| August 09, 2006 | Wednesday | Rajab 13, 1427 |
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LTTE threat to Muslims
John Howard’s Australia
Water, water everywhere...
Energy crisis
Absence of civic facilities
Renewal of US passport
Heavy industries
Air safety
Bhutto’s prophesy
White paper on Kargil
IN her letter Dr Mahnaz Fatima speaks of a ‘deafening silence’ (Aug 6) across much of the world in the face of Israeli attacks against the people of Lebanon. As educators who have taught Palestinians and other children in the Middle East, we agree. Teachers in particular should be speaking out against this madness.
In this normalisation of barbarism, it is children who are bearing much of the brunt. Nearly a third of the uprooted and many of the dead and maimed and traumatised in Lebanon are children. Since 2000, some 760 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli military fire.
In June and July, 49 Palestinian children were murdered and 200 injured, mainly in Gaza.
A number of us in the network Teaching English for Palestinian Purposes (TEPP) have just issued this statement: “As English teachers, teacher trainers and material-writers who have worked in Palestine, Lebanon or neighbouring countries, we want to express our outrage at the recent killing and destruction of infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon.
For years we have worked with our Palestinian colleagues — in often unbearable conditions — to educate their students to be responsible, rounded members of society.
These patient attempts have been smashed by the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of Palestinian children and their parents over the past weeks, culminating in the massacre of 37 children in Qana in Lebanon on July 30. Those who survive will learn only one thing: how to hate.”
More educators should be speaking out across West Asia and the planet. Nothing can justify this slaughter of the innocent by the world’s fourth most powerful army and third strongest air force, equipped through the largesse of American taxpayers.
BILL TEMPLER, ELEANOR, MAGGIE and SUSAN
Phitsanulok, Thailand
THE United States is equally responsible for the crimes committed by Israel. In the last 15 years the US has used its veto at the UN 15 times, out of which 12 times its veto was used to prevent the world community from discussing Israeli war crimes.
It is plain to see that the US has given cover to Israel to keep on carrying out war crimes against Muslims. The US and Israel should both be held responsible and be tried in The Hague for committing crimes against humanity.
IJAZ TABASSUM
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
DAWN carried a news report from Indonesia (Aug 4) which said that the Pakistani prime minister would consider sending troops to Lebanon, if asked, after a ceasefire. He would be well advised not to take the issue so lightly.
The Israeli attack on an Arab country was planned with the specific objective of destroying Hezbollah and creating a buffer zone inside southern Lebanon. Given past experience, it is not likely that the Israelis will feel comfortable or safe in occupation of such a zone.
The costs in terms of lives and recurring monetary expenditure would be too high. They would like to pass on the work and let the United Nations or Nato maintain the buffer zone for them.
The last thing any Pakistani would like to see are our troops being used, under UN cover, as tools for achieving Israeli strategic objectives. It is bad enough what we have done in Waziristan. The Pakistani army is for the defence of Pakistan, and not for hire.
KISHWAR JABEEN
Oakville, Canada
THIS is with reference to the letter by Mr Abdul Aleem titled ‘LTTE threat to Muslims’ (June 8). I thank Mr Aleem for his concern for Sri Lankans, including Muslims. Although the LTTE, through one of its frontal organisations, issued an ultimatum of 72 hours to the Muslims living in the eastern town of Muttur, the government prevented the LTTE from forcing the civilian population to flee Muttur, by ensuring adequate security.
No one takes LTTE denials seriously, as it never owned up its crimes, including ethnic cleansing of Muslims and Sinhalese from the northern province. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reassured eastern Muslims that the government will do everything in its command to prevent the LTTE from harming them. Despite continued serious provocations by the LTTE, the government is not wavering in its commitments to find a negotiated solution, without dividing the country.
As a matter of fact, I would like to emphasise that the LTTE never engaged in negotiations in good faith with the government of Sri Lanka. The facilitator of the peace process, namely the Norwegian government, has squarely blamed the LTTE for refusing to sit with Sri Lankan delegation in Norway, after initially agreeing and travelling from Colombo all the way to Oslo.
The government of Sri Lanka provided an air force helicopter for the LTTE delegation to travel to Colombo, while the Norwegian government facilitated their travel from Colombo to Oslo.
In the meantime, the government reiterated that it still wishes to negotiate with the LTTE to find a political solution. I wish to highlight that an advisory committee has been appointed to work out the formalities for a lasting solution to the ethnic conflict, comprising learned persons from all three communities as decided by the fifth All-Party Conference chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on June 2.
What we need at this point of time is the continued support and the backing of the international community, such as shown by the EU recently by branding the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, to the government of Sri Lanka in its endeavour to bring the LTTE to the negotiating table. Sri Lanka appreciates that several foreign governments, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and India, have banned the LTTE, thereby restricting free travel and movements of overseas funds of the LTTE. Therefore, we do not see any role, other than this, for the international community, including the UN Security Council or the OIC, in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.
