Lebanese envoy’s interview

I WOULD like to share with Dawn readers the transcript of Lebanese ambassador Farid Abboud’s interview on the Fox News channel.

Fox: Mr ambassador, do you consider Hizbollah a terrorist organization?

Abboud: Yes, Sharon is a terrorist!

Fox: Mr ambassador, this was not my question. I asked you about the operations of Hizbollah in the targeting and killing of innocent civilians. How do you view Hizbollah?

Abboud: Yes, Sharon, the terrorist, has killed thousands upon thousands of civilians. He is the biggest terrorist out there.

Fox: Mr ambassador. Please answer my question. Do you consider Hizbollah a terrorist organization or not? Are you against the killing of innocent civilians?

Abboud: Of course I am against the killing of innocent civilians. You have to define who the innocent civilians are. Sharon, the terrorist, has killed many thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians; and he is continuing to do so.

Fox: But what about Hizbollah? Are you telling us that Hizbollah never killed any civilians or plotted to kill any innocent civilians?

Abboud: Hizbollah is a resistance movement. They have a place in the Lebanese parliament and they are fighting for justice and for a good cause. If there were innocent civilians hurt in the process, they are a casualty of war. Hizbollah does not target civilians on purpose, unlike the war-monger, Sharon, whose only targets have been civilians, including children.

Fox: Mr ambassador, does this mean you condone the suicide bombers?

Abboud: I do not condone the actions of the war criminal Sharon.

Fox interviewer: Mr ambassador, please stop evading my questions and answer them directly! Do you condone the suicide bombers?

Abboud: I do not condone the killing of innocent civilians, but we have to define who is an innocent civilian and who is not. If a Palestinian suicide bomber kills a bunch of Israeli soldiers who are committing atrocities against the defenceless Palestinian population, do you consider these soldiers as innocent civilians?

Fox interviewer: Mr Abboud, do you recognize Israel’s right to exist?

Abboud: Yes, I recognize Palestine’s right to exist.

Fox interviewer (no words to describe his face): Mr ambassador. Please stop this aversion in answering, and answer our specific questions. Do you recognize Israel’s right to exist or not?

Abboud: Israel already exists, sir. It does not need my recognition. It is the recognition of Palestine to exist that should be addressed.

Fox: Mr ambassador, why are you so one-sided and biased in answering our questions?

Abboud: Sir, it is you who is very one-sided and biased in your questioning.

Fox interviewer (totally at a loss of words): Mr Abboud, Lebanese ambassador to the US, thank you, sir, for your time and the interview.

IMTIAZ AHMED

New York, USA

Street cricket and eye injuries

THIS is with reference to the editorial, ‘An innovative way out’ (Nov 24).

The editorial says: “By regularly cracking down on night time cricket, the authorities deny the young man a vital outlet for harmless fun.”

It was around midnight on Nov 24 that I was awakened by an emergency call and, within a few minutes, a 45-year-old man was brought by his father and his son to my residence.

The man had lost one eye two years ago in a surgical accident, but this time this one-eyed man was a victim of what you have described as the ‘harmless fun of night cricket’. He was just passing by with his glasses on, returning from the mosque after prayers when all of a sudden he felt everything go dark after what he thought to be a blast that shattered his glasses. He could feel small pieces of glass around his only functioning eye.

A cricket ball played forcefully by an aspiring batsman had hit him. He fell down but he could contact his family, thanks to his mobile phone. The young ones, whose harmless fun you have been defending, disappeared in no time, leaving the injured man asking for help.

This is the seventh eye injury that I have come across in the last two months in which eyes were lost. One of these persons had a recent cataract surgery and was then hit by a cricket ball in street cricket. The rest were women of middle and old ages, who were just passing by and became victims of cricket-ball injuries.

I am sure many other ophthalmologists would be having a lot more patients with cricket- ball eye injuries. And the fast balls would be injuring other parts of the body as well.

This is too high a price for not having properly planned playgrounds, thanks to all those who are responsible for such a situation. But the answer for not having playgrounds is certainly not street cricket which is never ‘harmless’, whether played during day time or in the night.

Could the city government look into this matter which has become a serious hazard for citizens?

DR MOHAMMAD IDREES ADHI

Karachi

MNAs bickering over hostel rooms

THE allotment of lodgings to the members of the National Assembly is posing serious problems for the authorities concerned. The MNAs have been putting in strange and interesting demands.

Many of them say that they have come to Islamabad for the first time and, therefore, want to enjoy their stay in the capital. As such they want to be allotted a room facing the Margalla hills. There are others who claim that since they have won their NA seats with greater numbers of votes, so it is their prerogative to get the best rooms, of course, facing the Margalla hills.

