World Watch: Cameron’s Crow?

* Europe: British Prime Minister David Cameron defended his decision to veto an E.U. treaty aimed at preventing a worsening of the region's debt crisis.

* Canada: The country’s immigration minister announced the prohibition of the wearing of the burka during the citizenship ceremony.

* Syria: According to U.N. estimates nearly 5000 people including about 300 children have been killed as part of a brutal crackdown by the state.

* Democratic Republic of Congo: Electoral observers and opposition figures accused the government of vote rigging during recent elections.

Video Source – YouTube via euronews

Online Sources – The Guardian, CNN, BBC News

World Watch: Gone Gbagbo gone

* Ivory Coast: Disgraced former president Laurent Gbagbo may face “judicial proceedings” after he was detained by French and opposition forces.

* Japan: No tsunami warning was issued after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the Japanese coast one month after a major tremor and tsunami killed an estimated 25,000 people.

* Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that a deadly bombing in the Minsk metro on Monday might’ve been a “gift from abroad.”

* France: Two Muslim women were arrested for peacefully protesting France’s ban on wearing face veils in public.

Image – Str/AFP/Getty Images via The Guardian (“Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo and his wife Simone after their arrest.”)
Online Sources- Busninessweek, USA TODAY, BBC News, The Guardian

World Watch: Whose presidency is it anyway?

* Africa: Ivory Coast officials are divided as to who won last week’s presidential elections while tensions continue in Guinea after opposition leader Alpha Conde was declared as president-elect.

* India: As the 26th anniversary of the Bhopal industrial disaster approaches, some victims are seeking $1.1 billion in compensation from Dow Chemicals.

* World: According to a new survey released by Pew Research Center most Muslims in countries with large Islamic populations rejected Al Qaeda as well as the tactic of suicide bombings.

* Spain: An increased tobacco tax and pension reforms could be the next steps to strengthen an already weakened Spanish economy.

Image – Luc Gnago/REUTERS via The Guardian (“Supporters of opposition leader Alassane Outtara in the city of Gagnoa, Ivory Coast. The president's camp alleges vote rigging.”)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, Reuters, BBC News, CNN

Today's Video: Ramadan in Cuba

Here in the U.S. most of the recent news regarding Islam has centered on the plans to construct a mosque/community center near Ground Zero in New York and how about 1 of 5 people in a poll erroneously believe that President Barack Obama is Muslim. Little has been said over the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which started over a week ago and is probably best known for fasting during the daylight hours.

The video below from CNN examined how Cuban followers of Islam observe their religion on the island. As you can see, worshipers sometimes run into problems with societal norms such as the use of pork.

Online Sources - ABC News, Voice of America, CNN

World Watch: Solemnity in Mumbai

* India: Vigils and other commemorative actions are being held in memory of the three-day siege in Mumbai which began one year ago this Thursday.

* Middle East: In a surprising about-face Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a ten-month suspension in the edification of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

* Philippines: Police have arrested twenty men suspected of participating in a politically-motivated massacre earlier this week that killed 57 people.

* Saudi Arabia: Worries of the swine flu and heavy rains may deter some Muslims from traveling to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage according to Saudi officials.

Image – BBC News
Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC News

Vandals strike Venezuelan mosque

Nearly two months ago, the oldest synagogue in Caracas, Venezuela was ransacked and anti-Semitic graffiti was painted on the temple walls. Unfortunately on Monday another Caracas religious venue was also vandalized:

Representatives of Venezuela’s Muslim community complained that a group of unknown thieves broke into the country’s main mosque, stole assorted objects from the administrative area and vandalized sacred texts housed there, the local press reported on Tuesday.

Mohammad Ali Bokhari told reporters that the thieves trampled on sacred books, broke windows and stole computer equipment.

The Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim mosque was opened in 1993 and is Latin America’s second-largest. Unlike the January synagogue incident, there has yet to be any international repercussions due to the mosque attack.

According to Venezuela’s El Universal, Caracas’ Islamic community numbers approximately 50,000 and is mostly of Arab background.

Online Sources- El Universal, LAHT, MSNBC, Bloomberg
Image- Letralia