Emirati man’s story is inspirational

Readers praise Salem Dahmani, who has been juggling family life, work and his studies for the past few years. Other topics: debt, cartoon, Israeli assault

Readers praise the dedication of Salem Dahmani, the 25-year-old father of four, who has been juggling family life, work and his studies for the past few years. Jaime Puebla / The National

I enjoyed reading about Salem Dahmani, the 25-year-old father of four young children who has been juggling family life, work and his studies for a bachelor's degree in computer engineering for the past few years (Emirati father of four commutes from Fujairah to Dubai each day, August 3). It has not been easy for the Khalifa University student, but it has been necessary. His dedication to his family, studies and career is wonderful. May Allah bless him and his family.

Name withheld by request

I have nothing but admiration and respect for Mr Dahmnai. I feel sorry that someone tried to undermine his confidence. However, he has managed to prove them wrong. He deserves many blessings.

Jen Bishop, Abu Dhabi

Resist temptation and avoid the perils of debt

I write in reference to the article Suicide is not the answer for people struggling with debt (August 3).

I think too many people fall for the glitter. When they see new products they think they must have them. In the process many people end up buying things they cannot really afford.

Greed as well as peer pressure bring misery to many people. When they no longer see a way out of that situation, they contemplate suicide. It’s good to have money, but money should not become the only aim in life. In the long run, it’s not money, Dior bags in the cupboard or a Ferrari that makes one happy.

Real happiness comes from smaller things in life: family, reading books, volunteering for a humanitarian cause, education, cooking and so forth.

Brigitte von Bulow, Abu Dhabi

Never borrow money unless it is extremely necessary. That’s the only way to avoid the risks involved with borrowing. There is no other escape route.

Rajeev Rajapalan, India

Does cartoon paint real picture?

Shadi Ghanim’s cartoon (August 3) showing poverty on one side, Ebola on the other and Africa in the middle is insensitive.

Africa is a collection of a large number of countries. And it’s not fair to put all of them in the same bracket.

Francis Mandreza, US

The cartoon highlights the struggle of the African people. It’s true that many of them live below the poverty line. The farmers in Ghana, for example, that produces cocoa can’t afford to buy it. Africa is blessed with natural resources of immense proportions. It has gold, diamond, copper, iron ore, oil and gas, and acres and acres of arable land. In fact, Africa should be the food basket of the world.

Unfortunately, the problems are too many. They go way beyond Ebola: sub Saharan Africa has been plagued by violent civil wars, brutal dictators, immense corruption and lack of quality education. But Africa remains the last frontier with growth rates averaging 4 and 5 per cent when the western world is seeing negative growth or stagnation. Therefore, we must be brave to invest and bring the best of the developed world to Africa.

Randall Mohammed, Dubai

Israelis must face punishment

Israelis are criminals (Realities in Gaza undermined Netanyahu's flawed narrative, August 4). They must be judged and punished if there is anything called justice in our world.

Christine Rachel Bedziri, Abu Dhabi

It has been confirmed that no Israeli soldier was kidnapped and Hamas was not responsible for the three teenage boys who were killed (How a 'kidnapped' soldier illustrates Israel's deception, August 4). So what was Israel's excuse for this genocide?

Aziza Al Busaidy, Dubai