AS IT HAPPENED: Pope Francis meets Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani
Pope Francis in Iraq Shiite cleric, Ali Al-Sistani, met the Pope at his home in Najaf, the seat of the Iraqi Shiite clergy, on the second day of the pontiff’s […]
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.
Pope, top Shiite cleric plead for ‘peace’ in historic Iraq encounter
By AFP – Mar 06,2021 – JORDAN TIMES Pope Francis (right) is greeted by children upon his arrival at Baghdad’s Saint Joseph Cathedral on the second day of the first […]
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD . A Vision of Greener Pastures
4th March 2021 Eaman Almasri, Canada The loss of your foundations is one of the most difficult experiences in the world. Losing everything familiar to you really is a sort […]
10 key findings about the religious lives of U.S. teens and their parents
BY JEFF DIAMANT AND ELIZABETH PODREBARAC SCIUPAC A family inside the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Parents have a lot of influence […]
Opinion| Terrorism and double standards
Indeed, what the terrorist organisation ISIS has done against humanity, including crimes, murder, and bombing, without discrimination, proves that these people do not belong to Islam. By Kadry El Haggar, […]
Opinion| Religious wars in the Middle East
This follows on from the phenomenon of exploiting religion in the service of political goals, which has begun to spread again, but this time in the Middle East. Marwa El- […]
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to Human Rights Council: Islamophobia is a Result of Structural Discrimination Stemming from Negative Stereotypes
Source UN HRC Posted 4 Mar 2021 The Human Rights Council this morning started an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on his report on countering Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred to eliminate discrimination and intolerance based on religion or belief. The Council also concluded […]
Pope Francis arrives in Iraq’s Najaf to meet top Shia cleric Sistani
Pope Francis began a historic meeting with Iraq’s top Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani on Saturday, in a powerful appeal for coexistence in a land torn by sectarianism and violence. Francis’s […]
Syrian civil war cost more than $1.2 trillion: Aid group
BY ANADOLU AGENCY ANKARA SYRIAN CRISIS MAR 05, 2021 Syrians walk along a severely damaged road in the northeastern city of Deir el-Zour, Jan. 4, 2014. (AFP) In addition to […]
Desert Storm: 30 years on
The end of the Gulf War on Feb. 28, 1991 saw the eviction of Iraq from Kuwait but paved the way for decades of conflict An Arab News Deep Dive […]
Pope Francis delivers impassioned plea for peace as historic Iraq visit gets underway
Pontiff remembers Christians massacred in 2010 church attackHe hailed Iraq as a “cradle of civilization,” despite its many problems BY FRANCESCO BONGARRÀ for Arab NewsMarch 05, 2021 ROME/BAGHDAD: Pope Francis […]
Britain does not merely supply the bombs that fall on Yemen – it provides the personnel and expertise that keep the war going. But is the government breaking the law?
by Arron Merat Tue 18 Jun 2019 (YES, AN OLD ARTICLE, BUT STILL VALID UNFORTUNATELY) For more than four years, a brutal Saudi air campaign has bombarded Yemen, killing tens […]
ICC prosecutor to probe war crimes in Palestinian Territories, angering Israel
By Stephanie van den Berg and Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) – The International Criminal Court prosecutor said on Wednesday her office will formally investigate war crimes in the Palestinian […]
Explained | What Does the ICC War Crimes Probe Mean for Israeli Officials?
What’s the timetable look like? What happens if Israel doesn’t cooperate? Here’s what Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s decision to look into the behavior of Israel and Hamas means, and what […]
Pope Francis’s trip to Iraq is dangerous, says Benedict XVI
Francis set to become the first Pope to visit Iraq on Friday Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, left, said a trip to Iraq was dangerous and he would be with Pope Francis in prayer. AP Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq is dangerous, Benedict XVI said on Monday. Pope Francis is set […]
Muslims accept funeral ban
BY ARTHUR HALL Editor-at-large halla@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, March 02, 2021 http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20210302/ARTICLE/303029952/AR/0/AR-303029952.jpg&maxh=332&maxw=504 MEMBERS of at least one Muslim community in Jamaica are prepared to observe the Government’s two-week ban on burials, even though this goes against a key tenet of their faith. Tariq Azeem, missionary for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Jamaica, […]
An ancient monastery in Iraq is a symbol of Christian survival
A view of Rabban Hormizd Monastery is seen in Alqosh Wed, March 3, 2021 By John Davison ALQOSH, Iraq (Reuters) – Nestled in a steep rocky hillside among the remote […]
MBS Is Failing the People of Saudi Arabia; It’s Time for Him to Go
February 26, 2021 Sarah Leah Whitson and Abdullah Alaoudh Sarah Leah Whitson is the Executive Director, and Abdullah Alaoudh is the Gulf Research Director of Democracy for the Arab World […]
‘Racism is a real problem:’ Growing number of attacks against Black Muslim women
People board and leave at the Century Park light-rail transit station in Edmonton on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. CANADA By Fakiha BaigThe Canadian Press Tue., March 2, 2021 EDMONTON – […]
An Impossible Request in Paraguay
Review of Religions 26th February 2021 By Abdun Nur Ghalib Baten, Imam, Paraguay I was the first Missionary for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community posted for a long-term stay in Paraguay. […]