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.
by Clare O’Dea, swissinfo.ch Some of the most vulnerable members of society, frail and dependent old people, suffer physical and emotional abuse in their own homes – and the problem is growing. As life expectancy continues to rise, so do the numbers of people needing daily care and at risk […]
By WALAA HAWARI | ARAB NEWS RIYADH: Saudi detainees at Guantanamo Bay have expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Saudi Red Crescent (SRC) to connect them with their families. In a letter of appreciation to the Saudi Red Crescent Association in the Kingdom, detainee Ahmad Al-Darbi said his fellow […]
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA & MD RASOOLDEEN | ARAB NEWS MAKKAH/RIYADH: The Grand Mosque in Makkah is filled to the brim with worshippers these days as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have come from all over the world to perform Umrah and attend taraweeh and qiyamullail prayers, seeking the blessings of Lailat Al-Qadr (night of power). The Civil […]
By LISA KAAKI, LISA.KAAKI@ARABNEWS.COM During the 19th century, many women, particularly Englishwomen, were fascinated by the Arab world. Most of these female travelers, like Lucie Duff Gordon, Lady Ann Blunt, Gertrude Bell, Isabelle Eberhardt and Freya Stark, to name but a few, are known to us through their impassioned travelogues. […]
By ABDULLAH AL-MOALLAMI | AL-MADINAH I am the woman … listen to me. Listen to the purr of my engine … it is starting. I am a woman fighting for the right, and I let the flag of the truth flutter high. I’m the woman … I know that you […]
By Major Retd Zubair Khalil Khan A burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions to cover their bodies in public places. The burqa is usually understood to be woman’s loose body-covering. In Pakistan, the use of the burqa has greatly declined, however, burqa use, to some extent, […]
It may be a bit of a stretch to say that the militants who have declared war on Pakistan have anything resembling a coherent ideology but the release of an audio recording gives a glimpse into their savage world view. The conversation is apparently between a militant and a religious scholar […]
by Mohamed Cherif, swissinfo.ch Libyan Human Rights Solidarity, which is based in Geneva, is working in conflict-torn Libya to promote human rights and rebuild institutions. The non-governmental organisation’s secretary general, Khaled Saleh, spoke to swissinfo.ch shortly after his return from the rebel-held eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, where he also […]
By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: The importance of organized distribution of Zakat to fight poverty in Muslim societies and the need to strengthen spirituality and supporting charitable activities were the main messages of iftar parties held by Indian cultural organizations in Jeddah. Zakat, the compulsory alms to […]
By WALAA HAWARI | ARAB NEWS RIYADH: Statistics show that the number of people performing Umrah during the Ramadan season has reached 4 million during the first half of the holy month. They also show estimates of pilgrims spending more than SR4 billion on gifts and souvenirs. According to the […]
Source: The Jordan Times AMMAN (Petra) – Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Saturday reiterated that joining the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a win-win situation, noting that the first meeting regarding Jordan’s membership in the GCC will be held between September 10 and 15. In a seminar held by the […]
By Crispian Balmer, Reuters, Jordan Times OCCUPIED JERUSALEM – Israel was expecting a diplomatic tsunami to strike in September, but the problems have come sooner than expected, leaving it ever more isolated in the Middle East. Egypt’s decision on Saturday to recall its envoy from Israel will remove the last […]
Source: Qantara Lewis Gropp reviews a documentary that shines the spotlight on two 12th century philosophers – one Muslim, one Jewish – whose messages of positive coexistence resonate very strongly even today, refuting the “Clash of Civilizations” theory Out of Córdoba is a documentary film about the greatest but least known […]
Source: Qantara The epochal transformations in the Arab world offer a historic opportunity for Muslims and Christians in these countries – and especially in Egypt – to establish a new, constitutional foundation for their relations. A commentary by Loay Mudhoon Observers worldwide followed events with a great deal of sympathy […]
Source: The Local Facebook’s ubiquitous ‘like’ button found on countless websites accessible in Germany was declared in violation of the country’s strict privacy laws by a state data protection official on Friday. Thilo Weichert, who works for the data protection centre of the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, said the […]
Churches and Mosques in Amman In Amman, Jordan, Churches and Mosques have co-existed together since history. As everything was and is so peaceful it was not ‘News-worthy’… But let us here in The Muslim Times report what others do not consider…
By AMY TEIBEL | AP CAIRO: Egypt said Saturday it would recall its ambassador from Israel to protest the deaths of at least three Egyptian troops killed in a shootout between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants who had launched a deadly attack on Israel from Egyptian soil. The decision sharply […]
France24. By Tony Todd (text) A French businessman has set up a fund to pay fines for women who wear Islamic veils or the burqa in public “in whatever country in the world that bans women from doing so”. Rachid Nekkaz, 38, a real-estate businessman based in Paris, travelled to Belgium on Wednesday to pay […]
Source: Blog.Dawn.com Well, he isn’t the only one. There’s a whole nation that suffers the trauma minus that humble self-abnegation of Bulleh Shah, and Shah Husain before him, two inimitable poets rooted in this soil. Neither would have anything to do with established views or practices; both defied convention. In […]
By KT ABDURABB | ARAB NEWS The 1,800-sqm complex was constructed on land donated by Sharjah ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi. Located in the Yarmouk area, the complex is the biggest church beyond the border of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). “The St. Philip Apostle Orthodox Church reflects the religious harmony of […]