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.
EYAD ABU SHAKRA | Published — Monday 10 October 2016 Although Syria’s tragedy is too painful to be associated with humor, the suffering that both Moscow and Washington are inflicting on the Syrian people reminds us of a kind of a ‘black comedy’ joke. It goes like this: A barber […]
SIRAJ WAHAB | Published — Monday 10 October 2016 Maria Dubovikova, president of the International Middle Eastern Studies Club A leading Russian political analyst specializing in Middle Eastern affairs has described the United Nations Security Council as a talk shop that has become a battleground where global powers indulge in […]
Aleppo’s fall would not be expected to end war in Syria By Reuters – Oct 09,2016 – JORDAN TIMES In this April 21, 2014, file photo, provided by the anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Centre, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian […]
Momani says no changes to sealed border policy By Khetam Malkawi – Oct 09,2016 – JORDAN TIMES Border Guards help Syrians cross the border into Jordan in this May 4 photo (Photo by Hassan Tamimi) AMMAN — Based on recent developments and upon further discussions with international agencies, […]
When a Syrian peasant woman approaches our table in a small Ottoman restaurant, the locals step forward to give her coins. It puts to shame the liars of the Brexit campaign and their hatred of the foreigners who supposedly threaten little England Robert Fisk Kilis @indyvoices 176 comments Syrian refugees […]
Flouting the rules? Photo: AFP, Richard Juilliard Geneva police to lift ban on bearded officers Published: 07 Oct 2016 10:12 GMT+02:00 Canton Geneva police intend to fall into line with the rest of the country and lift a centuries-old ban on officers sporting beards, in a move likely to please […]
By Hakim Almasmari and Angela Dewan, for CNN October 9, 2016 Tune into CNN International on Sunday at 4 p.m. CET for a full report on the Yemen war. Sanaa […]
Volcanic material from the eruption of Mount Barujari is seen from Bayan, Lombok Island, Indonesia. The volcano erupted without warning on Tuesday afternoon, delaying flights from airports on the islands of Lombok and Bali. Photo: AP This is the latest in reckless tourist behaviour which has caused several deathsw all […]
Queen Margrethe’s comment came in a wide-ranging interview with Der Spiegel. Photo: JAN WOITAS/Scanpix Published: 04 Oct 2016 00:57 GMT+02:00 With Denmark once again engaged in a national conversation about what makes one ‘Danish’, Queen Margrethe II told German newspaper Der Spiegel that she represents “all people who are citizens […]
Reuters International OCT 9, 2016 – Israeli police secure the area following a shooting incident in what an Israeli police spokesperson described as a terrorist attack, near police headquarters in Jerusalem October 9, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (reuters_tickers) JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A Palestinian assailant, firing from a car, shot and wounded […]
Oct 08,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – EDITORIAL The recent interception of Zaytouna-Oliva boat by Israeli naval units in international waters off the coast of Gaza is another demonstration of Israel’s blatant disregard for peaceful gestures from Palestinians and their supporters to end the decades-long suffering of the people under occupation […]
Oct 08,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – MUSA KEILANI The imminent fall of Aleppo to Russian and Syrian army troops will not put an end to a civil war that has so far cost the lives of over 400,000 civilians and displaced 8 million people, according to UN figures. The 900 […]
Oct 06,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – RAMI G. KHOURI Two main themes that dominate the public discussions on Syria and Iraq in the United States reflect the poverty and wildly unrealistic nature of this debate. The two themes are gut-wrenching, mind-boggling, heart-shuddering moral anxiety, political frustration and old-fashioned anger at […]
From high-ranking military officials to university professors, those imprisoned since the attempted coup now total 70,756 – although some have been released Robert Fisk Istanbul @indyvoices In a part of the […]
By Keshie Hernitaningtyas, for The Jakarta Post It took twenty five years to build the city of Madinat al-Zahra, which existed for only sixty-five years and laid forgotten beneath the ground […]
Nariman El-MoftyAssociated Press Mecca, Saudi Arabia | Fri, September 16 2016 In this Friday, Sept. 9, 2016 photo, a Pakistani man living near Hira cave reads before sunrise on Noor Mountain, where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from God to preach Islam, on the outskirts of Mecca, Saudi […]
Indra BudiariThe Jakarta Post Jakarta | Sat, October 8 2016 Religious minorities are continuing to struggle to find appropriate places to worship in Jakarta even though the capital is seen as the most tolerant city in the country. Pressure from intolerant groups is ongoing and the city administration often finds […]
The United States’ first hydrogen bomb explodes at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands on Nov. 1, 1952. This photo was taken from Majuro Atoll. | AFP-JIJI ASIA PACIFI AFP-JIJI OCT 6, 2016 THE HAGUE – The U.N.’s highest court on Wednesday narrowly threw out landmark cases brought by the […]
The Russian Navy’s missile corvette Mirazh sails in the Bosphorus off Istanbul on its way to the Mediterranean Sea on Friday. | REUTERS WORLD Russia building up forces in Syria, data show REUTERS OCT 8, 2016 MOSCOW – Russia has built up its forces in Syria since a cease-fire collapsed […]
WORLD by LORI HINNANT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Oct 8, 2016 Laura Passoni talks during an interview with the Associated Press in an hotel in Brussels on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016. Passoni, a Belgian woman who joined Islamic State with her 4-year-old son and later escaped has written a book […]