Why Putin Can’t Solve Syria
MOSCOW – After marathon meetings with Secretary of State John Kerry here this week, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, hinted that Moscow might finally pressure President Bashir al-Assad of […]
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.
In the land of Cain & Abel – An ancient Sunni / Shiah divide shaping a modern Middle East
Biblical tradition holds that northern Iraq is the land of Cain and Abel. Across post-war Iraq, the ancient parable of fratricide seems to be playing out in a contemporary context: Muslim brothers killing Muslim brothers in spates of violence between the Sunni and Shia sects rippling out in waves across […]
Women’s prayer service at Israel’s Western Wall marred by protests, arrests (PHOTOS)
Police kept more than 2,000 protesting ultra-Orthodox men away from a women’s service at the Western Wall. JERUSALEM — A women’s prayer service at Israel’s holy Western Wall Friday was […]
Old rules in New Pakistan
Since Imran Khan revealed his feelings about a minority Muslim group in Pakistan, some young voters’ opinions of him have soured. KARACHI, Pakistan — For the last two years, former cricketing superstar Imran Khan has been trumpeting talk of change to Pakistan’s public. Standing in front of beloved national monuments […]
US to returns more smuggled dinosaurs to Mongolia
The US is to return more than a dozen illegally smuggled dinosaur skeletons to Mongolia. The announcement follows the handing over to Mongolian officials on Monday of a 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus […]
Elections 2013: Live updates
Source:ET Recent Update JI announces election boycott in Karachi, Hyderabad 01:52:PM Two people die in a fight at Karachi polling station 01:46:PM Karachi rigging: Bogus votes and abduction in Malir Cantt 01:40:PM ANP workers took away ballot boxes from PS-96 Karachi: Polling officer More:
Benghazi e-mails show clash between State Department, CIA
Source: Washington Post. By Scott Wilson and Karen DeYoung,Saturday, May 11, 2:50 AM New details from administration e-mails about last year’s attacks on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, demonstrate that an intense bureaucratic clash took place between the State Department and the CIA over which agency would get to tell the […]
Wait till you see the idiots I put there.”
Source: The Conservative Papers. God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael, the archangel, found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired, “Where have you been?”God smiled deeply and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, “Look, Michael. Look what I’ve made.”Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, “What is it?” […]
Pakistan Elections May Go to the Terrorists
Source: The Conservative Papers. As one waits for a clearer indicator of the likely outcome of the polls, one has to be worried over the possibility of rogue elephant terrorist organisations such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Sunni extremist Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ) causing major disruptions in the elections, particularly […]
Switzerland: COURT DECISION: Muslim Teens not exempt from Swimming lessons
May 10, 2013 – 21:25 Integration of foreigners is more important than their religious beliefs, Switzerland’s highest court ruled on Friday. The court denied a 14-year-old girl from a strict […]
Declan Walsh, New York Times Reporter In Pakistan, Expelled From Country Before Elections
NEW YORK — Pakistan is expelling The New York Times’ Islamabad bureau chief on the eve of national elections, accusing him of unspecified “undesirable activities,” the newspaper said Friday. Declan […]
Day of decision
Source:ET Election on May 11 is a truly historic one, marking the first constitutional transition of power from one democratically-elected government to another. DESIGN: EMA ANIS What happens today will decide our immediate future, hopefully for the next five years. Intense games of number crunching are, of course, on everywhere; […]
Baghdad denies refuge to PKK fighters
Iraq has denied refuge to Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters, a key element of an accord to bring an end to years of deadly conflicts between Ankara and the […]
Pakistani minorities leery of democracy – Violence by Islamic radicals on rise since 2008 elections
LAHORE, PAKISTAN – In majority Muslim Pakistan, religious minorities say democracy is killing them. Intolerance has been on the rise for the past five years under Pakistan’s democratically elected government because of the growing violence of Islamic radicals, who are then courted by political parties, say many in the country’s […]
Infographic: 19 Emotions For Which English Has No Words
courtesy: Fastcodesign.com Infographic: 19 Emotions For Which English Has No Words Infographic of the Day Love and sadness are far more nuanced than the English language permits. We’ve all heard that the Inuit people have countless words for snow. That’s a bit of a misnomer, but the sentiment is powerful […]
King No More
Source:Spiegel REUTERS Lions are becoming a threatened species. Trophy hunters and the loss of savannah grasslands have drastically reduced the number of prides. Scientists and conservationists are calling for improved protections for lions — even if that means fenced-in enclosures. More:
Cops stop speeding car with dog at wheel
Source:The Local. German traffic police who pulled over a speeding car with a dog at the wheel were relieved to find the pooch was actually sitting on his owner’s lap. More:
Merkel in surprise visit to Afghanistan
Source:The Local Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere have arrived in Afghanistan for a surprise visit, a German government spokesman said early Friday. More:
Ahmadis stand third with over 115 thousand registered voters?
Source:ET “Christians, the second largest non-Muslim community in the country – Hindus being the largest – has over 1.2 million voters. Ahmadis stand third with over 115 thousand registered voters followed by the Sikh community with more than five thousand,” he said.Mr. Malik listed Umerkot, Tharparkar and Mirpurkhas, all three […]
Survivor rescued from rubble 16 days after Bangladesh factory collapse
By Ian Johnston and Sohel Uddin, NBC News A survivor was pulled alive from the ruins of an eight-story factory in Bangladesh on Friday, more than 16 days after it […]