22 - 28 March 2001
Issue No.526
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 22 - 28 March 2001 Issue No.526 |
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Linking up
Sir- I accidentally came across your online edition. I am writing to thank you for an excellent production. I especially liked the well-researched article on Abul-Ela Bridge (Al-Ahram Weekly, 15-21 March). It was both enjoyable and educational. Keep up the good work.
Khaled El-Hoshy, MD
Birmingham, Michigan
US
Balancing act
Sir- Mamdouh El-Dakhakhni's letter titled "Phantom threat" (Al-Ahram Weekly, 8-14 March) was quite apropos. The effort is not only to keep Iraq off balance, but everyone else in the region too -- except Israel.I am passing along what an old acquaintance of mine from the Arabic-speaking world said to me recently after learning that Mr Bush wants to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. His comment was to the effect that maybe it's time all the Arabic-speaking nations should also move their embassies from Washington DC to Jerusalem. Needless to say, that gentleman has a good sense of humour.
Armand Delaurell
Texas
US
Dates and places
Sir- In the Travel page of Al-Ahram Weekly ("Where the wind is king," 15-21 March) we can read: "In 1952 President Nasser joined the three oases (Kharga, Dakhla and Farafra) into a single governorate."
In 1952 Nasser was not president of Egypt, which was a kingdom until 18 June 1953, when Mohamed Naguib became the first president of Egypt. Nasser became president in October 1954! So I think the New Valley governorate was born after this date.
And on the Living page ("A passage to modernity"), the rest of the Abul-Ela bridge is languishing near the new Rod Al-Farag bridge, as clearly shown in the photos by Khaled El-Fiqi, not near the old Imbaba railway bridge.
Paolo Lombardini
Zamalek
Still as statues
Sir- Thank you for the informative articles published in the 15-21 March edition of Al-Ahram Weekly on the situation of the Buddha statues in Afghanistan. The delegation sent by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in its recent attempt to save the statues was valuable in that it challenged the Taliban's gross and destructive use of religion. However, the question remains as to why it took so long for leaders of the Muslim world to respond and to criticise what has been over five years in the making.Since the Taliban swept through the war-torn country in 1996 they have systematically brutalised the Afghan people, particularly women and minorities, using religion to advance their political motivations. Can we really be surprised at this latest assault from a regime that has made it its business to strip the country and its people of their past and their traditions by burning libraries, closing down institutions of learning, denying women and girls the most basic access to the means of survival, and banning most forms of artistic expression? Are these assaults on the spirit of Islam and the preservation of humanity somehow less reprehensible in the eyes of the Muslim world than the destruction of a Buddha statue?
Ossai Miazad
Agouza
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