Freedom of Thought in Islam
Source: Arabnews: The world we live in contains societies with all kinds of beliefs. Muslims living in such a world must be respectful toward all beliefs they come up against, no […]
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.
Tit-for-tat resolutions: Indo-Pak tensions rise
NEW DELHI: ARAB NEWS Saturday 16 March 2013 .India’s hanging of a Kashmiri man convicted in a terror attack is threatening to damage further relations with Pakistan. New Delhi reacted angrily to a resolution adopted by Pakistan’s National Assembly condemning the execution last month of Mohammed Afzal Guru, who was […]
Dignitaries visit Madinah Islamic University
MADINAH: ARAB NEWS Saturday 16 March 2013 .Scholars, leaders and various dignitaries praised the Kingdom yesterday for honoring Madinah as the Capital of Islamic Culture. The guests of the Madinah […]
Prince Charles accorded a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: Ghazanfar Ali Khan ARABNEWS Saturday 16 March 2013 .Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, hosted a state dinner in honor of Prince Charles and his accompanying […]
2002 Gujarat riots: Real hero Latifa a driving force behind communal harmony
Source: IBNlive Ahmedabad: CNN-IBN Real Hero Latifa Giteli, a housewife from Gujarat, is doing her bit to transform lives post 2002 Godhra riots. The 2002 Godhra carnage transformed Latifa Giteli from a housewife to the driving force behind communal harmony. “After the 2002 carnage, I went to a madarsa to […]
Turkey to pay university expenses of Rohingya Muslim students
Source: World Bulletin World Bulletin / News Desk The Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation (TDV) started a project for the Rohingya Muslim students in order to cover their university expenses. A hundred students are to be supported at two universities, with which agreements have been concluded. TDV Deputy Director General Mustafa […]
National Muslim strategy: We need to change the gear
Source: TwoCircles.net Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood, In the holy Quran (17.70) God says that on each human being He has bestowed equal dignity. Elsewhere (49.13) He reveals that, for the sake of facilitating mutual cognitive and interactive convenience, He has apportioned the humanity into nations and tribes. That way, both […]
The Path to Radicalization: Following a German Salafist to Egypt
Source: Spiegel: It’s still dark in Alexandria, and I can hear the Salafist breathing in the dark. He is tiptoeing across the room.The man approaching my bed picked me up from the airport yesterday. His name is Dennis Rathkamp, and he is a 24-year-old auto mechanic who used to play […]
The PMLN’s attitude towards the Christians and Ahmedis is distinctly blameworthy
Source: The Friday Times: The PMLN’s attitude towards the Christians and Ahmedis is distinctly blameworthy. Worse, its soft, hands-off approach to militant anti-Shia organisations like the SSP and LeJ is condemnable. A bit of fear and some sneaking sympathy for the cause of such groups is all too evident. For […]
In Capitol Hill ” just lock them in a room like Vaticans.”
Source: Washington Post: For details click HERE
Vatican defends Pope Francis against Argentina ‘dirty war’ allegations
Source: Washington Post: ROME — The Vatican vigorously defended Pope Francis on Friday by seeking to discredit accusations that he failed to oppose and may even have collaborated with Argentina’s feared military junta during the so-called “dirty war” against left-wing activists. The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, departed from […]
I.M.F. Says Euro Zone Remains Vulnerable
FRANKFURT — The euro zone remains vulnerable to shocks because of weak banks and incomplete regulatory safeguards, the International Monetary Fund said Friday, in a warning to European leaders not to slacken their efforts to build a more resilient financial system. In its first official assessment of the European Union […]
India moves to downgrade diplomatic ties with Italy
Source: TOI NEW DELHI: India is downgrading its diplomatic ties with Italy and has asked its ambassador-designate to that country Basant Kumar Gupta, who was scheduled to leave for Rome on Friday, not to proceed to take up his posting. The government which is reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral […]
Islamists ‘plotted to kill far-right politician’
Source: The Local: The authorities arrested four members of a radical Salafist group before they could murder Markus Beisicht, the head of the anti-Muslim far-right Pro NRW party. The police apprehended two of the suspects in Leverkusen near Cologne, where they were apparently observing Beisicht. Two others were arrested in […]
Papal mission to build trust in China
Source: Asia Times: By Francesco Sisci BEIJING – The names of popes are policy statements on the governance of the Roman Catholic Church, and it is no coincidence that the new pontiff has chosen to call himself Francis, the name of saint of Assisi in the 12th century, but also […]
Leakes from the Vatican Conclave! Choosing Francis: Behind locked doors
Source: CNN According to veteran Vatican journalist Marco Politi, the initial traction in the papal vote was not for then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. “From the first leaks we understand that there was a strong candidate,” Politi told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Thursday. “The Italian Archbishop of Milan, Scola, who entered […]
Argentina a complex crucible for Pope
Source: CNN (CNN) — Does it matter that the new pope comes from Argentina? It matters greatly, because Argentina shaped the life and the views of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis. Through Francis, Argentina will help shape the church. More than any country in Latin American, Argentina is […]
Muslims in West Africa – a historical review
West Africa SOURCE: BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/7chapter6.shtml TRADE Islam first came to West Africa as a slow and peaceful process, spread by Muslim traders and scholars. The early journeys across the Sahara were done in stages. Goods passed through chains of Muslim traders, purchased, finally, by local non-Muslims at the southern most […]
Qur’an museum in Madinah soon
JEDDAH: P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS STAFF Friday 15 March 2013 The holy city of Madinah will soon have a state-of-the-art Qur’an museum with impressive facilities, said Prince Sultan […]
Bearing afflictions with patience
AISHA STACEY ARABNEWS Friday 15 March 2013 Before talking about how a believer behaves when ill or injured it is important to understand just what Islam teaches us about the […]