Little shoots have big roots in the middle of the desert

Our readers have their say about Tunisia's race discrimination laws, foie gras and ghaf trees

A ghaf tree near Ras Al Khaimah. Randi Sokoloff / The National

I had the pleasure of reading your article about the official logo for the UAE Year of Tolerance. I work in a nursery in Abu Dhabi, in Khalifa City A, called Little Smarties, which has has a very special connection with the ghaf tree.

This tree offers nourishment in the UAE desert, just as Little Smarties nursery nourishes our young students’ education through creative play and a pathway to their future educational journey.

As a result, we have a big drawing of a ghaf tree in our activity room, drawn by our talented staff nine years ago.

Name withheld by request

Racism must be weeded out of Tunisian society

With reference to your editorial Tunisia's anti-racism law proves commitment to ending discrimination (February 10), despite the world being so advanced in every aspect, words such as racism and slavery still echo in society.  It is quite shocking that racial minorities still face discrimination in Tunisia, which abolished slavery a long time ago.

The situation highlighted by Mnemty, an anti-racism group, reminds us that such incidents continue to happen in the country. It shows that the country needs to further strengthen its policies and actions should never be delayed or compromised.

The reality is that the issue is deep-rooted. It needs to be weeded out and prevented from flourishing further. With a diverse mix of people living together, a different outlook must prevail to ensure everyone feels comfortable and at home. Proper education and humanity can help root out problems.

Ramachandran Nair, Muscat

What’s bad for the goose is bad for the sturgeon

With reference to the discussion on the ethics of eating foie gras (As New York moves to ban foie gras, should the UAE be next? February 5), might I suggest that we also reconsider eating caviar as well, particularly in the light of several unnatural ways used for its extraction.

These should be appropriately addressed, either by education or an outright ban. We should remember that meddling with nature has consequences.

Mohammad Hamza, Dubai