GEN. C.S. WEERSOORIYA
Sri Lankan High Commissioner
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to Mr A.Q. Wazirzada’s letter ‘The ‘Ghans’ of Australia’ (July 4). The writer has given the impression that the Australian Prime Minister John Howard is friendly towards the Muslims. He has cited the example of Mr Howard’s opposition to banning the wearing of hijab. In fact, the banning of hijab has only been suggested by the extreme right wing fringe in Mr Howard’s party. Otherwise both the government and the opposition have a uniform approach of supporting the Muslims on the issue.
This writer has lived and worked in Australia between 1992 and March 2006 and believes that Howard’s rule has changed the tolerant face of Australia for generations to come. There have been allegations against him, yet to be fully investigated thanks to his uninterrupted rule, that he was involved in the scuttling of a boat full of Afghan refugees destined for Australia resulting in drowning of a large number of them. Who can forget Mr Howard’s remark in 1988 as the opposition leader that the “Asian immigration was a threat to the Australian society”.
Despite widespread opposition in Australia, John Howard was the third leader in the so-called “coalition of the willing” who took part in the illegitimate invasion of Iraq. His government’s practice of the mandatory detention of all illegally arriving asylum-seekers for an indefinite period, majority of whom are Iraqis and Afghans, has been condemned by the UNHCR and the Law Council of Australia. Even his current exercise in seeking advice from a handpicked group of Muslims is questionable as it excludes the representatives of the Lebanese Muslim Association, which is the single biggest Muslim ethnic organisation in Australia.
All the political discourse in the Australian media, especially on the massively popular “talk-back radio” relating to Muslims, is usually targeting their beliefs, religious practices and political opinions at the behest of Mr Howard’s misleadingly-named Liberal Party. The suffering of Muslims and other minority groups under Howard has not yet ended and we may well see further restrictions on them.
A. W. SIDDIQUI
Lahore
IT is a matter of great concern that despite having an enormous quantity of rainwater, as is evident with the recent rains in Pakistan, the government is always bemoaning the shortage of water resources due to which there is a hot debate over the distribution of ‘scarce’ water between the four provinces.
The government may be unable to see through the problem but we are not blind to the fact that every year an enormous quantity of rain water goes down the drain into the salty reservoir of the Arabian Sea, to the detriment of the country.
Such wastage of water resource not only results in a drought-like condition for farmers for the rest of the year, but also results in lowering of water supply in urban areas.
The government should build small water reservoirs around every large city such as Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Hyderabad and Rawalpindi so that the groundwater level in these cities can be maintained. In addition, the dry areas of the Ravi, Sutlej and Bias rivers may be utilised by building small reservoirs to store rain and flood water.
Pakistan has adequate rainfall but little or no water management. This is due to lethargy on the part of the district, provincial and federal governments which continue to wail about the scarcity of water.
TARIQ MAHMOOD HASHMI
Lahore
THE country is going through another phase of energy crisis, brought upon ourselves by ‘greedy’ bankers who are only interested in earning interests by loaning money and making the majority of wage-earners a victim of living beyond their means. Thousands of airconditioners, made available on easy instalments, have really created a serious situation in which there seems to be no solution to power shortages.
To solve our basic power shortage problems, we have to become totally committed to energy conservation and efficient use of available energy sources.
It is so essential that we also “unearth hidden treasure” in gas turbine installations in Kot Addu and Guddu. If Wapda even now takes proper action, 500-600 MW can be additionally generated in peak summer at a very low cost (about $200 per kW of additional capacity versus normal $800-1000 per kW of new plant).
Wapda should realise the gravity of the situation and at least try to get this extra capacity from existing combined cycle power plants in the next summer. We need all possible sources of economical power to meet our basic needs and this option should definitely be adopted, as done by many countries around the world, including the US.
Economical generation of 500-600 MW in peak summer (when power is needed most) would really help in at least partly meeting the serious power shortages. And with the bonus of fuel savings as both combined cycle power stations would run at peak efficiency, thus reducing the cost of power generated at these facilities.
AINUL ABEDIN
Karachi
THE Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, the so-called posh locality, is a locality having no civic facilities, as experienced by me as its resident for more than 12 years. It is known for water shortage and now also facing frequent and prolonged power breakedowns. No matter whosoever administered this authority, he never paid any attention and or strived to put engineering brains of the DHA and the Clifton Cantonment Board together to solve the problem of accumulated rainwater which in many areas of the DHA brings life to a standstill.
Take for example the 12th Street. Rainwater level broke the main doors and entered the bungalows, so much so that this rainwater stayed for more than three days at three feet and despite telephoning the DHA’s top and high officials, no action was taken to remove this water.
Eventually, water made its own way and broke into underground DHA waterline and filled residents’ underground water-tanks with this rain and sewage water.
