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

Pakistani Military Backs Militants, Fighter Says

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani military continues to nurture a broad range of militant groups as part of a three-decade strategy of using proxies against its neighbors and American forces in Afghanistan, but now some of the fighters it trained are questioning that strategy, a prominent former militant commander says. […]

Lebanon tribunal brings strife, not answers

The indictment reportedly accusing Hezbollah members of killing a former prime minister will fuel unrest, not justice. Hicham Safieddine. The indictment delivered by the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to Lebanon’s state prosecutor Saeed Merza marks the latest twist in a widely publicised and highly controversial operation of international […]

Blast hits Egyptian gas pipeline

Unknown attackers blow up Sinai pipeline that supplies gas to Jordan and Israel. A pipeline carrying gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan has been hit by an explosion in the Sinai peninsula. The explosion on Monday sent flames into the sky, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. […]

Indonesia’s religious freedom must be for all: Religious Freedom in Indonesia: The Case of the Ahmadiyya

In ‘Indonesia’s Religious Freedom Must Be For All,’ Bernhard Platzdasch of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore, writes that a clampdown on the Islamic Ahmadiyah sect brings into focus the larger context of religious freedom and tolerance in today’s Indonesia. Indonesia has since independence proclaimed itself a religiously […]

King Abdullah receives King Abdullah

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah receives Jordan’s King Abdallah in his palace in Jeddah on Sunday. During the meeting the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to boost cooperation. King Abdullah also affirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Jordan on all issues. (SPA)

Convention concludes today

Photo By Claudio Cugliari The 35th annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Canada came to an end today at the International Centre. Bob Rae, interim leader for the Liberal Party of Canada, Mississauga-Erindale MPP Harinder Takhar and Etobicoke North MPP Kristy Duncan delivered speeches to cap off the […]

Lanka given 150 tons of dates for Ramadan

By MD RASOOLDEEN | ARAB NEWS COLOMBO: The Kingdom donated 150 metric tons of dates to Sri Lanka last week for distribution at mosques during the coming holy month of Ramadan. Ministry of Finance official Mansour Al-Yousef handed the consignment at a simple ceremony at the Saudi Embassy in Colombo […]

Ancient priesthood uses past to predict future

By Majeda El Batsh, Agence France-Presse NABLUS, Palestinian Territories – In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, a small and ancient Samaritan community is managing to make ends meet by dabbling in the age-old practice of fortune-telling. University Avenue, in the hill-ringed city of Nablus, is lined with white […]

Speechless in China

Coming from Italy, where the average people hate to speak other languages than Italian or their home dialect, we were very expectant, how we can manage a journey through China without speaking Chinese. At the end we know: It is not impossible – first of all thanks the wonderful Chinese […]

Can you try a religion for a month?

By Catrin Nye BBC Asian Network People usually think of religion in terms of a lifetime of commitment, but could you learn anything from trying one out for a month? The call to prayer sounds from Eyup Mosque in Istanbul and local Muslims gather on the marble square outside for […]

African Union: Ignore Qaddafi arrest warrant

(AP) MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — The African Union has called on its member states disregard the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Col. Muammar Qaddafi, a move that could weaken the ability of the world court to hold the Libyan leader accountable for crimes committed against his […]

Sabotaging Freedom Flotilla II

Two of the foreign ships experienced similar forms of sabotage, creating allegations of Israeli responsibility. The reports that two of the foreign flagged ships planning to be part of the ten vessel Freedom Flotilla II experienced similar forms of disabling sabotage creates strong circumstantial evidence of Israeli responsibility. It stretches […]