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.

MIDDLE EAST Israel launches Gaza ground invasion Hamas says Israel will pay a "high price" as tanks seen entering Palestinian territory in major escalation of offensive.

Gregg Carlstrom ALJAZEERA Israeli tanks entered Gaza on Thursday night after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a ground invasion, a major escalation in a ten-day offensive that has already killed more than 230 Palestinians. Witnesses in Gaza reported heavy bombing from jets, warships and artillery stationed along the border, with […]

Israel-Gaza conflict: Medical charity likens work to ‘patching up torture victims in an open-air prison’ Comments by senior Médecins Sans Frontières official expose ethical dilemma of humanitarian work in conflict zones

by Robert Fisk, The Independent In an unprecedented criticism of the Israeli siege of Gaza, a senior official in the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) humanitarian charity has described his organisation’s work among the 1.8 million besieged Palestinian refugees as akin to being “in an open-air prison to patch up prisoners […]

Inexcusable neglect

Source: ET However, it is not the job of the military to make these calculations. It is the job of the civilian leadership in a democracy to take ownership and frame a holistic policy within which the military plans and operates military strategy and tactics. Unfortunately for Pakistan, Prime Minister […]

Cease-fire is no solution

The Daily Star Lebanon Since the full headlines usually added that, in stark contrast, Israel had accepted the Egypt-brokered initiative, why is Hamas seemingly acting stubborn in the face of overwhelmingly superior military firepower, and amid horrific destruction in terms of lives and livelihoods in the Gaza Strip? In effect, […]