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.
Arab League chief urges UN action over Al Aqsa
by Taylor Luck | May 25, 2013 | JORDAN TIMES DEAD SEA — Arab League Secretary General Nabil El Araby called on the UN on Saturday to take urgent steps […]
Syria peace summit prospects ‘dim’— diplomats
by Taylor Luck, JORDAN TIMES DEAD SEA — The prospects of launching peace talks between Syrian regime and opposition forces remain “dim”, leading diplomats said on Saturday, calling for UN […]
Seeking Allah In The Midlands
Of The Thousands Of White Britons Embracing Islam Every Year, Most Are Thought To Be Professionally Successful, Independent-Minded Women, Says A Study Islam appears to hold a strange fascination for […]
Burmese Muslims given two-child limit – Rakhine state officials say limit on children will help ease tensions with Buddhists, whose population is growing at slower rate
Muslims in a province of Burma have been ordered not to have more than two children in an attempt by the government to stop Buddhist attacks on Muslims. State officials said the two-child limit in the state of Rakhine would ease tensions between Buddhists and their Muslim Rohingya neighbours. Local […]
States’ Policies on Health Care Exclude Some of the Poorest
WASHINGTON — The refusal by about half the states to expand Medicaid will leave millions of poor people ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance under President Obama’s health care law even as many others with higher incomes receive federal subsidies to buy insurance. Starting next month, the administration and its allies […]
Syria opposition unity talks face collapse
May 25, 2013 – 03:19 By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Syrian opposition talks aimed at presenting a coherent front at an international peace conference to end the civil war faced the prospect of collapse after President Bashar al-Assad’s foes failed to cut an internal deal, opposition sources said […]
Swiss politics: The big bad foreigner in poster art
by Daniele Mariani, swissinfo.ch May 24, 2013 – 11:00 First it was Bolsheviks and Jews. Then it was migrant workers from Southern Europe. Now it’s more exotic newcomers such as […]
EU decision to lift Syrian oil sanctions boosts jihadist groups
Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida affiliate, consolidates position as scramble for control of wells accelerates by Julian Borger and Mona Mahmood THE GUARDIAN The EU decision to lift Syrian oil sanctions […]
Tokyo denies ‘ghosts’ keeping premier out of residence
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE ARABNEWS Saturday 25 May 2013 TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet yesterday formally denied months-long rumors that the premier had not moved into his official residence […]
Q&A: Questions and answers about restrictions proposed on alcohol sales and ads in Turkey
By Associated Press, Published: May 24 ANKARA, Turkey — A look at legislation passed in Turkey’s parliament early Friday that would ban all alcohol advertising and tighten restrictions on the sale of such beverages, and how such a law could affect tourists and liquor companies in the mainly Muslim but […]
Correcting erroneous assertions about Ahmadi Muslims
by Qasim Rashid We read with interest the Trentonian Editorial Board’s article, “U.S.-Approved ‘Muslims’” (May 21). While we appreciate the newspaper’s efforts to highlight some of the repression that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community faces, we must take exception to several of the article’s erroneous and speculative assertions concerning the Community. […]
WHO to help KSA probe coronavirus before Haj
GENEVA: ARAB NEWS Saturday 25 May 2013 The World Health Organization said yesterday it would help Saudi Arabia dig deeper into deadly outbreaks of a new SARS-like virus to draw […]
As Syrian war shuts down trade routes, Turkish business improvises
By Kevin Sullivan, Saturday, May 25, 2013 ISKENDERUN, Turkey — The Nissos Rodos, a 630-foot ferry, used to cruise the Greek islands, moving tourists from one sunny paradise to the next. Business dried up when the Greek economic crisis hit three years ago. But then came the war in Syria, […]
stay at home and breed
Source: The Local A leading German Catholic cardinal says the government should encourage women to stay at home and breed – rather than bring immigrants into the country to solve its demographic problems. More:
Riots rock Sweden’s immigrant suburbs for fourth night (now fifth)
Carolina Jemsby and David Bartal, Special for USA TODAY STORY HIGHLIGHTS Stockholm is one of the world’s richest cities, but it is also very segregated 15% of residents in the […]
Eurozone business still going backwards
Europe’s persistent downturn is showing few signs of abating. The decline in business activity in the 17-nation eurozone slowed in May, but surveys published Thursday suggest the region’s longest recession will extend into another quarter. Financial data provider Markit said its flash reading of eurozone purchasing managers’ sentiment rose to […]
NEW LIVES: Resettling the vulnerable who cannot go home
by Simon Bradley in Lebanon, swissinfo.ch May 22, 2013 – 11:01 Resettlement in the West for the most vulnerable of the more than 1.5 million people who have fled Syria is as good as winning the lottery. For its part, Switzerland has only taken a handful and there are obstacles […]
Fearing Allah the way the Prophet (pboh) feared him
DR. MUHAMMAD SALMA ARABNEWS Friday 24 May 2013 FEARING Allah is a positive trait that once properly settled into the heart changes one’s life considerably to be in conformity with divine injunctions. Therefore, as once said by one of the early pious predecessors, when fearing others, you flee from them, […]
Kerry meets Palestinian, Israeli officials in bid to revive talks (dream on ….)
JORDAN TIMES OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — US Secretary of State John Kerry held separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials on Thursday and acknowledged there was considerable scepticism that the two sides would resume peace negotiations. There were no signs of any breakthrough as Kerry visited Israel for the fourth time […]