Women’s stories need to be told

Women achievements should be celebrated more, a rader says. Other topics: halal food, closing a school and naming a payment card.

The achievements of Emirati women such as robotics specialist Maha Al Ajmi should be celebrated more, a reader says. (Mona Al Marzooqi / The National )

It was great to read the articles Emirati women engineering bright future at robotics institute and Jordanian student's little camera with a big picture (both May 8).

I am a strong advocate of publicising the stories of women, especially Emirati women, who break perceived cultural or societal boundaries.

The more stories like this that are published, the stronger others can feel about striving to be successful and giving something back to the community.

I think women in the region really need to read these articles to realise the potential they can reach.

Noor Chehaybee, Sharjah

Should non-halal dishes be taken off the menu?

Dubai is quite tolerant and open to various cultures, traditions, beliefs and practices. This tolerance and acceptance is what makes Dubai a preferred destination to live and work.

However, this success should not come at the cost of hurting the sentiments of Muslims.

Recently, I was at a fine dining restaurant with my family. I was highly disappointed when I came across pork dishes on the menu. While I admire Dubai for catering to the needs of all, I was sad to see people enjoying pork and alcohol without any regard for the Muslims around them.

The restaurant manager assured us that the non-halal items were prepared separately in their kitchen.

These products are sold in some hypermarkets for the convenience of consumers, but I believe they should not be offered on the menu at ­restaurants alongside halal food. This is unfair to everybody.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

Change school hours for safety

I have a possible solution to the problem of speeding and other reckless driving near schools (Enforce school sone safety rules, May 11).

Schools could change their timings so they don’t conflict with the morning rush hour.

Sajjad Rizvi, Saudi Arabia

Questions over Adec decision

In Adec says Al Worood school to remain closed despite court order reversal (May 13), the Abu Dhabi Education Council is missing an important point – and that is the severe dearth of school places in Abu Dhabi.

If new regulations are in place and the school can make improvements, why close it and force parents to send their children to another school?

I also wonder about the tuition fees charged by the schools Al Worood students have been moved to. Are some parents being put into financial hardship because of Adec’s decision? What legal recourse do they have to protect themselves from financial loss due to the negligence of others?

And how about the teachers and staff? Is there no concern about their fate?

Most importantly, what about the children? Is this decision really in their best interests?

I’m sure that regulating a school system is not an easy job, but shouldn’t all factors be considered before closing a school?

D Glass, Abu Dhabi

Jet-skiers must face the music

I refer to your reports about jet-skiers not facing penalties for their reckless behaviour (Rules of jet skis not enforced, May 12).

If there are no consequences, then there won’t be any change to the situation.

Daniel Rose, Abu Dhabi

One card to rule them all

Editor's note: In our editorial, One card is enough (May 13), we asked readers to suggest a name for a single card to make small payments in the UAE.

Suggestions included: Unicard (from Nikki Caz), ­UniPay or PayAll (Fatima Suhail), Residence Card (Waqaar Ali Khan), Falcon Card (Kadija Muhammad), and UPay or Union Pay (Shehzad Ali).

However, some of the suggested names are already in existence. Further suggestions are welcome.