Islamic State to Mint Gold Coins
By Erik Holm and Siobhan Gorman The Islamic State is getting into the gold-coin business. The “Treasury Department” of the jihadist group that is now occupying large portions of Syria […]
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.
Archaeologists dig at ancient site next door to Islamic State
By Mohammed Rasool and Deb Riechmann The Associated Press GAZIANTEP, Turkey —Archaeology and war don’t usually mix, yet that has been the case for years at Karkemish, an ancient city […]
Makkah beauty pageant thwarted
Authorities in Makkah have thwarted plans for a beauty pageant in the holy city, citing the Shariah law that prohibits such a show as reason for the decision. The pageant, […]
Washington Cathedral’s first Muslim prayer service interrupted by heckler
By Pamela Constable November 14 at 11:07 PM In a corner of Washington National Cathedral, several hundred Muslim worshipers and other invited guests gathered Friday afternoon for a first-ever recitation […]
Qur’an lesson for today: 292. Commandment to give full measure and full weight, and diminish not unto people their things
292. Commandment to give full measure and full weight, and diminish not unto people their things [7:86] And to Midian We sent their brother Shu‘aib. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no other deity but Him. A clear Sign has indeed come to you from your Lord. So […]
Qur’an lesson for today: 294. Commandment – do not cut off the highway for travelers (for theft and robbery)
294. Commandment – do not cut off the highway for travellers (for theft and robbery) [29:30] ‘Do you indeed come lustfully to men and cut off the highway for travellers? And you commit abomination in your meetings!’ But the only answer of his people was that they said, ‘Bring upon us the punishment […]
Qur’an lesson for today: 293. Commandment – if an unrighteous person brings you any news, ascertain the correctness of the report fully
293. Commandment – if an unrighteous person brings you any news, ascertain the correctness of the report fully [49:7] O ye who believe! if an unrighteous person brings you any news, ascertain the correctness of the report fully, lest you harm a people in ignorance, and then become repentant for what you have […]
King meets Kerry, Netanyahu for talks on Jerusalem tension
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday hosted a trilateral meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cool tempers arising as […]
Egypt, Sudan to coordinate on Libya unrest
Summary Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said Sunday his country will work with Sudan to support Libya’s military against Islamic militants in a bid to restore stability to the two countries’ war-torn neighbor. El-Sissi’s remarks came at the end of a two-day visit by Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. El-Sissi said Sudan […]
Disunity and distress
The Daily Star Ten years after the death of Yasser Arafat, and the situation for Palestinians is at its direst in years, and any hope of unity between different factions […]
War with Isis: The forgotten, plucky Kurds under siege in their enclave on Syria’s border with Turkey
Robert Fisk visits Rumeilan, where its people strive to extract oil, produce asphalt and continue the struggle against the Islamist militants The skies are grey-black from the oilfields and refineries […]
A Muslim Reflection on Global Crisis
BY AMAAR AHMAD As conflicts rage around the world and innocents suffer in the Gaza crisis, Ukraine-Russia tension continues, and sectarianism boils over in Iraq and Syria , one wonders if history is repeating itself. Just as in 1914, now a hundred years after Word War I, small conflicts have […]
Freud and the Middle East
NOV. 11, 2014 Thomas L. Friedman ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — When trying to make sense of the Middle East, one of the most important rules to keep in mind is this: What politicians here tell you in private is usually irrelevant. What matters most, and what explains their […]
Latin America Is Losing Its Catholic Identity
These are heady days for Roman Catholics in Latin America. For the first time, one of their own is serving as pope, providing a visible reminder of the importance the region plays in the global church. But after a century in which nearly all Latin Americans identified as Catholic, the […]
Mecca under threat: Outrage at plan to destroy the ‘birthplace’ of the Prophet Mohamed and replace it with a new palace and luxury malls
The site in Mecca where the Prophet Mohamed is said to have been born is about to be “buried under marble” and replaced by a huge royal palace. The work […]
Isis in Syria: In the shadow of death, a few thousand Christians remain to defy militants
BY ROBERT FISK, THE INDEPENDENT Just 15 miles from the frontline of Isis, which persecutes their faith, the Christians of Qamishli gathered in the Church of the Holy Virgin for the wedding of Malek Aissa and Ilana Hacho. The bride was a priest’s sister, the bridegroom a computer engineer, and […]
Qur’an lesson for today: 290. Commandment if you desire to punish the oppressors, then punish them to the extent to which you have been wronged
290. Commandment if you desire to punish the oppressors, then punish them to the extent to which you have been wronged [16:127] And if you desire to punish the oppressors, then punish them to the extent to which you have been wronged; but if you show patience, then, surely, that […]
Qur’an lesson for today: 291. Commandment to bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise
291. Commandment to bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice [5:9] O ye who believe! be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with […]
Beautiful Hadith about Seeking Allah’s Pardon
Reported by Ibn ‘Abbas (RA): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.”(Abu Dawud)
‘Lost Gospel’ claims Jesus was married, had children
Source: Fox News It’s called “The Lost Gospel” and it’s based off of manuscripts found in British Library dating back more than 1,400 years written in Syriac, the language spoken by Jesus himself. It claims Jesus had a secret family made up of two sons and a wife. Was Jesus […]