Some MNAs insist on the allotment of suites as they are expecting their families to join them some time next week. Some others want to share the room of another MNA because they get frightened if they sleep alone. To satisfy all such demands is not an easy job.

The point is that these MNAs have been sent there by their voters for something far more serious than enjoying their stay in the capital. They have to solve their problems and not to create some more for them.

RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI

Islamabad

Would Bush change himself?

MOST political analysts are of the view that the recent Republican successes in the mid-term election in the United States will ensure President Bush a second term. This bright prospect, they fear, may make him more upbeat vis-a-vis the imminent war against Saddam Hussein.

But I differ with such an inference because I see him as a farsighted politician. He would rather sober down and focus on domestic issues, including the ailing economy, with the objective of improving his prospects for the second term. In doing so, he would also be paving the way for his brother who has got himself re-elected governor of Florida and could be eying the presidency in 2009.

One feels that President George W. Bush is seeking a place of pride for the Bush family in American history — with his father, himself and his brother occupying the presidency, more or less in tandem.

JALAL AHMED

Karachi

Prosecution service

THIS refers to the letter, “Prosecution service” (Nov 12), by Muhammad Akram Khan.

It seems that the scheme is being sabotaged. There are reports that the basic infrastructure of the existing public prosecutors (district attorneys) would be straightaway brushed aside and replaced by under-groomed police prosecutors, who are not cognizant of sessions trials.

The lofty purpose behind the scheme of setting up independent prosecution service was to promote professionalism and provide incentives to the well-deserved lot of law officers, i.e. district attorneys. But what is being done is just the opposite. Can this be legally and morally justified?

An independent prosecution service was intended to be installed with a view to creating purely professional periphery and delivering it from the police hegemonistic hierarchy in accord with the clear dictates of the Pakistan Law Commission, but now things are moving backwards, what to speak of going a step forward. This approach, counter to the spirit of the scheme, also tends to offend the established norms of law and equity.

The district attorneys should be absorbed en bloc in the proposed structure against the posts of district public prosecutor.

The upgradation of this post cannot disqualify the district attorneys for the said posts. Upgradation is to impart attraction and incentive to the structure.

The concerned authorities are requested to look into the matter and save a good scheme.

MIAN MASOOD SHAHID

Toba Tek Singh

Mancharia National Park

WILDLIFE lovers all over the country felt delighted when they learnt that the Mancharia National Park project, north of Muzafarabad, is likely to take off in the near future. This

is a long-awaited dream come true.

It is hoped that, because of this park, bio-diversity in the area will be conserved and many endangered species, including the snow leopard, musk deer and horned tragopan, would be saved from extinction. We sincerely wish this project a success.

Many endangered species in the world have been saved from extinction by breeding the leftover in captivity, close to their natural environments and then releasing them in the open.

Wildlife is our natural heritage which needs to be conserved. In fact, we should have many more national parks like this one.

MUHAMMAD IQBAL

Via e-mail

Travel to Saudi Arabia

BEING ingrained in us, our veneration for the sacred places of historical and religious interest in Saudi Arabia will continue, so will our bashing by the Saudi authorities at various stages of the travel and pilgrimage process.

Is it not time to reflect as to why we endure this humiliation? The spiritual dividends we gain are offset by the insults we endure. Surely, prayer and alms-giving in Pakistan can substitute for the travel to a country, whose functionaries are known to lack elementary courtesy which they, in fact, reserve only for whites.

The Saudi muallims, after pocketing their fees, make fun of us for being so obsessed with the ritual. Let us reserve our love for the holy places of Saudi Arabia in our hearts instead of wearing it on our sleeves.

KHALID AHMAD

Montreal

Increase in LPG prices

AFTER strong protests from the consumers over the increase in the LPG prices, the ministry of petroleum summoned the LPG producing and distributing companies to explain the reason for the irrational increase.

The producing companies were asked to keep the LPG prices at a reasonable level but the distributing companies and dealers are still on a money-making spree.

The consumers are being made to pay Rs360 for a cylinder against the fixed rate of Rs320, and the dealers and suppliers are issuing warning that they should get ready for further increase during the coming months.

The government has recently held two meetings with the LPG companies, but to no avail, as it failed to resolve the issue and the crisis still persists. The government officials and LPG companies’ representatives held each other responsible for the crisis. The result is that the shortage of LPG continues.

LPG is used as a common fuel in the areas where there is no facility of natural gas. Its use is also very common in remote areas of the country. Moreover, the demand for LPG has increased since its use in vehicles, specially taxis and rickshaws.

The poor are suffering in the holy month of Ramazan. We have been receiving several complaints of the shortage of LPG from slums.

I hope the new elected government will take the necessary steps to solve the problem.

