One of the correspondents on your letters page, Roshan Ajit Kumar, responded to your story (Briton convicted of endangering other motorist in Dubai road rage incident, July 7) with the claim that the law in the UAE requires drivers in the fast lane to make way for faster traffic, even if they are doing the speed limit.
As a transport professional working in the UAE, I can say the law says no such thing. The Federal Traffic Law 21 of 1995 states that you must not undertake on the right side, which the Briton in question did, and this law also says that you must not do “anything unsafe”.
If braking to forcibly stop a car in the fast lane is not unsafe then I don’t know what is.
This law also says that you should travel in the right hand lane and use other lanes for overtaking only. If there is space for a driver to pull into a lane to the right safely, they should do so.
This does not mean that aggressive and dangerous drivers should take the law into their own hands.
These simple rules of the road should be widely publicised by The National in its road safety campaign, and especially during this holy month of charity and reflection.
Name withheld by request
I wish Roshan Ajit Kumar would be kind enough to review his traffic safety knowledge before making false statements on behalf of the government.
As a traffic safety ambassador in the UAE, I and my colleagues are rather interested in the part of the law in which he claims drivers must give way to faster traffic no matter what the speed limit.
And is he sure that in saluting the British driver who was charged that he includes the part about driving on the hard shoulder?
I hope he reviews the latest amendments – there is no need for him to cause anyone to be added to the statistics of the deceased.
I hope he lets the police make accurate statements and spare his energy to focus on the road.
Marina Helmgens, Abu Dhabi
Blame obesity, not prayer schedules
I would like to respond to your article, Obesity and prayer damages knees (July 7), in which the writer quotes a Mafraq Hospital consultant surgeon directly linking knee arthritis to the "kneeling lifestyle" of Muslims.
Proper prostration involves the distribution of one’s weight across seven points: the forehead, palms, knees and balls of the feet.
In the situation where health reasons make that position too difficult, it is recommended to pray in a modified seated position, either on the floor or in a chair.
The doctor states that the knee joint was not designed for kneeling several times a day. I would contend that instead the truth is that the knee joint was not designed for obesity.
Maintaining a lifestyle that results in obesity is the real issue in the case of knee replacement. Given moderate food intake and exercise, the prescribed prayer is an optimal routine for day-to-day physical and spiritual maintenance.
It is offensive to suggest that kneeling down prostrate to God poses a health risk.
Umm Yusef, Al Ain
It was interesting that the two Muslim experts who are quoted in this story do not make any comment regarding prayer being a cause of physical problems. That claim is only made by others.
I could provide countless examples of research that prove how the positions in a Muslim prayer are beneficial for our physical being, but it is not my job to do that.
I am only going to point out that this article seemed disrespectful and appeared to be intended to offend your Muslim readers.
Kinza Khan, Dubai
A cheating solution that helps students
In reference to your article, 80 per cent of university students admit to cheating, UAE study finds (June 30), my view as a teacher working in the UAE is that cheating will continue for as long as education is knowledge-based and not application-based. Teachers need to get on board with learning that is application based.
I find it inspiring to hear my students say they could not cheat because they were required to demonstrate and explain what they had learnt.
It’s true that this approach makes test preparation more difficult but it is time that teachers required of their students what will be required of them after they leave school if they are to succeed in employment.
Name withheld by request
Extending death penalty’s reach
The proposal for the death penalty for those who start secret organisations (Special FNC session to discuss terror law, July8) is excellent but why does it only apply to kidnapping for terrorism reasons?
What about kidnapping for other general reasons? It should also be for sexual abuse, domestic violence and rape.
Michelle Salem, Abu Dhabi
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Jawan
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
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Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)