Cyclists in the UAE vote with their wheels

Readers have their say about The National's #cycletoworkuae campaign. Other topics: unity march, knowing poverty, freedom responsibilities and West-Muslim relations.

Readers have their say about participation in our #cycletoworkuae campaign. Photo: Sarah Dea / The National

With regard to your #cycleto­workuae campaign, it felt great to witness people ditching their cars for cycles.

Cycling is not only a good way to keep fit but will also reduce traffic congestion on the roads and air pollution.

This is a wonderful initiative and should be continued. With a few basic guidelines to remain safe, cycling is absolutely fun.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

Only time will tell if the campaign for more cycling in the UAE will pay off, but I’m optimistic about the future.

It’s a logical deveIopment. I’ve ridden a bike for years in Dubai without any problem. Even in Europe (I’m from Belgium), you have to be careful if you choose cycling as a form of transport.

Eddy Lohse, Dubai

I’ve just arrived home after a great experience going to and coming back from school on my bike.

My cousins joined me, but on their skateboards.

Mohammed Al Shamsi, Abu Dhabi

I cycled to work today, from Bur Juman to Ibn Battuta Mall. Unfortunately, I didn’t see anybody else doing the same.

Lorenzo Halili, Dubai

UAE presence at Paris unity march

It was good to read your story about the UAE's foreign minister taking part in the unity march (Sheikh Abdullah at march to honour victims of the Paris attacks, January 11).

Good for him. He marched for unity, condemning the violence that was committed.

Deborah Anne Mustafa, US

They marched for every decent person in the world – Muslim and non-Muslim.

Sheikh Abdullah represented all those who are outraged by these evil people committing atrocities throughout the world. They do so supposedly in the name of Islam and of Muslims, which they are not.

We need the real voices of Islam to stand up and be counted against terrorism and extremism. Silence can suggest tacit support.

Well done to Sheikh Abdullah for leading on this.

Mark Yeowell, Abu Dhabi

As a French resident of Abu Dhabi, I would like to thank Sheikh Abdullah for his support.

I am very happy to work in the UAE, which I find to be one of the safest countries in the world.

Gérald Bau, Abu Dhabi

Poverty must be felt to be known

Ayesha Almazroui is perfectly right in her column (Young Emiratis need to know what it is to be poor, January 6).

To know is to feel and not just be intellectually aware that there is an abstract concept called poverty.

There is a great gap between perception and reality because poverty may be far away from us, either geographically or from our experience.

The same applies to physical labour. It takes just an hour of working on a building site to get some idea of what it would mean to be a construction worker and to put in a whole day of work.

The one thing that I would like to add is that poverty is there for us to see right here. Some of the poorest workers are right in front of us, but all too often we do not see them.

It’s not as if developed countries are an exception. There too, there are some very poor people and some domestic pets with better, more comfortable lives than the homeless, who live and die on the streets.

Name withheld by request

Freedom must be responsible

I am in agreement with Tony Karon's article, Cartoons were nothing compared to Abu Ghraib (January 12), about not being Charlie Hebdo.

My view is that both parties were extreme in their thoughts and in carrying out the actions they did – one carried out a massacre with a pen and the other with a gun.

But of course it goes without saying that there is no justification for terrorism. And that there really is no comparison whatsoever between the two acts.

Name withheld by request

Strained ties with the West

One of the most important questions of our time is what has gone wrong in the relationship between Muslims and the West. Instead of finding fault, it might be better to focus on just solutions and common ground.

Samaoen Osman, South Africa