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.
The Muslim Times Editor for Pakistan By Web Desk / Ema Anis Published: February 11, 2013 ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court asked Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Tahirul Qadri to explain the legitimacy of his petition which called for the reconstitution of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), reported Express Newson […]
Sydney. Papua New Guinean opposition leader Belden Namah has launched legal proceedings against an Australian detention center for asylum seekers in Manus province of this South Pacific island nation. Namah argues that the detention centre is illegal and the conditions there are inhumane. The move adds further weight to international […]
Iran and Pakistan have started several days of crucial talks to finalize a contract for the construction of a billion-dollar gas pipeline project between the two countries. The talks, which […]
Pope Benedict XVI to step aside on Feb. 28, Vatican says http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39788177?launch=50768156&csid=NBC_World_Blog&PG=MSVNA3&BTS=MSVNMB&height=429&width=600The pope announces he will step down on February 28 because of his failing health. TODAY’s Matt Lauer speaks with NBC’s Claudio Lavanga in Rome, who says the resignation “came as a shock,” and George Weigel, NBC […]
From The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/11/pope-resigns-live-reaction Kate Hodal reports from the Philippines, the largest Catholic country in Asia, with roughly 76 million predominantly Roman Catholic followers (others are Aglipayan Catholics): The church is a huge but increasingly divisive force in the nation, a place where some 7 million Roman Catholics came out […]
Monday, February 11, 2013, 8:08 AM Matthew Schmitz | @matthewschmitz Transcribed from George Weigel’s interview on NBC News this morning: It’s a surprise, obviously. This hasn’t happened since 1296, which is 717 years ago . . . The pope then was Pope Celestine V. He was 85 years old, too, […]
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Recent reconciliation meetings in Cairo between Palestinian officials have fallen short of expectations, an official said Sunday. Independent coalition chief Khalil Assaf told Ma’an TV that Palestinian […]
Source: Spiegel. Note: As intimated earlier by Chief Editor now it is confirmed that Pope is stepping down. REUTERS Pope Benedict XVI stated that he is “fully aware of the gravity of this gesture.” In a surprise development, the Vatican confirmed Monday that Pope Benedict XVI will step down later […]
Source: The Local. Cologne’s Archbishop Joachim Meisner has complained of a growing “Catholic-phobia” in Germany in the wake of two negative incidents involving the Church. More:
AMMAN — Syria’s cultural and historical sites are under threat, the country’s top antiquities official warned on Sunday, calling on neighbouring states to step up efforts to curb potential trafficking […]
by Clare O’Dea, swissinfo.ch Renowned French Nazi hunter and historian Serge Klarsfeld has claimed that far fewer Jewish refugees were turned away at Swiss borders than previously thought. Klarsfeld puts […]
AN ARABNEWS Friday 8 February 2013 The moment a man opens his eyes to this world, he encounters a great order surrounding him. If he needs oxygen to survive, the […]
AFP | Feb 10, 2013 | 22:50 JORDAN TIMES OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — The Israeli defence ministry on Sunday confirmed it had given the green light for the construction of 346 new settler housing units in two settlements in the southern West Bank, a statement said. “The defence ministry has approved […]
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah outlined his vision for the spurring comprehensive reforms in his Speech from the Throne on Sunday, which inaugurated the first session of the 17th […]
As Islam Grows, U.S. Imams In Short Supply by JOHN BURNETT Enlarge image Muslims pray during a special Eid ul-Fitr morning prayer at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Aug. 30, 2011, in Los Angeles. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Islam in America is growing exponentially. From 2000 to 2010, the number of […]
A. S.-M. France-Guyane 06.02.2013. Present in French Guyana since 2007, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association has opened a cultural center in Matoury. Imam Ahmad Siddique Sahib is there to “guide the Muslims of Guyana.” A small house half hidden behind blue tarps at the end of a path […]
Source: The Local: Comments by an FDP politician suggesting his party’s dismal approval ratings may be linked to party leader Phillip Rösler’s ethnic Vietnamese background have kick started yet another debate about underlying racism in German society. More:
Source: TOI: ISLAMABAD: The Swiss authorities have refused to reopen long-running graft cases against Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari as he enjoys immunity as head of state, Pakistan’s law ministry said on Sunday. More:
Source: BBC Hindus believe a festival dip at Sangam will cleanse sins The main day of bathing is taking place at India’s Kumbh Mela, with more than 30 million pilgrims expected to take a dip at the confluence of India’s Ganges and Yamuna rivers.This is the most auspicious of six […]
Source: BBC Gen John Allen: “We should be seeking to win this war”The outgoing commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan has said the alliance is on the road to winning the war.Gen John Allen, who handed over to Gen Joseph Dunford on Sunday, said troops had gone “a long way” […]