A warm welcome for Sheikh Khalifa
It was great to see Sheikh Khalifa being greeted with the same respect he shows the British royal family and other leaders when they visit the UAE (Hands of friendship, May 2).
He has clearly enjoyed his visit - and he certainly brought the weather with him, as they (occasionally) say in the UK.
Mark Mockridge, UK
Bombings not in the name of Islam
My heart goes out to the people killed or injured in the Boston Marathon bombing two weeks ago, and to their loved ones.
My heart also goes out to all Muslim people who have had to suffer because of the irresponsible and criminal actions of those people who commit violence in the name of Islam but never actually follow God's rules.
The American news media never said that the suspects for the Boston bombing were two young men who had been athletes and students. Instead, they used headlines saying the two were Muslim terrorists.
If you search the internet for "the meaning of Islam", you might be surprised to find the word Islam means "peace".
People like the two Boston bombing suspects should never be called Muslims because their actions have nothing to do with Islam.
Alyazia Naser Al Mazrouie, Abu Dhabi
Schools charge enough already
I agree with the opinions expressed in the editorial Strict measures for private schools needed (May 1).
Some schools in Dubai seem to be unconcerned about academic standards.
Private schools should be pushing their pupils' boundaries. Instead, education is seen as a money-minting business, and there is no genuine concern about the children's progress.
The fees are already extremely high and, with the poor quality of education sometimes on offer, I question why I should have to pay a single dirham more.
Zahra K, Dubai
Firms should pay health premiums
I am writing about Call for health insurance plan for expat labourers (May 2).
In Abu Dhabi, where health care insurance is mandatory for everyone, it's important to note that a lot of small-scale contracting companies deduct the premiums from the wages of their blue-collar workers.
The authorities must try to stop this exploitation. In many cases, labourers only earn Dh600-800 per month.
A Nawaz, Abu Dhabi
Moment in time caught forever
Razan Alzayani's lovely photo on the National View blog (Focal point: stationary movement, April 28) signifies a special moment in fleeting time.
It captures a few seconds of our existence as it was, yet already changed a day later. Nothing stays the same.
Brigette von Bulow, Dubai
Credit bureau may also need checks
I refer to UAE credit bureau to reform borrowing (May 1).
I hope the authorities also decide to give us some protection against any errors made by banks, creditors and this new credit bureau.
Donald Glass, Abu Dhabi
Pakistanis must reject extremism
The opinion article Taliban try to fix Pakistan's poll by targeting the Left (May 2) clearly shows the Taliban's influence in Pakistan, in particular in the tribal zones.
Despite the promise of a free and fair election, the transparency of the process is now questionable.
Fundamental groups in Pakistan have continued to put pressure on the local and federal administrations. It is enormously difficult to convince tribesmen about the value of having a true democratic system when extremist groups tell them such a system would quell their traditions.
It is the responsibility of government to convince civil society of the dangers of embracing militancy.
Ramachandran Nair, Oman
