Statue may help solve a mystery

A reader says the newly-discovered Apollo statue may lead us to the discovery of a larger archaeological mystery in the region. Other topics: Israel, expatriate children, polio, society, Paul Walker

A reader says the statue of the Greek god Apollo might lead to the discovery of a temple or a sunken city. AFP

Historical artefacts have no real value (Fisherman in Gaza Strip nets bronze treasure, February 12). There cannot be a price tag for such treasure of history of mankind. It's value is immeasurable, so is the prospective importance of revealing another unresolved mystery be it Philistinian, Roman, Byzantine or Egyptian – it may reveal an entire temple or sunken city.

Heidi ShangriLa, Abu Dhabi

Nations need to come together to end Israeli injustice

It is the responsibility of mankind to work together to end Israeli oppression, injustice and the unjust occupation of the Palestinian land (Norway blacklists Israeli firms linked to settlements, January 31). If you are silent, you are condoning the actions of Israel. If you take no action you are allowing the status quo to continue.

It was only at an international level that South Africa’s hated apartheid system was ended. We need a well-coordinated international campaign as suggested by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Uri Davies.

At the time of the establishment of Israel, there were 900,000 Palestinian Arabs. They inhabited 500 villages and all the major cities in Palestine. The majority of them were expelled and prevented from returning. This is in violation of UN resolutions and international law. All Palestinian Arabs, displaced persons and refugees were legislated as “absentees” through the Absentee Property Law of 1950. Thus they were alienated from all rights to Israeli citizenship.

True peace can ultimately be built only on justice. The military action and oppression of Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government will not bring the security and peace Israelis want; it will lead only to more bloodshed and socio-political violence.

For better or worse, Palestine is not just an Arab and Islamic cause. It is a cause for all mankind to enable Palestinians to attain the moral high ground.

Saemoen Osman, South Africa

It’s good to spend time with children

I agree that expatriate children spend much less time with their parents than their Emirati counterparts (Expat parents in the UAE spend less than an hour a day with their children, survey reveals, February 10).

I’m a coach and a mum and I see this happen a lot to me. Balancing work and personal life is important.

From experience I know that blocking the agenda and making time to spend with the kids (making agreements with them when I’m there) helps.

Cindy Van de Kreke-Freens, Dubai

Education key to polio eradication

It's difficult to free countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan of polio (Afghanistan discovers first polio case since 2001, February 12).

Whenever volunteers venture into those territories to administer polio drops to children, they are either killed or chased away. Unless the mindset changes among the people, nothing can help them to get over such crises. That change in the mindset can come only through education. For now, it depends largely on local people and tribal leaders who can take up the cause of polio eradication. It’s sad to see so many children and babies suffer just because of a narrow outlook of some adults.

Name withheld by request

Mutual respect is crucial to society

It is more often felt that the ethical face of our society is fading due to the complex thinking of the new generation. Morality has become a virtual thing, as it never depicts real life principles. It has become a challenge to build a society on the basis of a principle whereby everyone is given his or her due place and respect.

The reality is that poverty is becoming a growing challenge the world over, whereas mammoth funds are being diverted by developing nations to acquire defence needs, which are subsequently spent on never-ending wars and conflicts. The suffering of the deprived people therefore will continue until the end of their lives.

A secure job alone is not enough to support a family living in this complex world. Individuals should have the wisdom to recognise and respect each other, so that the family bond at least can revive.

Ramachandran Nair, Oman

Walker wasn’t driving the car

Regarding the blog post, Paul Walker's Fast and Furious wheels up for sale (February 6), I'd like to note that he wasn't driving the Porsche in which he died.

S Alsuwaid, Dubai