Meet Hijarbie: Barbie with a Muslim makeover
Posted: Feb 09, 2016 9:25 PM JST (USA TODAY) – Just days after Mattel announced that it was giving Barbie a makeover, adding features such as wider hips and fuller […]
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.
Indonesian bishops question religious harmony survey
While government says all is well, prelates say more can be done An Ahmadiyya congregation in South Jakarta, Indonesia, hold a Friday prayer service in their small mosque. Local residents have previously targeted the community with threats and harassment. (Photo by Ryan Dagur) Ryan Dagur, Jakarta, Indonesia February 12, 2016 While […]
Ministers agree to ‘full cessation of hostilities’ in Syria within week: Kerry
Rafael Nash | Friday, February 12, 2016 Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq. They will continue their […]
Despair not of divine mercy
OTHMAN MOHAMMAD Published — Friday 12 February 2016 It is a hallmark of depressed people that they give up on hope. Life for these people can seem void of color, so mundane that it is not worth living any more. Any energy spent on the face of earth seems such […]
It’s not weakness to remain silent
SHEIKH SALMAN AL-OADAH Published — Friday 12 February 2016 A man reviled Abu Bakr in the presence of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Prophet remained seated. He looked pleased and smiled. He insulted Abu Bakr twice, but Abu Bakr controlled himself and remained silent. He insulted him for […]
Deputy Crown Prince heads Saudi delegation at meeting of International Coalition to Counter Daesh
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman SPA Published — Friday 12 February 2016 Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, on Thursday led the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia taking part in the meeting of the international coalition […]
‘Void of action’
Feb 11,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – George S. Hishmeh These days, focus on the Middle East, particularly the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, has virtually disappeared. The position of the Palestinians, led by the Palestine Liberation Organisation, hardly makes it into the US media. Americans are nowadays more involved in […]
Russia raises spectre of permanent or ‘world war’ if Syria talks fail
By Reuters – Feb 11,2016 -JORDAN TIMES – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev holds a meeting on the situation in banking in the Gorki residence, outside Moscow, Russia, Monday (AP photo) MUNICH — Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev raised the spectre of a permanent or a world war if […]
Clinton’s hardline foreign policy
Feb 11,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – JONATHAN POWER We in the world outside the US do not have a vote in the US presidential election in November. But that does not stop most of us from having a strong opinion on who should win. Very few non-Americans would vote Republican […]
Aleppo’s frightening reminder of wider threats and older glories
Feb 11,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – RAMI G. KHOURI Aleppo today is frightening almost beyond description and comprehension. One of the world’s ancient centres of civilisation is bombed and sieged, its inhabitants tortured and starved to death, and hundreds of thousands of fleeing refugees do not know if they will […]
UN rights expert accuses Israel of excessive force against Palestinians
By Reuters – Feb 11,2016 – JORDAN TIMES A Palestinian schoolgirl walks past the remains of a house destroyed during the 2014 Israeli aggression as she returns to her home on a winter day in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (Reuters photo) GENEVA — The UN human […]
Bashar al-Assad vows to retake whole of Syria by force despite ceasefire attempts
The US has backed anti-government rebels and more than a dozen countries are involved in the civil war Lizzie Dearden @lizziedearden 29 comments Bashar al-Assad has resisted international calls to step down EPA Bashar al-Assad has vowed to retake the whole of Syria by force, even as diplomats continue increasingly […]
HRW Urges Govt to Lift Ban on Ahmadis in Subang
Jakarta. International human rights advocacy group Human Rights Watch urged President Joko Widodo’s administration to lift a ban on the Ahmadiyah religious community placed by local authorities in Subang, West Java. The New York-based watchdog said Subang district officials and Muslim clerics issued a letter that bans all Ahmadiyah activities […]
Depriving Ahmadiyah of Their Rights
Mosque of Ahmadiyah community is being banned from any religious activities by the Bekasi government. TEMPO/Dian Triyuli Handoko HOMEEDITORIAL WEDNESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY, 2016 | 16:34 WIB TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The expulsion of Ahmadiyah followers from Bangka has shown once again the weakness of the state when it comes to protecting minorities. […]
Müslüm: Integration through comedy
IMMIGRATION SATIRE Müslüm: Integration through comedy By swissinfo.ch http://tp.srgssr.ch/p/inline?urn=urn:swi:video:41947798 EMBED CODE FEB 10, 2016 – 11:00 Swiss-Turkish comedian Müslüm is using humour to raise awareness of the issues surrounding immigration in a new television series. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) Swiss public television, SRF1, is airing new series this spring looking at the country’s […]
SWITZERLAND: SCHOOL PRAYER ROOMS: Should schools be neutral zones for religion?
By Gaby Ochsenbein FEB 10, 2016 – 11:00 Opinions are divided over whether students should be allowed to pray in state schools (Keystone) The decision to make prayer rooms available for Muslims in two Swiss state schools is viewed by some as a pragmatic solution. Others believe prayer rooms have […]
Absurdity of the war in Syria
ALI IBRAHIM Published — Thursday 11 February 2016 Fighters from Chechnya are on both sides of the conflict; on one side they guide Russian aircraft to their targets and on the other they fight Daesh extremists in Syria and Iraq to participate in their absurd war, which has damaged the […]
Israeli opposition leader wants to begin separating from Palestinians
By AFP – Feb 11,2016 – JORDAN TIMES Palestinians check the rubble of their house after it was demolished by Israeli authorities on Wednesday in the West Bank village of Jeftlek, in the Jordan Valley near Jericho. Israel often demolishes buildings constructed without the required Israeli permits in Area […]
JORDAN: Gov’t sends messages of assurance over integrating Syrians into labour force
By Omar Obeidat – Feb 11,2016 – JORDAN TIMES Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour meets with journalists and chief editors of local dailies at the Prime Ministry on Wednesday (Petra photo) AMMAN – The government on Wednesday said that allowing Syrians to join the labour market would not “by any […]
Consequences of some ‘pipe dreams’
Feb 10,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – MICHAEL JANSEN Turkey is using the ongoing build-up of Syrians fleeing fighting around Aleppo, on the Syrian side of its border to achieve three objectives. The immediate objective is to maintain Ankara’s recently adopted policy of allowing Syrians to enter Turkey only if they […]