Rafiq A. Tschannen is a Swiss national. He converted to Islam and joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the age of 16 after reading the German translation of the Holy Qur'an. He worked in 15 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, first as Finance Director in the private industry and later as Chief Executive Officer of NGOs and International Governmental Organizations. He is now devoting his time to The Muslim Times as Editor for Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Switzerland and as Associate Chief Editor.
Source: The Jordan Times AMMAN (Petra) – Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Saturday reiterated that joining the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a win-win situation, noting that the first meeting regarding Jordan’s membership in the GCC will be held between September 10 and 15. In a seminar held by the […]
By Crispian Balmer, Reuters, Jordan Times OCCUPIED JERUSALEM – Israel was expecting a diplomatic tsunami to strike in September, but the problems have come sooner than expected, leaving it ever more isolated in the Middle East. Egypt’s decision on Saturday to recall its envoy from Israel will remove the last […]
Source: Qantara Lewis Gropp reviews a documentary that shines the spotlight on two 12th century philosophers – one Muslim, one Jewish – whose messages of positive coexistence resonate very strongly even today, refuting the “Clash of Civilizations” theory Out of Córdoba is a documentary film about the greatest but least known […]
Source: Qantara The epochal transformations in the Arab world offer a historic opportunity for Muslims and Christians in these countries – and especially in Egypt – to establish a new, constitutional foundation for their relations. A commentary by Loay Mudhoon Observers worldwide followed events with a great deal of sympathy […]
Source: The Local Facebook’s ubiquitous ‘like’ button found on countless websites accessible in Germany was declared in violation of the country’s strict privacy laws by a state data protection official on Friday. Thilo Weichert, who works for the data protection centre of the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, said the […]
Churches and Mosques in Amman In Amman, Jordan, Churches and Mosques have co-existed together since history. As everything was and is so peaceful it was not ‘News-worthy’… But let us here in The Muslim Times report what others do not consider…
By AMY TEIBEL | AP CAIRO: Egypt said Saturday it would recall its ambassador from Israel to protest the deaths of at least three Egyptian troops killed in a shootout between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants who had launched a deadly attack on Israel from Egyptian soil. The decision sharply […]
France24. By Tony Todd (text) A French businessman has set up a fund to pay fines for women who wear Islamic veils or the burqa in public “in whatever country in the world that bans women from doing so”. Rachid Nekkaz, 38, a real-estate businessman based in Paris, travelled to Belgium on Wednesday to pay […]
Source: Blog.Dawn.com Well, he isn’t the only one. There’s a whole nation that suffers the trauma minus that humble self-abnegation of Bulleh Shah, and Shah Husain before him, two inimitable poets rooted in this soil. Neither would have anything to do with established views or practices; both defied convention. In […]
By KT ABDURABB | ARAB NEWS The 1,800-sqm complex was constructed on land donated by Sharjah ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi. Located in the Yarmouk area, the complex is the biggest church beyond the border of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). “The St. Philip Apostle Orthodox Church reflects the religious harmony of […]
Source: Michael Berg, Member, St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee and Jewish Voice for Peace Huffington Post Congressman Russ Carnahan joined nearly 20 percent of the United States House of Representatives in a trip to Israel this month. Paid for by an affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, these […]
by Simon Bradley, swissinfo.ch Pressure by the international community can have a moral, supportive role but external factors cannot bring about change to the Syrian crisis, says a Swiss expert. Mohammad Reza-Djalili, a political scientist who specialises in the Middle East, says the five-month crisis has entered a crucial new […]
By GALAL FAKKAR | ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: A visit to the old Balad district of Jeddah during the Ramadan evenings has the potential to bring back nostalgic memories of the Hijazi traditions to a domestic tourist, local residents say. “Despite the steamroller effect of a modern lifestyle in most parts […]
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS MAKKAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Friday launched the largest expansion of the Grand Mosque in history, which will increase the mosque’s capacity to more than 2.5 million worshippers and cost SR80 billion. Before laying the foundation for the […]
Source: NY Times August 18, 2011 The Question-Driven Life By DAVID BROOKS Rift Valley, Kenya We are born with what some psychologists call an “explanatory drive.” You give a baby a strange object or something that doesn’t make sense and she will become instantly absorbed; using all her abilities — […]
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly overrating mortgage-backed securities, whose meltdown led to the 2008 financial crisis, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. The sources confirmed to CNN that Justice Department attorneys interviewed current […]
Foods that are healthy for your eyes When it comes to foods for the eyes, carrots are right on top of everyone’s list. However, this rich source of vitamin A is not the only ingredient of a healthy eyediet.Vitamin A prevents night blindness and focal drying of the […]
By YOUSUF MUHAMMAD | ARAB NEWS MADINAH: Serving iftar meals to help visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque break their fast is part of the rich tradition of the people of Madinah that dates back to the period of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They lay out hundreds of thousands […]
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS MAKKAH: As traffic conditions on the already crowded Makkah streets continue to worsen during Ramadan, local people increasingly depend on motorcyclists to reach the Grand Mosque area. The occasion offers a golden chance to young bike owners to earn good money. Ali Jameel, […]
