Religion is no reason to hate

The story in the Sun-Herald about the help given by Rahemath Pasha to victims during the Bondi tragedy was inspirational (“This Indian Uber driver helped save lives at Bondi. Now he’s able to call Sydney home”, August 2). To quote him: “No religion will teach you to harm anyone.” Also, he states, “I have been taught from my religion [to] always help people.” He is a Muslim from the same city in India as the accused gunman. It just goes to show how every group can have good or bad among it and makes nonsense of any proposed policy to limit immigrant groups of a certain religion or ethnicity. Ruth Carter, Strathfield

Learning, not earning

Here’s a better solution to fixing the school system, Helen Lewin (Letters, August 2). It’s also the way one of the world’s most successful education systems does things. Finland strictly regulates it education model and does not permit mainstream schools to operate for profit or charge tuition fees. While its educational performance went from low to high under this system, Australia’s went from high to low under our increasingly privatised system. If we followed Finland’s example, all that private money inefficiently spent on private schools could be invested in building new housing. David McMaster, Mosman

Productivity a priority

We are fortunate that Parnell Palme McGuinness will never have a voice in the economic management of Australia. Her article on the difficult issues of balancing possible wage increases or price decreases does not mention productivity once (“Quick-fix schemes will ruin the nation”, August 2), yet it is a key problem for Australia and has been stuck for some decades, as shown in the Productivity Commission’s figures since 1978. To invent new conspiracy theory terms like “wage fakery” will not cut it as any kind of quick fix. Bill Johnstone, Blackheath

A work in progress

Jacqueline Maley makes some great points about fraught gender roles, but the real elephant in the room is capitalism (“Why the tradwife trend is totally logical” August 2). After World War II, as growth in manufacturing led to more jobs that often required higher literacy and cognitive skills, women were drafted into the workforce in large numbers to work alongside men. It was the realisation that most jobs could be done by either sex, coupled with women’s new financial empowerment and the availability of reliable contraception that really turbo-charged feminism. But the ensuing rise in each household’s financial capacity led to a rapid rise in house prices, locking both women and men into the workforce and forcing young children into brokered care. Today, employers unwilling to keep salaries commensurate with the cost of living are looking to AI to exploit ever cheaper and faster sources of labour to chase profits that only robotic slaves can possibly deliver. Vivienne Peters, Hornsby

At 57, I am a woman of yesteryear. Instead of tradwifery, I was raised a Catholic. Be warned young women and men, whoever you let hold the power over you, even inadvertently, the script can change whenever they choose. And you will realise those that held the power over you were never living the life they proclaimed because it is a fallacy. The message of religious conformity is simply about control and until you realise that you will surrender your precious opportunity for autonomy instead of realising that the true gift of life is to believe in yourself. Jenny Stephenson, Wollongong

Taken for granted

Your correspondent wonders what would be left in the British Museum if “stuff the British stole” was returned to its rightful owners (Letters, August 2). For a bit of balance I look forward to a similar inquiry into the other colonial powers that also had considerably sticky fingers: France, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal and even Japan, Russia and the US – but they seem to get off scot-free. I wonder why? Judy Hungerford, Narraweena

Study in contrast

Study, work and public space has definitely changed since my youth (“Old bookstore turns a page as a ‘Hogwarts’ study space”, August 2). It is exciting to see the changes within Sydney accommodating young people, surrounded by used books, Hogwarts and Ghibli paraphernalia, what better way to inspire, or relax, or at least reduce anxiety in a study/work day? Fortunately, our local library in Thirroul attempts to create a similar environment, where silence is definitely no longer a requirement. It, too, is vibrant, accommodating and welcoming for all ages and interest groups. The librarians are also on hand to help. It is fabulous to see families and friends, not just visiting and borrowing, but spending quality time together and feeling so at home in their local library. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

Journey back in time

Thanks, Brian Johnston, for the farewell (“I declare the backpacker an extinct species”, August 2). Yes, what a grand and glorious time we backpackers had, although I never actually had a backpack, just a sort of duffel bag easily stowed under bus, train and assorted other seats. Oh, the joys and challenges. Forget about slow food, this was slow travel. Pre-booked accommodation? Never. Need to call home from Delhi? Wait at the post office for a couple of hours for a connection. And mail, well, that’s another story. My mother devised her own system of numbering each letter mailed to me via poste restante in various cities. I only ever missed one – mailed to Tehran. I loved every moment (well mostly) of that nine-month journey. Barbara McKellar, Dulwich Hill

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