Drone attacks
On May 29, The New York Times published an extraordinarily in-depth look at the intimate role President Barack Obama has played in authorizing US drone attacks overseas, particularly in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. It is chilling to read the cold, macabre ease with which the president and his staff decide who will live or die. The fate of people living thousands of miles away is decided by a group of Americans, elected and unelected, who don’t speak their language, don’t know their culture, don’t understand their motives or values. While purporting to represent the world’s greatest democracy, US leaders are putting people on a hit list who are as young as 17, people who are given no chance to surrender, and certainly no chance to be tried in a court of law. The world is outraged by the massacres in Syria but silent about the equally outrageous massacres carried out by the CIA and US drone strikes against innocent victims in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia.
The Muslim world is outraged at the arrogance and cruelty of the CIA drone strikes killing entire families and burning innocent victims. Where is the world’s conscience? — Samaoen Osman, Cape Town, South Africa
Assam riots
Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in India, visited this month the troubled state of Assam and she inspected the camps of Hindu Bodo tribals only. She did not go to even a single refugee camp of Muslims, who are thousands in number, homeless and shelterless. There is no arrangement of foodstuff and medicines.
In the holy month of Ramadan, the Muslims did not get enough foodstuff. They cannot return to their villages since their houses were burned by fanatic Hindu Bodo tribals, who are well armed with deadly weapons and are supported by political parties. — Shahid Husain, Meerut
Dismantling of terror cells
The Ministry of Interior’s statement revealing its success in dismantling two terrorist cells within the Kingdom should be commended and applauded.
Those two terrorist cells, according to the Ministry’s statement, were in the final stages of carrying out wide terrorist acts within the Kingdom. The arrest of those terrorists prevented major acts of terrorism and many casualties and fatalities from occurring. Minister of Interior Prince Ahmed has done an outstanding job in securing Kingdom’s security.
All of us living in this blessed country thank Prince Ahmed and the Ministry of Interior for their continuous efforts to keep the Kingdom safe and secure. — Dr. Osama Ghanem Alobaidy, Riyadh
Miners’ safety
Despite hard work and tough working conditions, the mining industry is passing through its worst period in history as increasing mining incidents have become a big question for the conscience of the modern world. Poor people are mostly attached with this profession because despite terrible working conditions and low wages, they don’t have a choice to leave. The killing of 34 miners outside the largest South African copper mines again highlighted the problems of the mining industry. According to news reports, President Jacob Zuma personally visited the area after the killings and offered his condolences to the bereaved families. The miners were protesting against low wages and working conditions in the copper mines. Only some months ago, a group of Chilean miners received a heroic welcome all over the world after a successful rescue operation. They were trapped more than 700 meters beneath the earth for over two months. Several miners are still facing economic problems and mental disorders and have got very little support from the government. Most modern countries like China, Russia and US are some of the worst places for miners, where serious incidents of their deaths are commonly reported. — Khawaja Umer Farooq, Jeddah
Letters: Drone attacks
