Syria belongs to its people, not Bashar Al Assad

Our readers have their say on Syria, India's judiciary, living overseas and property investment

Bread distributed in destroyed Douma near Damascus, the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack. Hassan Ammar / AP

In reference to your Beyond the Headlines podcast: Assad crosses Washington's red line again (April 17), the poignant picture of a Syrian man clutching some loaves of bread, accompanying Naser Al Wasmi's article, speaks more than a thousand words about the joy, relief and pain of the man on receiving some loaves of bread for his family.

What a mess Bashar Al Assad has made of his own country. The people of a country are its real owners. Leaders are elected or appointed to manage it on behalf of the people.

People should be likened to the shareholders of a company or a country. Unfortunately in Syria, the true owners of the country have been belittled into becoming grateful for some loaves of bread. Mr Al Assad should realise that the citizens of Syria own the country, not him.

Rajendra Aneja, Dubai

Impeachment case raises questions about judiciary

I write in reference to your story India's top judge faces impeachment bid (April 21). What particularly interested me was that the bid by opposition parties to impeach the chief justice of India's top court got 64 serving members as signatories in the latest dramatic development from Indian politics.

The allegations made by the opposition parties, particularly the Congress Party, involve his misbehaviour in cases. One can only hope this case will be thoroughly investigated by the Rajya Sabha, or upper house of the Indian Parliament.

Some, of course, will continue to insist the judge is not corrupt and these allegations have merely been made as a political move. It will be fascinating to see what happens next.

K Ragavan, Bangalore

It is the everyday moments we miss most while far away

In reference to the column Expat reality and sacrifice is watching your loved ones age from afar (April 20), what a great shared experience of living as an expatriate away from family members. I can totally relate to everything the writer Saeed Saeed shared, having lived in Abu Dhabi for 10 years now.

Although my family visit me and vice versa yearly, it’s the daily missed experiences that can never be retrieved.

Daisy Tito, Abu Dhabi

It is the same for overseas parents who are not living with their children. The hardest part is the pain of knowing that they didn’t personally get to see them grow up, be with them through different milestones in their lives and watch them develop their own unique personalities.

Aileen Lee Miranda, Dubai

Investing in property is always a calculated risk

In reference to the query from a reader who lost money, as described in the finance column My Dubai apartment is in negative equity. Can I hand it back to the bank? (April 21), you should always calculate correctly before you invest or put yourself in debt.

Angelika Lancsak, Dubai