A positive side to relations between the US and Arabs

A reader argues that the diplomatic faux-pas committed by the Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was in fact not a part of his scheduled visit, and should not be taken as a symbolic offence by Israel.Show less

I wholeheartedly agree with Alan Philps's analysis in US military moves towards a harder line against Israel (March 19). Thanks for making Arabs and Muslims see the side of Americans that is true. Americans don't hate Muslims or Arabs. I have learnt this in my 20 years of living in the US and have the honour of being a naturalised citizen. I am also very vocal about this with my family and friends and people are starting to see the truth.

Usually, it is Arabs and Muslims who complain so much about Israel and America in the same sentence and context. If we as Muslims start treating Americans and Israelis as separate entities, then that is beneficial for us. If we treat them the same, then it falls in Israel's favour. I hope more Muslims and Arabs will continue to see what I have learnt to be the truth. Irfan Syed, UAE

There's nothing "traditional" about the wreath-laying ceremony at Theodor Herzl's grave (Brazil's president deals Israel symbolic blow, March 19). It was invented as a ceremony for visiting heads of state a few months ago, and since then only Joe Biden accepted it. Nicholas Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi visited Israel after the ceremony was created and neither of them was anywhere within several hundred feet of that grave. What is indeed traditional is for diplomats of both countries to agree on a programme before the visit actually starts. The "traditional ceremony" was sprung upon Lula after he and his committee arrived in Israel, as a last-minute surprise conceived on purpose to embarrass him. Tomas Rosa Bueno, Bariloche, Argentina

With regard to Formal Arabic does nothing for one's street cred, March 21: anyone learning a language always starts with learning classical text. English students study Shakespeare, for example. So the spoken language of today is often diluted. It is not surprising that the written version is different from the spoken one. This is the norm, no matter where one lives. JB, London

Concerning Airline pair jailed over sex texting (March 19): Etisalat is keeping records of our texts? When did we sign up for that? If this is still the case, customers should be informed. Simple texts being legally binding documents is a serious matter. JD Rahman, Dubai

As a Muslim, I don't believe a woman should be working as a flight attendant in the first place, because it puts her in an Islamically inappropriate environment. Now if they had female-only cabins where they served female passengers and not be gawked at by male passengers (and male stewards) then that would possibly be better. If she did do what is claimed then I'm glad that she received the appropriate punishment. This is a step forward in the struggle to establish higher standards of moral behaviour. If certain expats don't like the fact that they are not free to behave immorally in this part of the world, then hard cheese! Abu Sumayyah, Abu Dhabi

Regarding There is no such thing as Wahabism, Saudi prince says (March 19): Well done! The prince is perfectly right. I think he has done well to spell that matter out for people to understand. Moussa Traore, Accra, Ghana

I applaud Ms Hissa Hilal for her courage, wisdom and intelligence (Million's Poet finalist defies death threats, March 20). She has hit the nail right on the issue that we face currently with Arab and Islamic cultures. I call on all scholars and leaders to encourage and support people such as Ms Hilal, nurture them and ensure their safety and prosperity in our societies. Name withheld by request

Concerning Police use shock tactics to help curb road deaths (March 19): It's simple. Stop those breaking the law and take away their driving licences. End of story. Simple. One law for all residents. Adil Ali, Abu Dhabi