Grand Mosque columns, calligraphy to be inventoried
MAKKAH: TARIQ ATH THAQAFI ARABNEWS Monday 1 April 2013 A committee has been formed to list the columns and calligraphy of the Makkah Grand Mosque prior to their delivery to […]
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.
Jordan, Palestine sign ‘historic’ agreement to protect Al Aqsa
AMMAN — Jordan and Palestine on Sunday signed an agreement under which the Palestinian side “reaffirmed” the status of His Majesty King Abdullah as the custodian of the holy sites […]
Floods: 3 New Deaths in Port-Louis
The bill of flooding increases. Two human bodies were left in the afternoon building Harbour View, Port-Louis and another was found in the street La Chaussée late afternoon. This brings to 11 the number of people who perished in the floods Saturday, March 30. Two missing persons were found on […]
Floods: Mourning and Public Holiday on Monday, April 1
Maurice observe April 1 bereavement national holiday and that day will be. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, at a press conference about the tragic floods that have shocked the population. “We decided to enact this holiday to observe a day of national mourning,” Navin Ramgoolam announced […]
Heavy Rains: Eighth Death in the Floods in Port Louis
It is the sixth drowned pedestrian tunnel leading to the Port Louis Waterfront. One woman died of a arrêt cardiaque, Great River and a man fell into the stream of Thumb. The record flooding in the capital burdened with an eighth victim found in the late evening on Saturday 30 […]
The Pyramid Crime
Source: CNN Author: Frances Cha Was it the ultimate adventure or an audacious act of disrespect that should be punished by law? An Internet sensation was touched off this week by Russian photographer Vadim Makhorov and a group of his friends — the group ignored regulations prohibiting the public from […]
Pope Francis delivers Easter plea for peace
Pope Francis has delivered a passionate plea for peace in his first Easter Sunday message since being elected. Francis used his “Urbi et Orbi” address to call for peace in […]
OPINION: CAPITAL IDEAS: A Simple Way to Send Poor Kids to Top Colleges
By DAVID LEONHARDT Published: March 31, 2013 WASHINGTON THE packages arrived by mail in October of the students’ senior year of high school. They consisted of brightly colored accordion folders containing about 75 sheets of paper. The sheets were filed with information about colleges: their admissions standards, graduation rates and […]
Former archbishop Lord Carey attacks David Cameron for ‘aggressive secularism’ in the Government’s approach to same-sex marriage
by Lewis Smith, The Independent A former Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the Prime Minister of doing more than any other recent political leader to make Christians feel a “persecuted […]
Innovation success: Switzerland tops European innovation list
Mar 30, 2013 – 10:44 Switzerland is the most innovative country in Europe, comfortably ahead of second-placed Sweden, according to an annual study by the European Union. The Innovation Union […]
Israel lacks intent for peace
Arab News Monday 1 April 2013 US President Barack Obama last week visited Palestine, Jordan and Israel and brought once more the issue of just settlement for the Palestinian people to the front. Obama emphasized the need for new dialogues to be commenced. In my opinion it is a wonderful […]
OIC to raise issue of violence in Myanmar
Jeddah: Ibrahim Naffee Sunday 31 March 2013 The head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation announced yesterday that ministers from OIC states will meet on April 14 in Saudi Arabia to discuss violence against Muslims in Myanmar. Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said the organization was “ready to take all necessary measures […]
Newly found Sudan pyramids show ‘democratisation’
AFP JORDAN TIMES KHARTOUM — People power may have come to modern-day Egypt and not Sudan, but the unearthing of ancient pyramids in Egypt’s southern neighbour shows that greater social […]
Syrian refugees make their voices heard, tell their stories through initiative
by Muath Freij JORDAN TIMES AMMAN — When Syrian refugee Hamidah Al Harsha arrived in Jordan six months ago, she was anxious to get the weight of the ordeal she […]
A 40-Year Quest for Justice
courtesy; nytimes By SHAHIDUL ALA DHAKA, Bangladesh FOR the past month, tens of thousands of Bangladeshis have filled Shahbagh Square here, demanding justice for crimes committed in 1971, when Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) attained its independence from Pakistan. Ordinary people — grandparents, people in wheelchairs, men with beards, women in hijab, […]
Palestinians mark Land Day with protests
Israeli troops fire tear gas in West Bank to disperse participants in event commemorating deaths of protesters in 1976. Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli soldiers as they demonstrated in the occupied West Bank before the 37th anniversary of Land Day. Palestinian Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and […]
Catholicism and economics: “The poor pope”
Source: The Economist: PITY the pontiff. Not only does he face the urgent task of sorting out sordid power struggles in the heart of the Vatican; in the wider world of Catholicism, rival political camps are eagerly looking forward to his first pronouncements on social and economic questions. On the […]
US takes North Korean threat ‘seriously’ as Pyongyang enters ‘state of war’
Source: TOI WASHINGTON/SEOUL: The White House said on Saturday that it takes North Korea’s latest saber-rattling threats seriously while cautioning that Pyongyang has a long history of bellicose rhetoric. North Korea’s latest bout of angry rhetoric included a vow that it is entering a “state of war” with South Korea […]
Pope’s foot-wash a final straw for traditionalists
Source: TOI VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has won over many hearts and minds with his simple style and focus on serving the world’s poorest, but he has devastated traditionalist Catholics who adored his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for restoring much of the traditional pomp to the papacy. Francis’ decision to disregard […]
MUSLIM LEADER INAUGURATES SECOND MOSQUE OF AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMAAT IN SPAIN
Source: Mr Abid Khan London The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and Fifth Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, yesterday inaugurated the Baitur Rahman Mosque in Valencia. It is the second Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque to be built in Spain, following on from the historical Basharat Mosque in Pedro […]