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.
Image copyrightAPImage captionEscaping Islamic State poses great risks to disillusioned recruits, according to a new report Islamic State What is ‘Islamic State’? Turkey’s dangerous game Should anyone ever talk to IS? Footage reveals IS regime in Mosul A new report has compiled cases of defectors from the so-called Islamic State […]
592. Commandment – Say, ‘Allah has spoken the truth: follow, therefore, the religion of Abraham [60:5] There is a good model for you in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘We have nothing to do with you and with that which you worship beside Allah. […]
By Christoph Reuter in Beirut AP An exodus of tens of thousands is hemorrhaging out of Syria and into Europe. After four years of civil war horrors, people have given up completely on their country. Is there a shred of hope left for stopping the conflict and rebuilding? Both men were […]
MIGRATION CRISIS Swiss are “too restrictive” over Syrian refugees SEP 20, 2015 – 12:36 A Syrian woman stands with her children after arriving by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos on September 19 (Pixsil) Switzerland should grant more Syrians full refugee status rather than just temporary residency, a top […]
HEART OF UMMAH: During Haj some three million Muslims travel to the Holy Sites in Makkah to seek repentance for their sins and ask the Creator for the innermost desires of their hearts. DR. SALEH AS-SALEH Published — Friday 18 September 2015 This is a journey that was taken by […]
Region’s barometer Sep 20,2015 – JORDAN TIMES – Amer Al Sabaileh Today, the greatest political challenges for Jordan come from two different fronts: On one side, the inevitable consequences of the Syrian issue, on the other, the possible escalation of the problems in the West Bank. Both have the potential to […]
By Reuters – Sep 19,2015 – JORDAN TIMES Afghan refugees struggle to swim ashore after their dinghy with a broken engine drifted out of control off the Greek island of […]
Sep 19,2015 – JORDAN TIMES BY MUSA KEILANI Al Murabitun, in Jerusalem, jolted this week the Arab masses, including heads of states into action, following years of lethargy and apathy regarding Palestinian holy sites, be they Christian or Muslim. Al Murabitun are roughly 3,000 Jerusalemites, men, women and teenagers, who study […]
Epigraph: Glory be to Him Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque, the environs of which We have blessed, that We might show […]
Courtesy of Aslam Nasir A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, ‘Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’ The Lord led the holy man to two doors.. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. […]
591. Commandment – Follow the ways of thy Lord that have been made easy for thee. (like honey bees) [16:70] ‘Then eat of every kind of fruit, and follow the ways of thy Lord that have been made easy for thee.’ There comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying hues. Therein is cure for […]
SPIRITUALITY IS IN THE AIR: Makkah’s Grand Mosque is packed with pilgrims performing tawaf (circumambulation) of the Holy Kaaba on Friday. (AFP) ARAB NEWS Published — Saturday 19 September 2015 MAKKAH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif has said that Saudi Arabia will not allow any political propaganda during Haj […]
Syrian refugee crisis Swiss pledge to take part in EU refugee programme By Urs Geiser Sep 18, 2015 – 17:43 Foreign Minister Burkhalter (right) and Justice Minister Sommaruga (centre) say Switzerland is willing to cooperate with the EU to alleviate the refugee crisis (Keystone) President Simonetta Sommaruga says Switzerland will […]
590. Commandment – O ye who believe! respond to Allah, and the Messenger when he calls you that he may give you life [8:25] O ye who believe! respond to Allah, and the Messenger when he calls you that he may give you life, and know that Allah comes in between […]
‘We Want a Massacre’: Turkish-Kurdish Tensions Escalate as Election Looms By Hasnain Kazim DPA A boy peers through a hole in a damaged wall along a street in the city of Sirnak, near Cizre, southeastern Turkey. Earlier this summer, tit-for-tat violence between the Turkish government and the country’s Kurdish minority […]
HEART OF UMMAH: During Haj some three million Muslims travel to the Holy Sites in Makkah to seek repentance for their sins and ask the Creator for the innermost desires of their hearts. Dr. Saleh As-Saleh Published — Friday 18 September 2015 This is a journey that was taken […]
Illegal hajis, such as these pilgrims during Haj 2013 who put up tents in Mina, contribute to overcrowding and pose a hazard to other pilgrims. (AN file photo) SULTAN AL-SUGHAIR Published — Friday 18 September 2015 DAMMAM: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, has […]
589. Commandment – Do what you are commanded [2:69] They said: ‘Pray for us to thy Lord that He make plain to us what she is.’ He answered: ‘God says, it is a cow, neither old nor young, full grown, between the two; now do what you are commanded.’ [2:94] And remember […]
Refugees Government braces for big refugee influx Sep 16, 2015 – 14:24 Refugees are to be distributed in centres across the country (Keystone) The cantonal authorities have been asked to gear up for a steep increase in the number of refugees expected to arrive in Switzerland. The State Secretariat for […]
Arab News Published — Friday 11 September 2015 Since Haj is once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people, the importance of early and adequate preparation cannot be over-emphasized. In this concluding section of a three-part series, some guidelines have been given to get you started in the right direction. Since individual […]