Author Archives

Zia H Shah

He is a physician practicing in Upstate New York. He is the Chief Editor of the Muslim Times, which has more than 43,000 followers in Twitter. He is also Chair of Religion and Science for the Muslim Sunrise, the oldest Muslim publication in North America. He has authored more than 400 articles on Islam, Christianity, Secularism and Religion & Science. Follow in Twitter: @The_MuslimTimes

Why not an airport in Makkah?

By ALI AL-JIHLI | AL-WATAN THE city of Makkah is the center of attraction for Muslims from all over the world. Indeed, Makkah is the heart of Islam. Pilgrims arrive from all parts of the globe to visit the Grand Mosque. The most precious human treasures are in Makkah and […]

Lebanon County’s mushrooming suicide rate

Financial burdens. Relationship difficulties. Loneliness. Whatever the reason, the number of suicides occurring in Lebanon County this year has local officials concerned. Thirteen people committed suicide in Lebanon County last year, one more than in 2009. Now, only midway through 2011, 13 people have already taken their lives, according to […]

UN Seeks Women’s Rights With Legal Protection From Violence

July 6 (Bloomberg) — The United Nations is stepping up pressure on governments to overturn laws and end policies that deny women access to legal systems, control of their bodies and protection from violence, said former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, head of a UN agency promoting women’s rights. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/07/06/bloomberg1376-LNVNNI0UQVI901-78DE39VEVVVRVT6JE92U7V7VN8.DTL#ixzz1RMXN9HFC […]

Italian company creates halal mozzarella

The changing fabric of Italian society has given a new twist to one of the country’s signature delicacies, with the advent of halal mozzarella. Once homogeneously Italian and a nation that was famous for exporting immigrants, Italy has in the past   decade seen the arrival of hundreds of thousands of […]

Christine Lagarde, New IMF Director

28 June 2011 – French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has been named as the new managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today. Her five-year appointment begins on July 5th and she is the first woman to lead the multilateral lender to nations. Read more

Welcome to Palestine Campaign Set For Friday

“We strongly stress that we campaign for a just peace and for the freedom and security of both the Palestinian and the Israeli people” Bethlehem – PNN – As nearly 600 international activists from all walks of life gear up for Friday’s “Welcome to Palestine” campaign, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin […]

Flotilla update

Athens – PNN – The ten ships of Freedom Flotilla Two, as a result of diplomatic arm-twisting and sabotage have faced a variety of setbacks as they attempt to break the Israeli siege on Gaza. Currently seven ships are held in Greek Ports, two are sabotaged and not seaworthy and […]

Which way forward?

On the American drone attacks and possible military incursions into Pakistan, like the operation to get bin Laden, I am reminded of an incident narrated to me by a very dear elder, Sayeed Hasan Khan. He recalls it was during the freedom movement around 1946-47 when he ran into a woman […]

US should slap sanctions on ISI officials: Riedel

WASHINGTON: Stating that there are growing evidences that some elements of the ISI helped Osama bin Laden in hiding safely inside Pakistan, a former top CIA official has asked the US to slap sanctions against spy agency’s those officials who are aiding and abetting terrorists. “We should tell the Pakistani […]

Pakistan’s Spies Tied to Slaying of a Journalist

Anjum Naveed/Associated Press A vigil in Islamabad in June for Saleem Shahzad, who wrote scathing reports about the infiltration of militants in the army. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Obama administration officials believe that Pakistan’s powerful spy agency ordered the killing of a Pakistani journalist who had written scathing reports about the […]

Shahzad’s killing echoes in Washington

In 1979, Nicaraguan soldiers stopped an American correspondent covering the deteriorating situation and summarily executed him. The American public was appalled, support for Anastasio Somoza flagged badly after that, and his regime soon collapsed. Similar dynamics may be underway in Pakistan. The murder in May of Asia Times Online’s Pakistani […]