I enjoyed reading the news report Rahul Gandhi presents a poor case for Congress in TV interview (January 28).
While answering questions to the anchor of the Times Now television channel, Rahul Gandhi said that the Gujarat government was responsible for 2002 riots and Narendra Modi’s administration did not do enough to end the communal violence.
He also said that the 1984 riots during the Congress’s reign was a natural consequence and no one can be blamed for it.
This is the first time Mr Gandhi has opened his mouth and when he did, he blamed Mr Modi, who has been given a clean chit by the court over the Gujarat riots. Mr Gandhi’s statements were of little help to the Congress.
K Ragavan, India
Plane-crash film will help victims’ families
I refer to the article New film highlights plights of families of Dubai-Mangalore air crash victims (January 27).
I think this film should be made not just for the sake of helping the families of the victims of the tragedy to claim compensation, but also as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the accident.
The film will also give the kin of the victims the strength to accept the reality and move on.
The struggles, grief and pain of these families need to be highlighted so that the Indian government, as well as the airline, can get their acts together to help them overcome their loss and get what they rightfully deserve.
I look forward to the screening of this film in the UAE.
Fatima Suhail, Abu Dhabi
Driver trainers need training
I am commenting on the news report Police lower speed limit on Abu Dhabi-Dubai motorway black spot (January 28).
The standard of the UAE’s driving instructors and the quality of their lessons need to be reviewed. That’s because at the end of the day they are responsible for ensuring the safety of new drivers (and their fellow drivers) on the roads and for passing only those individuals who prove their ability to drive appropriately and with due care and attention.
Melanie King, Dubai
On the matter of werving unexpectedly on the roads, I have to commend Maj Gen Mohammed Al Zafeen, the head of Dubai Traffic Police department, who so rightly said: “In the West, it has become part of the driving culture to always signal even if there are no cars and the driver is heading into his own garage,” (Sudden swerving causes 41 deaths on Dubai roads in 2013, January 26).
Never a truer word said. Indicators or signals are meant to be used as an intention of where the driver would like to go before the action takes place, but unfortunately here, if the drivers bother to signal at all, it is when the action of swerving into another lane actually happens rather than before making this sudden movement, and sudden it usually is. Cars are not like bicycles or motorbikes. The turning curve of the wheel requires a more linear approach when going left or right. You only have to look at how F1 drivers take corners to realise this and it is especially important when driving at speed. It is easy to lose control of a car, if suddenly switching a lane at speed.
Name withheld by request
No law can replace common sense. Even 120kph is dangerous for some cars and 160kph is cool for others. Every one needs to be careful in curves.
Nejimon Ph, Dubai
Is Musharraf being victimised?
I wonder why Pakistan’s Supreme Court has dismissed Pervez Musharraf’s review petition against the controversial ruling of July 31, 2009 in the judges’s case on which the case for treason is based.
It’s especially surprising because the court had not only admitted Nawaz Sharif’s review petition in the airline hijacking case after nine years, but it had ruled in his favour in 2009. What a travesty of justice.
Mohammad Hamza, Dubai
Al Qaradawi’s problematic fatwa
I am responding to Hassan Hassan’s opinion article Hatred, violence and the sad demise of a Muslim scholar (January 29).
The reason that so many people have tolerated Yusuf Al Qaradawi’s calls for violence thus far is precisely because of his claims regarding the limited scope of the fatwa.
There is widespread acceptance that a fatwa that authorises killing of innocent civilians is OK as long as Israeli civilians are its only victims. This argument implies that terrorism is an acceptable strategy if its victims belong to that specific national group. That’s a highly problematic position to take.
The fatwa provides religious legitimacy to the murder of the innocents. The national or religious identity of its victims does not attenuate or enhance its immorality.
Name withheld by request