NOOR UL ISLAM KHAN

Karachi

Overburdened children

THE curriculum in our schools, particularly that in the lower classes, has become very unrealistic and impracticable. Little children have to carry dozens of books to the school everyday. And they bring back a heavy load of homework.

Very often small children of the lowest classes are made to learn things which are far beyond their level of comprehension.

In a particular school, the students of class I is taught about noun, pronoun, adjective, interrogative sentences, etc.

It has also been observed that teachers simply get the homework noted down in the diaries of these children and then it becomes the responsibility of the parents or the tutors to have it done at home.

A student of a ‘senior’ class, who is hardly three- -and-a-half or four years old, has to learn by heart tables from one to six.

The load of work, both at the school and back at home, is so much that it leaves no time for the child to play.

This affects the health of the children adversely. The parents, too, are affected because their children’s homework keep them too busy to spare time to make any social call or go on an outing.

The authorities in the education department must look into the matter and ask the schools not to overburden the children with such a course or knowledge that is beyond the level of their under-standing and, instead, allow them some leisure at their homes for activities which are equally important for their well-being.

MEHWISH KIRAN

Karachi

Announcement of exam dates

THE relevant authorities have made it a point to announce the dates of the matric examinations and also of the MBBS final examinations well in advance. This is a good step and it must be ensured that the scheduled dates are maintained at all costs, and any attempt by any quarter for an extension on one plea or the other must not be entertained.

It would be appreciated if the dates of declaration of the results are also announced in advance. At the most, one-and-a-half months are enough in this age of advanced technology for compilation and tabulation of the results. If it happens so, admissions to the next classes could also begin early, without wastage of time. I hope this is not asking for too much.

SYED ABRAR HUSSAINI

Karachi

Once again...

PRIME Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and his cabinet have taken the oath of their offices.

Once again, Sardars, Kasuris, Jatois, Makhdooms, Lalekas, Legharis, Sherpaos and Mirs have been entrusted with the governance of the country. Once again, it has been termed our achievement in the restoration of democracy and freedom.

Once again, the common man has been ignored. Once again, our movement in circles has started. Once again, the wolves have been asked to guard the sheep. Once again...

DR SAROSH NAEEM

Karachi

Co-education

THIS is with reference to the letter, “MMA and co-education” (Nov 21), by Dr Farhana Masood.

In my view segregation of men and women is not a principle of Islam. It is a part of culture and should not be attributed to Islam which is the only religion that treats all genders justly. I advise the writer to study Islam itself, instead of relying on other people to form her opinion about it.

LUBNA HAJJ

Islamabad

What has gone wrong with higher education?

THERE is no denying the fact that our standard of education, in general, and that of higher education, in particular, has deteriorated over the years.

The causes of this state of affairs can be traced back to the colonial era. The alien rulers established educational institutions here not for producing scientists and statesmen but for producing subservient, literate workers for their own needs.

The syllabi were purposely kept less rigorous and teaching jobs low-paid and less respectable than the civil and military services. After independence, our successive governments, both elected and non-elected, continued with this legacy.

Policymakers in Pakistan always consider education as a non-productive sector, thus for them money spent on the educational sector is an expenditure rather than an investment. Their shortsightedness has been quite harmful for education.

Let us face it: those in teaching and research professions, barring some rare exceptions, are not our best brains. When youngsters pass their higher secondary school examinations, they want to study medicine, engineering, or any such discipline as promises a lucrative job. Those who fail to join these disciplines are driven to study other disciplines of science and arts and eventually become teachers and researchers; hence the poor academic standards.

Most of these professionals can hardly take the burden of either generating quality knowledge through research or providing leadership to society.

In his letter of Oct 31, Dr Moonis Ahmer rightly pointed out the rampant corruption and politicking in the stated-own universities and acquisition of higher positions by mediocre or below mediocre elements due to a combination of political pressure, sycophancy, and personal contacts.

The presence of strong political groups among teachers and non-teaching employees has marred the functioning of the universities. The so-called leaders have been virtually running the universities by influencing important decisions, like the timing of advertisements and selection boards suiting their favourable candidates, screening out the not-so-favourable individuals; and supporting their favourites all the way through selection boards and syndicate meetings by virtue of their political clout and contacts.

Meritorious individuals have actually been the sufferers in such circumstances. In the long run, the so-called leaders have done more damage than any good to the institutions of higher learning.

Although we keep wallowing in the self-deception of Karachi University being the best in the country, it is the only university of Pakistan where non-PhD individuals get promoted to the ranks of associate professor and professor.

It is undeniable that the institutions of higher learning in our country are in dire need of restructuring and overhauling, including a salary structure for academics comparable to that of the armed forces to attract the best brains. Only a good quality education can produce a truly sovereign nation equipped with a skilled human resource in all walks of life.

DR SURAYYA KHATOON

Karachi