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.
ANADOLU AGENCY BERLIN PublishedApril 22, 2016 German former President Christian Wulff attends a talk on Islam in Germany in Berlin on April 21, 2016 (AFP Photo) Former German President Christian Wulff spoke against growing anti-Islam sentiment in the country and stressed that Islam belonged to Germany, contrary to what far-right […]
Kerala | Written by Sneha Mary Koshy | Updated: April 24, 2016 02:34 by Taboola The Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid in Kottayam is for the first time allowing women, from the local community, to come inside. Kottayam: Highlights Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid popular with male tourists in India and abroad Women […]
TNN | Apr 24, 2016 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/configspace/ads/AS_Top.html Trichy: The 1,019-year-old Nathrsha Mosque that stands in the heart of the city was cleaned by civic body workers on Saturday. As part of […]
Nasrudin stood up in the market-place and started to address the throng. ‘O people! Do you want knowledge without difficulties, truth without falsehood, attainment without effort, progress without sacrifice?’ Very soon a large crowd gathered, everyone shouting: ‘Yes, yes!’ ‘Excellent!’ said the Mulla. ‘I only wanted to know. You may […]
Jim Michaels Friday, 22 Apr 2016 Getty Images The U.S.-led coalition air campaign has incinerated about $500 million of the Islamic State’s cash stockpiles and cut its oil revenues by an estimated 50 percent, according to a senior defense official. The Islamic State has been forced to ration fuel […]
By John Heilprin Apr 22, 2016 – 11:00 Nature already needs extra protection, like the Rhone glacier where tarp is used to help prevent ice melt (Keystone) Switzerland’s essential alpine character stands little chance of surviving predicted man-made global warming, even if the Paris agreement succeeds in putting the world […]
April 23, 2016 TEHRAN – President Rouhani has asserted that Iran has been in the frontline of counterterrorism both ideologically and pragmatically, saying if it had not been for Iran’s supports, Damascus and Bagdad would have fallen into the hands of Daesh, the Arabic acronym for ISIL. Rouhani made the […]
Apr 23,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – MARK LEONARD The consequences of Russia’s intervention in Syria stretch far beyond the Middle East. The Kremlin’s military campaign has tilted the stalemate in favour of the government and derailed efforts to craft a political compromise to end the war. It also heralds the […]
Apr 23,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – MUSA KEILANI Bombing a civilian bus in Israel on April 18, alerted many people to the ramifications of the third Intifada, which spontaneously expressed Palestinians’ anger with both the Israeli occupation of their land and the Palestinian Authority’s lack of action to end their plight. […]
Omar Sy, the star of “Chocolat.” Photo: AFP Published: 18 Apr 2016 A new movie about the life of France’s first black celebrity is challenging audiences to consider whether Hollywood’s notorious diversity problem is also an issue in France. Born in Cuba to African slaves, Rafael Padilla battled racism to […]
Could not one of those dead children among the five hundred souls on the sinking Mediterranean boat become a ‘superstar’? Robert Fisk @indyvoices Has something gone adrift within the moral […]
April 23, 2016 President Obama’s foreign policy legacy will have a lasting impact on the U.S. international security in general and the Middle East in particular for years to come. Obama opines that warmongering is no longer an option and the U.S. is better off coming to grips with realities […]
RELIGIONS AND BELIEFS Swiss revealed to be a spiritual nation APR 22, 2016 – 11:00 Not so many people are going to church. but the Swiss still remain spiritual (Keystone) Although traditional places of worship are emptying, religious practices and beliefs continue to be upheld in Switzerland. Almost one in […]
MUFTI TAQI USMANI Published — Friday 22 April 2016 Rajab is the seventh month in the Islamic lunar calendar. This month was regarded as one of the sacred months (Al-Ashhur Al-Hurum) in which battles were prohibited in the days of the Holy Prophet. It is also a prelude to […]
By AFP – Apr 21,2016 – JORDAN TIMES Photo courtesy of ecologikol.com WASHINGTON — Global warming could make the planet far hotter than currently projected because today’s scientific models do not correctly account for the influence of clouds, researchers recently said. The study in the journal Science was […]
The ancient al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, founded in 859 by a woman, is the oldest working library in the world, holding ancient manuscripts that date as far back as 12 centuries and will reopen in May after a major renovation. World Bulletin / News Desk The Moroccan Ministry of Culture […]
Apr 21,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – DAOUD KUTTAB The cycle of violence in Palestine is so predictable that almost anyone following the news can easily forecast what happens next. This ability to anticipate what happens if the cycle of violence is not broken is perhaps the most concrete proof that […]
Apr 21,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – JONATHAN POWER President Barack Obama observed: “ISIL [Daesh] is a direct outgrowth of Al Qaeda in Iraq that grew out of our invasion — which is an example of unintended consequences — which is why we should generally aim before we shoot.” Many of […]
An America which can stomach the anger of its Arab allies is in no mood to suffer the humiliations of Israel either Robert Fisk @indyvoices Edward Said, 13 years dead but intellectually un-buriable, used to say that there was only one “last taboo” in the United States. You could talk […]
By Reuters – Apr 21,2016 – JORDAN TIMES President Barack Obama, with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman (right), speaks after a Gulf Cooperation Council session at the Diriyah Palace during the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday (AP photo) RIYADH — The United States will deter and […]