Islam first to teach tolerance
Source: Arab News By M. Marmaduke Pickthall ONE of the commonest charges brought against Islam historically, and as a religion, by Western writers is that it is intolerant. This is turning […]
Author Archives
Rafiq A. Tschannen
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.
Saudi Arabia:Shoura warns Congress of anti-KSA bill fallout
ARAB NEWS | Published — Sunday 22 May 2016 JEDDAH: A delegation of the Shoura Council has warned members of the US Congress about the undesirable political consequences for that country if the draft bill on allowing the families of the Sept. 11 attacks victims to sue Saudi Arabia was […]
Recovering humanitarian law
May 21, 2016 JORDAN TIMES – JAVIER SOLANA Even amid the chaos and catastrophes caused by war, there are internationally recognised limits on combatants’ behaviour. And yet, recent deliberate attacks on refugee camps and hospitals, in Syria and elsewhere, demonstrate an absolute disdain for basic humanitarian norms. Indeed, […]
Israel defence minister quits, says Netanyahu fanning extremism
By AFP – May 21,2016 -JORDAN TIMES Israeli forces stand guard next to their armoured vehicle during confrontations with Palestinians following a demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel, on Friday (AFP photo) OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israel’s defence minister resigned Friday, saying extremists had taken over the […]
Daesh is not invincible
May 21,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – MUSA KEILANI The recapture of the Iraqi town of Rutba by government forces gives two strong indications: that Daesh is not invincible; that the Iraqi military knows how to win a battle when it is determined, without having to use ragtag militias like Badr […]
Muslims divide over how to respond to a sectarian killing
The murder of an Ahmadi Preparing for the worst May 21st 2016 | From the print edition THERE are few signs of life at the Stockwell Green mosque in south London at the moment. The gates are padlocked and the telephones have been disconnected. And some hope it will stay […]
Switzerland: Underage asylum seekers to get better care
Source: Swiss Info The number of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers reaching Switzerland has increased sharply, but the country has come under fire for not having any common guidelines for their […]
The mutation of the workforce has already begun
EMPLOYMENT 4.0 The mutation of the workforce has already begun By Duc-Quang Nguyen and Samuel Jaberg MAY 20, 2016 – 11:00 (swissinfo.ch) The fourth industrial revolution – the digitalisation of the economy – is set to radically transform or render obsolete half of all jobs in industrialised countries. As a […]
A critical Palestinian shift worth watching
May 19,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – RAMI G. KHOURI On this 68th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel and the exile and refugeehood of half of the Palestinian Arab population of 1948, Israelis, Zionists and their friends should be concerned because something significant is taking place in […]
A last-minute Kerry decision
May 19,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – George S. Hishmeh Once again, Israel has managed to escape scrutiny thanks to a last-minute American intervention from Secretary of State John Kerry. His ploy was that the date of the meeting suggested by France was not convenient to him. For many weeks, French President […]
The spirit of Ramadan
May 19, 2016 – JORDAN TIMES EDITORIAL Here we go again, stocking up early on meat, fruit and vegetables in preparation for the fasting month of Ramadan as if that […]
Hardly a breath of wind: the silence that emphasises a city’s fate
The last rebels have su rrendered and now, at last, the full extent of martyrdom in Homs can be seen Robert Fisk @indyvoices Thursday 19 May 2016 Syria, 5 June 2014 Deep beneath the city of Homs, in the last days of the Syrian army’s siege, a desperate Islamist rebel wrote on the […]
The destruction of morality
The shame of Abu Ghraib prison is part of a long tradition that goes back to the Crusades Robert Fisk @indyvoices Thursday 19 May 2016 2 comments Iraq, 7 May 2004 […]
The Syrians had no chance…
Meeting an injured soldier in the Syrian army before a heavy night of shelling Robert Fisk @indyvoices Thursday 19 May 2016 Lebanon, 21 July 1989 Private Yahia Saloum of the Syrian army sat on the stairs of my apartment block, his head in his hands, a large bandage strapped to his […]
AfD Head Frauke Petry: ‘The Immigration of Muslims Will Change Our Culture’
Interview conducted by Susanne Beyer and Jan Fleischhauer Sven Doering / Agentur Focus / DER SPIEGEL Frauke Petry in conversation with SPIEGEL editors: “We believe that a healthy patriotism should be natural in Germany.” Frauke Petry, head of the populist Alternative for Germany, rejects the notion that her party […]
Wrong Majorities: What Extremist Success Means for Democracy
A Commentary by Dirk Kurbjuweit www.spiegel.de REUTERS Germany’s “Basic Law” serves as its constitution. Democracy reflects the will of the people. But what if the will of the people threatens democracy? With the right wing on the rise, there is only one appropriate approach. There’s more to a democracy […]
Stories of torture in Syria shock Swiss students
PRISONER TESTIMONIES Stories of torture in Syria shock Swiss students By Islah Bakhat, Bern MAY 18, 2016 – http://www.swissino.ch In Bern, some 170 pupils under the age of 20 came to hear the activists’ testimony. (swissinfo.ch) Two Syrian refugees have described to Swiss students the brutal torture they suffered while in […]
Mataf expansion speaks volumes about Kingdom’s efforts, say pilgrims
ARAB NEWS | Published — Wednesday 18 May 2016 GOOD WORK: Umrah pilgrims hailed the Saudi government for mataf expansion in Makkah. MAKKAH: Umrah pilgrims have hailed the mataf expansion in Makkah as “distinguished” and “amazing,” saying that the achievement speaks a lot about the attention the Saudi government […]
Muslim Kids Read Heartbreaking Letters From WWII To Show How History Is Repeating Itself
Seven decades ago, Japanese-American kids facing similar discrimination were forced from their homes and imprisoned. 05/17/2016 Christopher MathiasNational Reporter, The Huffington Post During World War II, a San Diego librarian named Clara Estelle Breed could often be found at the local railroad station, passing out stamped and self-addressed postcards to […]
Here’s what happens when a Muslim-Jewish couple walks down the street
by Bethan McKernan New Yorkers Are We Famous Yet made waves last month with a video in which they got two people to dress in traditional Jewish and Muslim clothing and walk down the street together. Now filmmaker Karim Metwaly and friends Al and Moe are back with the ‘Muslim/Jewish Marriage […]