Your editorial Blood money case needs a conclusion (October 7) is correct.
All 17 of the people should be released now as agreed previously. This is too much punishment for them and their families.
Imagine the state of the families after all this time. These are poor people, and the community has already done its best and collected the blood money and handed over.
I hope someone from the UAE will intervene to end this.
Renu Ghasita, Abu Dhabi
Charity success takes teamwork
I liked the story about the effort to delivery literacy materials to labourers (Labour of love to bring nation's prosperity to those who build it, October 6).
The charity's founder deserves praise but it seems a lot of people are involved now.
It's really more fulfilling when the credit is for the group instead of focusing on an individual. Besides it will always be a group effort.
Anna E, Abu Dhabi
Are drones worse than other arms?
Imran Khan's drone protest (US activists join drone protest in Pakistan, October 7) doesn't make much sense to me.
Yes, drones are inhuman killing devices, but so are the mines and roadside bombs that kill Nato soldiers in Afghanistan and Pakistani troops in Pakistan. And drones surely cause less "collateral damage" than a full-scale infantry assault.
Anyway, in Afghanistan the Taliban kills far more civilians than the Allies do. It is unreasonable to protest about drones alone.
Tom Redesdale, UK
Rowling is now out of her league
I read with interest Book review: The Casual Vacancy, JK's adult fiction debut (October 6).
I am not sure this deserves to be the best-selling novel of the year. Rowling made her name writing for children and teenagers, and this book aims for a different audience. I don't think this will deserve to be a best-seller.
John Dela Cruz, Dubai
Did cladding retard fires?
Decisions about payments in the Sharjah fire last April should wait until an investigation is complete (No compensation for families who lost everything in Sharjah fire, October 2).
If the damage is due to fault on the part of building management, then they should pay. But this would have to be proven first; there is no evidence of it so far.
If, as has been suggested, the fire started from a cigarette butt, there may have been accumulated flammable materials. Prevention of that would have been the responsibility of building management.
Since the fire spread from the first to the 34th floor, it would be interesting to know the quality of the material used for cladding.
Philip James, India
The fire on Saturday (100s evacuated as fire rips through Tecom residential building in Dubai, October 6) was such a tragedy.
Looking at the photographs, I think the authorities should take a close look at the cladding system used. It is fortunate that nobody was injured.
Ahmet Kianin, Dubai
Freed maid should get her back pay
I am relieved that a maid arrested after trying to kill herself has been released from jail (Dubai suicide bid maid released from prison with readers' help, October 2).
But she should not have gone to prison at all. She should be given all her salary and the employer should face fines and penalties if payment was wrongly withheld.
It is hopelessness that leads to thoughts of suicide.
Monica Carver, Abu Dhabi
US has grown poorer since '08
I refer to James Zogby's column The debate frenzy distracts from the US political realities (October 7).
Look at the situation in the US: 23.2 million people are unemployed. The average income has dropped from $54,000 (Dh198,000) to $50,000. Food stamps help feed 16 million more people than four years ago, and $6 trillion have been added to the projected deficit.
Mr Zogby cares little for these facts. He cares about the "47 per cent" and the American political landscape.
His party, the Democrats, have called Republican Mitt Romney a felon, a tax cheat and a liar.
The rational side wins when the test is fact-based principles. But the irrational side can win by muddling, fogging, evading or hiding the facts. Which path is better?
Nicholas York, Abu Dhabi
