m not a motorist, but I’ve also questioned the use of black abayas. For a country like Saudi Arabia, white would be much better.

Saudi Arabia is a hot country. Black absorbs heat, white reflects it.

In most other Muslim countries, different colors are worn. Take Malaysia or Indonesia for example, or even countries closer to home: Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

I recently met a girl who is a new convert to Islam.

She was wondering why her hijab should be black, and another woman told her: “Black doesn’t appeal to the opposite sex.”

I was baffled by this answer, and I explained to my friend that choice of color is not a religious issue.

The fact that one makes an effort to wear something for the sake of modesty implies that it wasn’t meant to attract the opposite sex in the first place.

Amin Patel • Riyadh published 9 December 2003

Of Girls and Bookshops

I share Najah Al-Zahhar’s view that “book fairs are a golden opportunity to encourage children to develop a love of reading.”

In the report “Of Girls and Book Shops” (Dec. 3), she cites the parents’ reluctance to allow their daughters to go there, arguing that “book shops are places reserved for men and, as such, women should not visit them.”

I attended a book fair at King Saud University several years ago. There were separate days for men and women. Women and girls were very comfortable because they were attending the fair without having to deal with the crowds of men that are common at such events. I think that is an example to follow.

Aishah Mosher • Riyadh published 9 December 2003

Powell’s Message

The Arab refusal to recognize the reasons why Palestinians remain oppressed is hugely embarrassing, and your editorial is a distortion of the truth. Recent history of the Middle East shows undeniably that Palestinians are oppressed because the Arab nations have permitted them to be so. The oil-producing nations of the Middle East have left their fellow Arabs to fester in camps without economic or military support for a half century now. I think the Arab nations could have helped the Palestinians and other Arabs by using some of their wealth for positive purposes. The bias of your views is never better expressed than in the concluding words of your editorial:

“While Palestinians remain oppressed and Washington continues to support their oppressor, the broad mass of Arabs — from Morocco to the Gulf — will continue to regard Washington’s views on anything, even if they make sense, with bitterness and hostility.”

Robert Johnson • United States published 9 December 2003

Powell’s Message [2]

Your question why the US should feel it has the right to tell Arab countries how to run themselves is a good one. Perhaps you just don’t understand that George Bush really, truly, feels that he knows how to run the world better than anyone else.

This is the attitude I see from him here in Utah anyway. It dismays me as much as it does you, but that’s his thinking, and it is quite scary when you think about it.

Charles Trentelman • United States published 9 December 2003

Indian Elections

This is in reference to the editorial “Indian Elections” (Dec. 6). I was dismayed to see the editor of a hitherto balanced newspaper using phraseology such as “Hindu extremist government”. Would you like it if Islamic states were termed “extremists”? Certainly not, because they are not. The actions of a few misguided individuals should not be a yardstick to conclude that all Hindus are extremists. Can you enumerate the instances where Hindu extremists used suicide bombs to blow up innocents or crashed planes into buildings? There is no excuse for the massacre of thousands of innocent Muslims in Gujarat (not even the roasting alive of a carriage load of Hindus), but that was mob fury, not government policy.

And yes, the common man will vote for the party that is doing most good for the country. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Susan George • India published 9 December 2003

America the Ungrateful

Khaled M. Batarfi has written another whining, anti-American piece that contributes nothing to the solution of the problems in Iraq or Saudi Arabia (“America the Ungrateful”, Dec. 7).

As an intellectual exercise, why doesn’t Batarfi write a column on “What Saudis can do to make things better” instead of clamoring that Americans are ungrateful.

Regarding Syria, the US doesn’t give a damn what it does or did in any arena other than their support for “terrorists.” As regards providing a haven for terrorists who have also killed innocent people in Israel, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the US does have an interest in telling Syrian leaders to run a peaceful government or face the consequences as an enemy of the US.

Batarfi seems to be obsessed with America and Americans.

If you really want to see the US truly thankful to countries in the Middle East, go for change and crack down on terrorists.

Frank Butash • United States published 9 December 2003

America the Ungrateful [2]

“The UN is either a tool to legitimize American interests or ‘irrelevant’.”

Well, there are several points that I don’t agree with. I have absolutely no use for the UN anymore. It used to be a decent organization but now it is worthless — it is just another thing we sink money into.

And as for “Mama Israel”, I will be glad when you all realize that Israel doesn’t call the shots, as you seem to think. According to your way of thinking, everything that happens in this country is under the control of Jews. That is not true.

I don’t think I have ever read one good thing about Jews in your column. They all can’t be bad. If I judged Islam by the few radicals that carried out the bombings here, using your way of thought, I would hate all Muslims — and I don’t. But neither do I hate all Jews.

Betty Wiggins • United States published 9 December 2003