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

Makkah hotels cash in on Umrah rush

By ARAB NEWS MAKKAH: There has been an unprecedented increase in the occupancy rates of hotels and residential apartments in Makkah this year thanks to the huge inflow of Umrah pilgrims. Some hotels are fully booked for the peak Umrah season this year, according to an official. “This tremendous increase […]

If Syria unravels…

If Damascus goes down, its effects will be felt by the whole region Where’s Syria headed? Things appear to be worsening by the day with deepening fears in the region about the largest country in the Levant unraveling. Every day brings in more bad news, with the crackdown on anti-government […]

Ahmadiyya Release Offers Hope for Rohingya

BANGKOK – “We are so happy this day to be released,” said Haraan Sidique, boarding a bus at Bangkok’s Suan Plu Immigration Detention Center (IDC) on Monday morning after spending almost 7 months at a refugee prison in central Bangkok. Sidique is one of 96 Ahmadiyya refugees from Pakistan who […]

Photo of the Day: Praying for Freedom of Faith

Ahmadi refugees who sought to escape persecution by fleeing to Thailand were held for more than six months in Bangkok’s overcrowded immigration detention centers. A group of 94 Ahmadi Muslim refugees and two asylum seekers were released on bail on Monday. They await the results of resettlement applications, mainly to […]

Iran to contest ban on players wearing hijab.

Iran will lodge a formal complaint to the world football body after its women’s team was barred from playing in an Olympic qualifier for wearing the traditional Islamic head scarf, media reports said Monday. “We will file a complaint against the match’s FIFA organizer to the International Federation of Association […]

Hijab scarf rule comes to a head as Iranian women’s soccer team banned

GENEVA—Iran’s women’s team was correctly prevented from playing a 2012 Olympics qualifier wearing Islamic head scarves, FIFA said Monday. Iranian officials were “informed thoroughly” before Friday’s match against Jordan that the hijab scarf is banned for safety reasons, soccer’s governing body said. “Despite initial assurances that the Iranian delegation understood […]

The Claim: Cranberry Juice Can Cure Ulcers.

Cranberry juice has a long history as a home remedy for bladder infections. But scientists in recent years have quietly studied whether it might also work against Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium responsible for most ulcers. Scientists have known for some time that the juice effectively prevents some species of bacteria from adhering to […]

Warnings and tips for stepparents

The biggest challenge to the majority of the stepparents I interviewed was the ambiguity about their role in terms of discipline. Vicki Peet, stepmother of two, described a “feeling of uncertainty” in dealing with her stepdaughters, particularly in challenging situations. The plight of stepmoms on Mother’s Day Dave Larmore, a stepfather […]