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.
Source: The Economist: THE election of Pope Francis on March 13th was surprising for several reasons. He is the first pope from South America, making him the first non-European since the 8th century. He is also the only pope to take the name Francis—evoking the humility of St Francis of […]
Source: The Local Bavarian pensioners left perplexed by the theft of young hydrangea plants have been told by police that young people are raiding gardens to smoke the flowering plant for its rumoured marijuana-like high. More:
Source: Indian Punchline: Last week petroleum minister Veerappa Moily denied the western media reports that India is terminating its oil imports from Iran. The manner in which Moily articulated the denial caught the mind’s eye. He said, “These are strategic calls to be taken and we will not cut down […]
Source: Asia Times: By Ramzy Baroud “Confused” may be an appropriate term to describe Turkey’s current foreign policy in the Middle East and in Israel in particular. The source of that confusion – aside from the appalling violence in Syria and earlier in Libya – is Turkey’s own mistakes. The […]
April 3, 2013 – 20:11 A mystery which has been puzzling space scientists for more than 80 years may be on the verge of an explanation, thanks to the $2 […]
AFP | Apr 03, 2013 | JORDAN TIMES LONDON — As many as 600 Europeans have joined the rebels fighting government forces in Syria, according to a British study. Jihadists from 14 European countries including France, Germany, Britain and the Netherlands are among those to enter the conflict, according to […]
KHAR, Pakistan: A Pakistani housewife, who cannot read or write despite being married to a headteacher, has made history by becoming the first woman approved to run for election in […]
ARABNEWS More than 900 contestants participated in the annual camel race at the start of the National Heritage and Culture Festival in Janadriyah near Riyadh yesterday. The festival’s official opening […]
JEDDAH: Fouzia Khan arabnews Thursday 4 April 2013 The Ministry of Labor’s surprise checks of shops, institutions and businesses have wreaked havoc on the lives of many expatriates. Expat workers told Arab News of the closures of their employers’ grocery shops, beauty parlors, salons, cafeterias, electric and plumbing stores and […]
Source: New Haven Register, Connecticut. By Dr Sohail Husain As a child, I looked forward to March and April. Because that’s when our local pharmacy would sell Cadbury Creme Eggs. Being a Muslim, I had no idea at the time that the eggs were a symbol of Easter or even […]
France 24: France’s former budget minister Jérôme Cahuzac admitted on Tuesday that he had held a secret bank account abroad – a fact that he has strenuously denied until now. His admission comes two weeks after he resigned from the Socialist government over allegations that he had siphoned funds into a UBS […]
Source:Pakistan Today.Com via Nasim Malik of Sweden LAHORE – In a renewed attack on minorities, a violent Muslim mob attacked a Christian locality in Gujranwala on Wednesday, damaging shops, houses and vehicles belonging to the local Christians following a clash between the youths of the two communities last night, Pakistan Today has […]
RICHMOND, Va. — Federal Reserveofficials regularly air their views in public speeches, but they rarely engage in public debates. On Tuesday night, two of the officials who disagree most sharply about the Fed’s current policy did just that. The exchange between Charles L. Evans, an outspoken advocate for the Fed’s […]
Source: Spiegel: The experience of dying at a slaughterhouse is “an enormous ordeal” for cattle. A farm in northern Germany is proposing an alternative: shooting the livestock in the places they live. Many believe the method provides a stress-free death for the animals. More:
Source. The Local New Education Minister Johanna Wanka said on broadcaster ZDF’s Morgenmagazin show on Wednesday that the numbers so far were “very positive” and more should be done to inform people about the change. There are around 300,000 people with overseas qualifications living in Germany, but Wanka said that […]
Source: TOI The 86-year-old Queen received 31 million pounds last year, but that will be increased to 36.1 million pounds in 2013-2014 financial year. LONDON: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has been given a hefty pay hike of 5 million pounds for the current financial year to carry out her official […]
Source: Asia Times: By Dilip Hiro Washington has vociferously denounced Afghan corruption as a major obstacle to the United States’ mission in Afghanistan. This has been widely reported. Only one crucial element is missing from this routine censure: a credible explanation of why American nation-building failed there. No wonder. To […]
Source: Asia Times: By Syed Fazl-e-Haider KARACHI – The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has called off an April 4 rally that was intended to kick-start its election campaign after the Pakistani Taliban threatened to attack its public meetings. The PPP had scheduled the rally for April 4, the anniversary of […]
Source: Jerusalem Post.com By ANAND KUMAR (The writer is associate fellow in the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi.) n the ongoing war crime trials in Bangladesh 10 top leaders of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and two leaders of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are being […]
Source: Asia Times: By Matthew J Walton Recent violence in Myanmar between Buddhists and Muslims in the central town of Meikhtila (also spelt Meiktila) and areas beyond, which has left a reported 43 people dead, as many as 12,000 displaced, and more than 1,000 homes and building destroyed, has raised […]