Letters to the Editor [Archives:2000/47/Letters to the Editor]

DEAR EDITOR,
ASSALAM Alaikum. I wish to dedicate my life in the creation of an exclusive web site on the glory of Islamic architecture. For the past ten years I have been in Delhi as a freelance travel writer and a photographer. During this period I have extensively toured the country and seen the plight of Islamic monuments.
True that the world knows only about the Taj Mahal and the Qutb Minar. And at the most they will talk of the Jama Masjid and the Red Fort but after this there is a blank. There are numerous web sites, travel portals but they all showcase only the select few saleable monuments.
What about those lesser known monuments from where the builders of the Taj borrowed architectural elements and ideas? Where was Taj originally planned and where was Mumtaz Mahal kept for six months after her death. These unsung monuments are in plenitude in India. With the passage of time they are fast eroding due to encroachment by teeming population and the lackadaisical attitude of the government.
In the jungles of Bengal, bordering Bangladesh lies Gaur and Pandua, replete with medieval mosques. It is a treasure trove. The Adina masjid is the biggest I have ever seen. But these monuments are never heard of or are the least known ones. Tourists come to Varanasi but just 25 kms from there lies Jaunpur with a dozen mosques depicting the Sharqi architecture dating back to the pre Mughal era. The tourism department has never published any such folder or brochure to highlight them. In the state of Bihar lies Sasaram famous for the grand mausoleum of Sher Shah Suri which is at times equated at par with the Taj Mahal.
Visit the site of Bihar governments site Biharonline and you will find no mention of Sasaram or Rohtasgarh where Sher Shahs grand fort and other buildings deserve a second visit. My grudges and lamentations are endless.
Now my dream is to create a site highlighting all the Islamic monuments in a classified order, state by state and then district by district. In this way no monument will be missed. It will not be just a photo gallery but enough write ups (text) will accompany the photos so that the monument breathes life. I am a student of medieval history. And inshallah, the Almighty will guide me through.
I am looking for some one who can sponsor this project which is no doubt a Herculean task but I am determined to achieve it. I need a couple of quality medium format cameras for optimum photography, support for traveling, web space, web designing, a lot of films, etc, etc..
If my idea appeals to you, please help me to create a grand site. It will be a non commercial site to the glory of Islam. Individually, my resources are meager and I cant think of this site. Looking for any company or organization who can sponsor this site. Alternatively, individuals can come forward to cooperate in whatever manner they think feasible.
If you are interested in my travel articles on various Indian destinations as well as those from Malaysia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, please let me know.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Shahid Akhter Makhfi
[email protected]

DEAR EDITOR,
I am an American Jew from a Yemeni grandmother. Why is it that Yemen would not allow someone like myself to visit? I actually feel more at home with my Arab brothers than Jewish non-mideastern cousins.
Thank you.
Mordechai Safeek, MD Director of Anesthesiology
Clark Regional Medical Center
I recently read with great sadness the demise of Abdullah Al-Omeri through your newspaper. As I do not have the families address could I request you to pass my sincere condolences to the family? My contacts with Mr. Omeri and his Father date back to the 1980s when the Department of Poultry Science at Oregon State University was involved in a USAID Poultry Extension and Training Project in your country. Everyone in the family was extremely kind and hospitable to me on numerous occasions. Without question your country has sustained a significant loss.
George H. Arscott

[email protected]
Dont Read This!
In our precious beloved country, one could find himself endangered by many things whether inside or outside ones house. A gas cylinder could explode leaving you half paralyzed or worse, you could buy a high quality can of food but the content is rotten and the can itself is rusty from the inside or your house could collapse on your head because of weak foundations. Then you end up asking your self, who is responsible for that? Was it the contractor who built the house or you who rented the house?
And since problems are persistent in following you wherever you go and whatever you do in this country, you could be one of those unfortunate people who get exposed to an electric shock with an exposed wire on a street, for your only guilt is that of walking in the streets and not using a car.
Oh .. what a wonderful world. When you feel thirsty, buy a bottle of water, but dont drink it all, save some for later. You will discover afterwards that prize winning water youve drunk was actually not really pure water and that can be known by smelling it.
Have you noticed that incidents of gas cylinders explosions have become frequent nowadays?
The gas corporation is not filling cylinders with gas that can be distinguished easily by the smell because the other type of gas is cheaper but it cannot be distinguished because it has no distinguishing smell and that can be very dangerous. So it ran an advertisement on television warning people.
We shouldnt forget to express our gratitude to our glorious government for building the bridge of friendship which is considered the event of the year. The bridge needed to be maintained. So a community had be formed to take care of that. The newly formed community decided to hire a guard. Then another historic decision was made for hiring an accountant and a cashier to pay the guard. Then the community had to make another decision of hiring a director to make sure that everything was going well.
A decision was then made to cut spending so only the guard was dismissed.
Thats the way things are run in our country.

Rowaida Al-Saqqaf,
Sanaa

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