Ramadan blessings
While we say tearful farewell to Ramadan, many of us will thank Allah for having given us that extra life to have made most of these days in supplication, moral and physical discipline and further reinforced the virtuous values in life. For those who learned and fully digested the spiritual meaning of Taqwa, their lives would have been transformed forever.
Many in Ramadan became more conscious of Allah and His Mercy and Commandments. Ramdan provided the best opportunity for those who otherwise never found time to recite and understand the Holy Qur’an and how to lead a better, and all-round balanced life. Taqwa connotes both intent and behavior for 30 days to abstain from dusk to dawn, from food, water, sex, backbiting, saying falsehoods or cheating, swearing and indulging in any vulgar talk or intent and get more conscious of what is halal and haram.
The after effects of Ramadan on those who were miser in helping out poor have been profound, for Ramadan provides the best time to be generous and more sensitive of those who are genuinely helpless and those who can not fend for themselves. We notice that there is also better interaction and brotherly feelings for all these fasting people sit together to break their fast and sharing foods. There is also big opportunity to imbibe and cultivate volunteering spirit for many volunteers take great pleasure and duty to serve others during iftaar.
We beseech Allah to accept the supplications of all Muslims and may the spirits of Ramadan continue until we are blessed with the next Ramadan. — Seif A. Somalya, Jeddah
Housemaid problem
This refers to the report “We and our housemaids: The untold stories”(Aug. 14). Indeed, there are some decent families who take care of housemaids politely. I think, if both sides — employers and housemaids — know their responsibilities toward each other fully, then there should not be any issues of conflict. First, housemaids must understand that they joined the job to support their families. They should not avoid work even in the absence of their employers, they should work sincerely and should not betray the trust of their employers. Also, employers on their parts should pay the agreed salaries to their employees on time and should not burden them unnecessarily. They should always use decent language while interacting with them. If at all, one party or both parties are not satisfied with the job, they can settle the issue by giving one month notice. —Anees Lokhande, Alkhobar
Global food crisis
In his letter “Global Food Crisis” (Aug. 14 ), Nasser Mullah mentions the United Nation’s claim of a food crisis of catastrophic proportions overtaking the world causing mass hunger, malnutrition and death through starvation.
I would challenge both Mullah and the UN to produce the evidence for this, as if the crisis is of the magnitude of a “silent tsunami which knows no borders sweeping the globe,” then it should be a fairly straightforward operation to provide a number of examples of this mass starvation and the countries in which they are occurring.
The fact is that this planet has been endowed with the potential to produce food in such an abundance as to ensure that not only will there be no scarcity of basic foodstuffs but plentiful surpluses of such quantities as to drive down commodity prices to the extent of causing consternation throughout the farming community.
Another fact is that governments of the Third World countries use food as a political weapon — such as Mugabe’s attempts to cut off supplies to the opponents of his regime. Then there is the issue of inadequate infrastructure for the transportation of food to regions affected by famine or drought. Resources which ought to have been allocated for road, rail and other forms of transportation network construction have been siphoned off by corrupt bureaucrats and politicians.
Droughts are generally cyclical in nature and therefore can be predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy. With the story of Joseph in Egypt as a guide, governments, exercising a combination of prudence and competent management, can make adequate provision for the lean years.
Mullah suggests in his letter that it is the responsibility of the “rich” and “developed” nations to solve the problem by a “… move toward equal distribution of wealth.” The “rich” and “developed” nations are rich and developed for the sole reason that they have managed their economic and political affairs to a level of efficiency and competence which Third World nations have consistently eschewed; therefore no moral obligation rests upon the nations of the West to spoon-feed those who indulge in willful and self-manipulated poverty. The potential wealth of many Third World countries is enormous; that it remains untapped and unrealized is entirely their own choice. — Francis A. Andrew, Nizwa, Oman
Letters: Ramadan blessings
