Bolt out of the blue

Triple gold medallist Usain Bolt is a credit to the island nation of Jamaica, readers say. Other topics: Doha fire parents call for mall boycott; modest dress; and gender equality.

Readers applaud Olympic Games hero Usain Bolt's contribution to the island nation of Jamaica. Adrian Dennis / AFP

Regarding Malls rethink safety plans (July 7), it is outrageous, hurtful and indefensible that the owners of Villaggio Mall plan to celebrate the reopening of the place where our 13 children died.

This is especially painful given that we have not heard a thing about the investigation, have not been apprised of any meaningful reforms in the wake of the tragedy, and have not received any offers of a just financial settlement.

The owners and operators of Villaggio Mall should not be allowed to go back to "business as usual" without having addressed the needs and concerns of the families that have been devastated.

We plan to petition the authorities to keep the mall shut.

Should it reopen, we hope Qataris and non-Qataris alike will boycott the mall until the needs and concerns of the families are met.

And we plan to take our campaign worldwide to ensure that potential tourists are aware of the Villaggio Mall's safety record.

We are grateful to His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, not only for visiting us after the tragedy but for committing the resources of the government to seeking justice.

That starts today. Keep this mall closed; speak to the families. Give us the means to rebuild.

A joint letter from parents of the 13 victims of the Villaggio Mall fire, Doha

Superstar brings credit to his nation

As reported in Bolt anchors Jamaica to another win (August 12), sprinter Usain Bolt has made a solid mark at the London Olympics by winning gold medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres races and, finally, in the 400 metres relay.

Bolt has silenced all his critics and impressed everyone. He runs with great energy and strength, and he has tremendous self-confidence.

The fastest man on the planet also enjoys a great rapport with the crowds who come to watch him; he always entertains them with his gestures, even when he is just practicing.

Bolt is the king of the track. He has achieved rock star status with his consistent victories, antics and unique style.

His victory sign of pointing his fingers at the audience has been emulated by some German hockey players, and by members of the crowd. He also orchestrated several Mexican waves around the stadium.

Let us hope Bolt runs at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016, providing us with further joy and inspiration.

Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai

The most admired star of the London Olympics is certainly Jamaica's Usain Bolt.

He has taken his little island nation to great heights in many ways. For sport enthusiasts, Bolt is a stimulating icon.

When he says that he could have gone faster, one is inspired by his confidence.

Meanwhile, India's shocking defeat in the hockey has made its billion-plus people extremely disappointing.

Ramachandran Nair, Oman

Maids were fire's forgotten victims

I was concered to discover the front page headline Fire kills mother and three girls (August 8).

Reading the article, it appears that the fire also killed two maids.

It seems as if the lives of the two maids were not considered valuable enough to be mentioned in the title to the article. A headline such as Fire kills 6 people should have been used.

Pierre Vernhes, Abu Dhabi

US should get its house in order

Regarding Sikh killer was ex-army and a white supremacist (August 7), shootings are too common in the US, and this is unacceptable.

Religion and racism seem to be the main causes.

The US wants terrorism removed from the global scene yet it is unable to tackle its own internal terror threat. K Ragavan, India

Modesty in dress always an issue

In your story Dress modestly, Filipino group urges (August 11), why is this suggested only for the Holy Month of Ramadan?

Why can't they dress modestly all the time? After all, they are not living in their own country.

They should respect the local culture and sensitivities at all times of the year, especially in public places. Mohammad Fuad Mustafa, Abu Dhabi

Gender equality not yet realised

I refer to the commentary by Huda Sajwani, Olympic athletes do the heavy lifting for gender equality (August 12).

The only reason women from Saudi Arabia were allowed to compete was because the IOC required it. I also believe plenty of Iranian women would have loved to compete, but we all know how Iran is.

Frank Burkhardt, Dubai