I am very disappointed with the film selection at commercial cinemas in the UAE, as they seem to cater to the very base element of humanity through the genre of violent fiction.
Where are the thinking-person’s films such as The Counselor or satires like Blue Jasmine? These are just two films that have been and gone in the rest of the world but have bypassed this region.
It would be nice if at least some cinemas catered to what might be deemed “the fringe” by bringing in more cerebral films for people who are not interested in films that just make a lot of noise.
Name withheld by request
Editor’s note: Given that both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have annual international film festivals, do you agree that there is too little variety at UAE cinemas? Have your say by emailing
Much mustbe done to make roads safer
I am writing about More than 2,500 drivers topping 200 kph have cars impounded in eight months (November 24).
On The National’s Facebook page, you ask whether drivers now feel safer on the roads.
For me, the answer is no.
Some people believe the roads belong to them and they have a general disrespect for others.
Many people forget to drive defensively and need to be reminded that driving is a privilege.
If the UAE had traffic police similar to the California Highway Patrol, I think we would see a quick decrease in careless overtaking, tailgating and other reckless driving.
Technology such as radar can only do so much.
James Ruiz, Abu Dhabi
I’m about to finish my fourth month in Abu Dhabi. It’s a great city to live in, but it could be better.
Drivers here have a habit of changing lanes or turning without signalling.
Moreover, there is no respect for drivers who do use signals to inform others that they are about to change lanes or turn.
I would like to see a campaign aimed at encouraging the use of signalling and other safe driving habits, decreasing the unnecessary use of the horn and reminding impatient drivers that they are not alone in the traffic.
Olgun Deveci, Abu Dhabi
Assad is not fit to remain in office
I refer to Amal Hanano's opinion article, Asking Assad to stay is asking Syrians to be party to a charade (November 23).
It’s enough to examine the Assad regime’s behaviour in the areas it has recaptured to see how impossible post-conflict life would be for Syrians under Bashar Al Assad.
The regime has razed thousands of homes in former opposition neighbourhoods in Damascus and Hama. In Homs, random mass arrests are the norm in the areas it has captured. In summer this year, thousands of Sunnis were purged from the civil service and denied their legal retirement and end-of-service benefits.
In the town of Telkelakh, 30 rebel fighters who surrendered to the army, in a deal meant to spare the town from wanton destruction, were never heard from again. Recently, the regime participated in a plot to entrap hundreds of fleeing civilians from the suburb of Moadamiya. They were promised safe passage, but instead found themselves arrested and taken to detention centres.
At no point in the past three years has the Assad regime proven itself capable of compromise, leniency or reform.
To ask the millions of Syrians who fled the oppression of the regime to submit to another 30 years of rule under the Assad tyranny is to ask them to resign themselves to spending the rest of their lives at the mercy of this century’s most brutal dictatorship and its 15 security agencies.
Name withheld by request
Court must decide Indian editor’s fate
I refer to Editor under fire over rape accusation (November 24), about police charges against Taryn Tejpal, the editor of the investigative magazine Tehelka.
Tehelka can mean storm, allegation, sensation or flutter in Urdu.
Tejpal has voluntarily decided to step down during the investigation of the claims against him.
The magazine is a pioneer in investigative journalism, having exposed misdeeds, illegal and immoral activities through sting operations. It has received accolades from the world over, but in the process, it has created more enemies than friends.
The other media in India seem to have taken on the task of judging and convicting this man.
This is a case best left to the complainant, the accused, the investigating agencies and the judiciary. The law is adequate, and it should be allowed to take its course.
CS Pathak, India
