Malta could be bridge to Muslim communities across Europe
Source: The Times of Malta There are a number of Muslim communities in Europe which require Islamic products and services – ranging from food and financial products to tourism – […]
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.
Can Muslim doctors examine patients of the other sex?
A recent article in the Journal of Medical Ethics challenged the right of Muslim doctors to refuse to examine patients of the opposite sex. Robert Card reported cases of conscientious […]
Angler Hooks 134-Pound Carp In Thailand, May Crush World Record
Holy carp! A British tourist may have just reeled in a world record. While vacationing in Thailand for his birthday, Keith Williams hooked a 134-pound carp, believed to be the […]
Catholic bishop spends €350,000 on wardrobes
Source: The Local: The lavish lifestyle of a bishop who is spending €31 million on building a new headquarters in west Germany was exposed on Friday, when it emerged he has spent €783,000 on a garden, €25,000 on a table and €15,000 on a bath tub. More:
Judge sends 'King of Germany' to jail
Source: The Local. The self-proclaimed ‘King of Germany’ – who claims to rule a nine-hectare kingdom with 3,500 subjects – has been sent to prison for using a fake driving licence. He was caught using a licence from his fantasy realm – ‘New Germany’. More:
Fed needs 'couple of meetings' before cutting QE3: Evans
(Reuters) – The Federal Reserve will likely defer any decision to trim its massive bond buys until at least December, two top Fed officials suggested on Thursday, although a third Fed policymaker made no bones about her view that she opposes any such delay. A budget battle in Washington that […]
Man Picks Up Restaurant Tab After Overhearing Strangers Getting Diagnosis (PHOTO)
The Huffington Post | By Rachel Tepper A waiter at a Boston-area restaurant witnessed an act of kindness on Tuesday night that’s warmed hearts across the internet. “While waiting tables […]
In the Muslim World, Genius of Christianity
by Joop Koopman Media & communications consultant Maronite Bishop Elias Sleman heads the Eparchy of Latakia in the north of Syria, a region that so far has been spared the violence of the country’s civil war, which may come as a surprise to many in the West who imagine the […]
Bosnian Protesters Blame Baby's Death On Passport Delays
Source: Radio Free Europe via Wasim Sr: SARAJEVO — Protesters in Sarajevo have covered a mock tomb in front of the parliament building with a black blanket to commemorate the death of a baby girl that they blame on red tape. The protesters claim that bureaucratic hurdles prevented the girl […]
Learning to Fight: How Afghanistan Changed the German Military
By Christopher Alessi SPIEGEL.DE In Afghanistan, dangerous combat has helped post-war Germany’s reluctant armed forces gain self-confidence and expertise. But with the public and politicians loath to enter into new […]
Reflections: Life as a Pakistani-German Journalist in Islamabad
By Hasnain Kazim spiegel.de A SPIEGEL journalist of Pakistani-German descent recently left Islamabad after four years of reporting there. In an essay, he describes life between two cultures and the conflicts his background often created for him as a foreign correspondent in Pakistan. When I got the chance to move […]
Lebanon has cause for shame in its treatment of Syrian refugees – They are beaten in the immigration queues and cheated with exorbitant rents
by Robert Fisk, The Independent, UK I stopped to buy walnuts in Sidon last week from a sunburned man sitting on the pavement of the old souk. Like the walnuts – soft, almost creamy inside their iron-hard husks – he came from the Syrian town of Bloudan. In years gone […]
PRUNING THE FAMILY TREE : Unique skull find could rewrite the history books
by Scott Capper, swissinfo.ch October 17, 2013 – 20:00 Swiss and Georgian researchers have suggested that some of the earliest humans living 1.8 million years ago could all belong to […]
New global index exposes 'modern slavery' worldwide
Nearly 30 million people around the world are living as slaves, according to a new index ranking 162 countries. The Global Slavery Index 2013 says India has the highest number of people living in conditions of slavery at 14 million. But Mauritania has the highest proportional figure with about 4% […]
MALAYSIA Sikhs will use Allah as it is in their holy scriptures, says Gurdwara council chief
BY V. ANBALAGAN OCTOBER 16, 2013 Sikhs will continue to use the word Allah in their religious practices as the word appeared numerous times in their holy scriptures, said the […]
TOO MUCH, TOO YOUNG Helping Swiss youngsters avoid the debt trap
by Samuel Jaberg in Moutier, swissinfo.ch October 17, 2013 – 11:00 Seduced by adverts and special offers, Swiss youngsters are increasingly getting caught in debt traps. But the cantons appear to be taking the bull by the horns and targeting the problem with prevention courses in schools. Speaking to a […]
Federal workers back on the job
WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) With the 2013 government shutdown ended, President Obama has ordered all federal workers to get back to work Thursday. But it’s especially tricky getting the word out to all 450,000 employees, who have been home on furlough during the shutdown. Federal law prohibits workers on furlough from accessing […]
A Lie Is a Lie'
Source: Spiegel: SPIEGEL: Mr. President, do you love your country? Assad: That is a simple, evident question. Of course. It’s human to love where you come from. But it is not just a question of the emotional relationship. It is also about what you, as a person, can do for your […]
Ahmadi community
Source: IRIN via Wasim Sr: The Ahmadi community Members of the minority Ahmadi community, which faced the worst attack in its history in 2010 in Lahore when around a 100 were killed, say they live in constant fear. The group considers itself Muslim, but was in 1974 declared non-Muslim under Pakistani law, […]
Cat Steven -Yusuf Islam- will make it to Induction the lifetime achievement- Shane Ryan on Paste
This morning, when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were announced, most of the attention centered on Nirvana and N.W.A. making the list in their first year of eligibility. But toward the bottom, my eye caught a name that threw me for a loop: Cat Stevens. It wasn’t strange […]