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.
Abu Bakr — Prophet’s closest companion
AISHA STACEY ARABNEWS.COM Published — Friday 17 January 2014 “If I had taken anyone as my closest friend I would have taken Abu Bakr, but he is my brother and […]
Kaaba Kiswa manufacturer seeks modern technology
JEDDAH: IRFAN MOHAMMED ARABNEWS Published — Sunday 19 January 2014 The historical factory that manufactures the Kiswa, the covering for the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, is exploring the possibility of […]
Sentencing Israel of Genocide
01/18/2014 Dr. Elias Akleh While the so-called international legal bodies such as ICC, UN and Security Council lack the guts to face up to the Zionist global terrorism, the Kuala […]
Egypt’s constitution support religious freedom, expert says
DW: The Egyptian constitution was approved by in a referendum. It is a revised version of what deposed President Mohammed Morsi signed a year ago after a similar referendum.What has changed regarding the relationship between the state and religion? Jörn Thielmann: Some things are the same. Islam is still the […]
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says black magic haunts him & family
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Sat, January 18 2014, 1:04 PM In his new book, published Friday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono admits that he and […]
Syria’s camps as seen by a Swiss humanitarian
January 18, 2014 Oscar Assadullah Mukhtar Bergamin has been helping refugees facing starvation in different camps in northern Syria since July 2013, when he founded his association Ash-Sham Care in Zurich. For the past few months, Syrians in besieged areas have been dying of hunger, thirst, sickness and more recently […]
Saudi husbands now taking out ‘marital’ loans
JUBAIL: SULTAN AL-SUGHAIR ARABNEWS It was unthinkable a mere 15 years ago, but Saudi husbands are now increasingly relying on their wives to provide financial support for life’s necessities. It […]
Looted Iraqi museum hopes to reopen, minus many relics
Story Summary By Alexander Dziadosz A decade on from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and whipped up a tsunami of theft in Baghdad, Iraq’s National Museum is preparing to display its treasures of Mesopotamian culture – even if thousands are missing. The looting of the museum under […]
Exclusive – Russia steps up military lifeline to Syria’s Assad: sources
By Jonathan Saul LONDON (Reuters) – In recent weeks Russia has stepped up supplies of military gear to Syria, including armoured vehicles, drones and guided bombs, boosting President Bashar al-Assad just as rebel infighting has weakened the insurgency against him, sources with knowledge of the deliveries say. Moscow, which is […]
How the Swiss government keeps its secrets secret
October 26, 2013 SWISSINFO.CH As the row over spying by the US National Security Agency (NSA) deepens – it was reported this week that the NSA monitored calls of 35 world leaders – concerns are being raised about politicians’ communications. The latest revelations that the US National Security Agency swept […]
Sacred music festival opens with impressive show
AMMAN — The festival of sacred music, Animae Musica, organised by the Institut Français opened on Wednesday with an outstanding performance at the Royal Cultural Centre in Amman. by Jean-Claude […]
Bitter irony of assistance
STORY SUMMARY Pledges of monetary support to alleviate the horrific humanitarian situation in and around Syria were made once again in Kuwait Wednesday, with the international community able to boast of a new figure of $2.4 billion. Some might suggest that a parallel conference is needed, namely one that figures […]
Syria builds dollar reserves, thanks partly to Assad’s foes
STORY SUMMARY January 17, 2014 12:22 AM By Suleiman al-Khalidi (The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb) Syria’s central bank has bought hundreds of millions of dollars from the […]
Abdallah tells Netanyahu to make peace with Palestinians
AMMAN: Jordan’s king called on visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to seize the moment and opportunity made possible under a US diplomatic push to achieve a lasting and comprehensive settlement with the Palestinians, the Royal Palace said. The appeal came during a surprise visit by Netanyahu, who […]
Protection of environment is the duty of every Muslim
God has created everything in this universe in due proportion and measure both quantitatively and qualitatively. God has declared in the Qur’an: “Verily, all things have We created by measure” […]
Pakistan ex-ruler Pervez Musharraf advised to move to US hospital
Development is the latest twist in trial of former Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf By Mohsin Ali, Correspondent GULF NEWS Islamabad: A special court handling the treason trial of Pakistan’s […]
Yes, Richard Dawkins, a Muslim baby is a Muslim baby. Because that’s just how it works
By Tim Stanley Religion THE TELEGRAPH A few days ago, Richard Dawkins wrote to the Times to complain that they had referred to “Muslim babies”. Because, in his view, a […]
Plight of cancer-hit Bangladeshi ends
JEDDAH: IRFAN MOHAMMED ARABNEWS Published — Wednesday 15 January 2014 The plight of a Bangladeshi farm laborer who is suffering from cancer and who has not been paid in two years finally came to an end following intervention by the Qassim governorate. Rubi Hussain, who has been working for his […]
Gulf between rich and poor ‘is biggest global risk’
WEF: Economic, societal and environmental risks dominate list of global risks LONDON: The growing gulf between the rich and the poor represents the biggest global risk this year, the World Economic Forum has declared ahead of this month’s Davos summit. The institution issued the gloomy warning in its annual Global […]