This was not the end, it also damaged the underground gas pipeline, resulting in leakage of gas in the street at many places. Finally, the residents of 12th Street had no water, no power and no gas. This is what we call posh locality. Isn’t it shameful for the administration and equally for the residents living in these conditions?
On the other hand, look at the development expenditure/ budget of the DHA. It must have spent billions of rupees. We don’t need such Developments, just provide us clean water, uninterrupted power and gas supply and put engineering brains together to work out a plan which can allow rainwater to go smoothly into the drain and does not affect life. Please do this and nothing else.
M. TAYYAB KHAN
Karachi
AS there has been heavy rain in many areas, the Clifton underpass, along with others, is left flooded with the rainwater. It will take months to empty the water out of it because no adequate provision has been made in its design to address the flooding.
I have a suggestion which the KPT would like to consider in the interim. The flooded underpass could be used to breed small fish. In weeks, the sports of catching fish and the business of selling fishing equipment and the fried fish and chips alongside the upper wall of underpass would gain momentum.
It will, at the least, provide residents of Clifton and Defence a respite from the otherwise battered life.
MEHMOOD AZIZ NAVIWALA
Karachi
I CANNOT agree more with Mr Naeem Sadiq (letter, Aug 2) regarding the KPT ‘s Clifton underpass and the KPT fountain. Citizens of Karachi demand a full-scale inquiry of the failure of these projects.
Why was public money wasted and who is to be held responsible for these monstrosities? Right from the inception of these projects the citizens of this city have been pointing out flaws, especially with the underpass, which were ignored.
SADIA SALIM
Karachi
THIS is in response to Rukhsana Khalid’s letter (Aug 6) about her daughter’s hijab and renewal of her American passport. By law, women are allowed to wear head coverings for passport picture as long as they are wearing the scarf for religious reasons (the face must be visible). Please visit the following site: http://travel. state.gov/passport/guide/ faq/faq_881.html
Also, download the photograph guide from: http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/download/download_884.html
On page 5, it is clearly mentioned: “Include headpieces if worn daily for religious purposes; they should not obscure or cast shadows on the eyes or any other part of the face”.
A letter from a local mosque’s imam may be attached to the application. If this document or the above site does not help, contact the relevant congressman in the United States. Also write to the Council on American Islamic Relations (http://www.cair.com).
FARHAN HUSSAIN
USA
WHILE referring to privatisation of heavy industries, I hope the government would have taken into account the views of the Founder of the Nation, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who very emphatically in his interview to APA on Nov 8, 1945 had declared as below:
“I have complete faith that all heavy industries in the present time will remain under the control of the government, the daily cost of articles will also be under the control of the government. However, as far as what industries are concerned, it will be the responsibility of the law-makers, not mine.”
The vested interests, i.e., the feudal lords and jagirdars, who are controlling assemblies are least concerned about the plight of the common man and virtually throwing away all the industries to the private sector, leading to abnormal rise in prices and consequently creating security problems.
It is important to mention here that the Quaid had already warned that he would not have a Pakistan which was controlled by feudal lords and jagirdars.
FAIZ OMAR SYED
Lahore
APROPOS of the tragic crash near Multan on July 11, I would like to say that in Pakistan we experience quite a few such incidents in military as well as in civil aviation. Therefore, there is a need to establish a permanent body, comprising experts, for air safety and investigation to study the causes and suggest means of prevention.
GULZAR A. SHAIKH
Karachi
APROPOS of Dr Azizur Rehman Bughio’s letter ‘Bhutto’s prophesy’ (July 29), in response to Mr Mansoorul Haq Solangi’s letter (July 19), wherein he maintains that the slogan of the Third World was propounded by the late Z.A. Bhutto for the first time.
Recently Mr Qamar Zaman Shah, an elderly party leader and close confidant of Z.A. Bhutto, has claimed in an interview to a weekly magazine published on August 2 that it was he who, for the first time in 1976 at Inter-Parliamentary Union held in London, used the term Third World for the poor countries.
According to him, later on this term was popularised by Marshal Tito, iron man of Yugoslavia, and Houari Boumedienne of Algeria.
For academic purpose and to keep the record straight, I would like the scholars to throw more light on the subject so that an authentic version can reach the readers.
MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the white paper on the Kargil crises written by the PML-N. I am a neutral bystander observing closely the politics of our country. This act by the PML-N is not only shocking but upsetting. Whatever happened in the corridors of power during that time, be it irresponsibility on behalf of Gen Musharraf or on behalf of the then PM, should never be disclosed in this manner.
The internal aspects of such strategic moves are indeed confidential, and the PML-N is coming close to an act of treason. For the purpose of political gains in the upcoming election scenario, Nawaz Sharif is using the top secret knowledge he received during his tenure to lash out at his opponent.
MAKHMOORUL HASAN
London
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