Letters to the Editor [Archives:2002/34/Letters to the Editor]

Thanks Lamia
Firstly let me say thank you very much for your great work with your YT staff.
Two issues ago I have read a letter to the editor from Lamia Subhi and really I loved that article that came from a true heart of an honest Muslim although she lives in USA.
Lamias speech was right in our life we must make everything and do every thing in the way Allah wants in the way our prophet showed us. He taught us everything. So why we search for something modern to do? I think any person says that there are things in our Islam must be changed and we have to modern it. I think this person is stupid and doesnt know his religion well!
Thanks again to our great editor and thank you Miss lamia for your unbelievably accurate words.
Ali Al-Ghalebi
[email protected]
Im only asking for my rights
I have hesitated before sending this letter to you, but I ultimately decided to send it because I arrived to a dead-end. I used to work with a European embassy as a guard starting on the first of May of 1994 with a formal contract signed between me and the embassy. However, I was shocked when I was fired with no justification or even notification. I was told that my work was over even though I have never done anything that required punishment during my working period. On the contrary, I received several appreciation and merit certificates.
There are several articles in the 6-page contract that explain when and why I may be fired and I realized that none of the conditions in those articles applied to me.
I did not want to take my issue to the press, but I had no other choice. I contacted the embassy through the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but after a number of exchanged letters and messages, I arrived to nowhere. I even appealed to the countrys Foreign Ministry, which replied negatively to my request and diverted me to the embassy, which was not helpful at all in solving my problem.
What I am demanding through your letters to the editor section is that the embassy, which I know will read this letter, reconsider their action and give me all my financial entitlements according to the Yemeni laws that protect the rights of labors.
Arif Ali Saeed Sallam
Sanaa
Is Hamas right?
Mr. Hassan Al-Haifi wrote of the horror of eleven children dying by an Israeli bomb. Where is that outrage when Hamas kills Jewish children? Is it not true that a Jewish mothers grief runs just as deep as a Palestinian mothers?
This business of Jews and Arabs killing one another will not stop while either side refuses to recognize the humanity of the other.
Though Sharon has done many stupid things this past year, each dumb thing hes done is matched by a Palestinian dumb act.
When an Arab writes that Palestinians get so angry that they cannot control themselves, he is casting an ethnic slur upon all Arabs. Is he saying that Palestinians have no self discipline? Ive known too many Arabs and Palestinians to accept that.
Every nation and every ethnic group has its lunatics. Sometimes they achieve responsible positions. I hope that Mr. Hassan Al-Haifi will also write about the stupidity of Hamas and other groups based on hating someone.
After all, Israel is the economic engine that could lift the entire region, including Yemen. You should give prosperity a chance.
Ron Osterberg
[email protected]
Human development is not everything
You are partly right in your editorial (August 12 thru 18). Human development is important, but that is not the main reason for Europe and Americas success in the past 200 years. The main reason is the ability to submit and test new ideas.
Though most large companies live half again as long as human beings, our economy still relies on new companies for job new creation. Though most new companies fail, though most new ideas are stupid, and though someone told most founders of successful companies that their ideas were stupid, the ideas continue coming.
The difference between us and other nations is that competition is open to everyone. When we have big problems, like we now have with the accounting scandals, we get up, dust ourselves off and we fix the problem. Five years from now well resolve another big problem.
If Yemen focuses on educating people instead of providing opportunities, you will do what your large northern neighbor has done.
You will educate young people who will not find meaningful employment. Those people will become radicals looking for a cause to join.
Ron Osterberg
[email protected]
How do you know they are terrorists?
I am a Yemeni woman living in the USA and when I read your story about explosion I dont know whether I am reading the Yemen Times or the New York Times! We Muslims unfortunately discriminate among our own people. As I was reading your story this morning, it read drawing speculations that the two men may be part of a larger terrorist network. My question is Did you cut open these people -so called terrorists- and saw they were part of al-Qaeda or some terrorist network? Did you even know these people? How do you know that they were the ones that made these bombs, in Islam you are not supposed to accuse someone that cannot defend himself? I am really disgusted when you write such stories, especially as I read such news here in the USA everyday, in every newspaper, and watch it in every TV channel.
My final question is how do you know who these people belong to and that they are not innocent bystanders? As Muslim we are supposed to make up 70 if not 90 reasons reasoning why the person or persons do what they did in order to forgive one another just as Islam teaches us.
Prophet Mohammed (saw) said Faith is Yemeni, so is wisdom. Where is our wisdom and most important of all, where is our faith?
Saba Tofiq
[email protected]

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