Islamic areas

Mali: Will Tourists Desert Timbuktu for Good?

Date: August 15th, 2012 |

Caught between a military coup and an ethnic uprising, the legendary city of Timbuktu and its surrounding World Heritage sites are bereft of tourists this year. After capturing the city from the military in April, Islamist extremist groups MLNA and Ansar Dine made a point of destroying some of its most important heritage sites, including [read more]

Israel: Tourist Center to be Built in Tense Neighborhood

Date: February 15th, 2012 |

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The government has given a Jewish group permission to build an archaeological center in Silwan, a tense Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Silwan is near Jerusalem’s Old City, and is the site of clashes between Arab residents and Jewish guards protecting 80 Jewish families who have settled there. Proponents of the plan hope it will [read more]

Philippines: Government says Country Safe for Tourists

Date: January 11th, 2012 |

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Despite a recent travel warning from the U.S. State Department, the Philippine government insists that the country is safe for tourists. In fact, the travel warning was released on the same day that the Philippine Department of Tourism revealed its new slogan: “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that [read more]

Bahrain: British Embassy Bombed in Recent Display of Disdain for Western Backed Sunni Dynasty

Date: December 10th, 2011 |

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The British Embassy in Bahrain was the target of a small bomb explosion, prompting the Bahraini government to provide additional security to foreign embassies in the country. Earlier this year, Bahrain was swept by a wave of unrest, and the latest bomb attack confirms that tensions remain. Between February and March of this year, the [read more]

Mali: Travel Warning in North of Country

Date: October 8th, 2011 |

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The U.S. State Department is warning citizens about traveling to the small African nation, particularly in the northern parts of the country, because of kidnapping threats made against Westerners. Al-Qaida in the Maghreb, a region in northwest Africa spanning many countries, has stated its intent to attack Western targets. This, coupled with a recent military [read more]

Lebanon: Five Injured in Latest Restaurant Bombing

Date: April 25th, 2012 |

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In the last few months, bombings have rocked the majority-Muslim city of Tyre, targeting nightclubs, shops and restaurants that serve alcohol. The latest bomb went off shortly after midnight April 23, injuring five and damaging the building that housed the targeted restaurant. While the majority of Tyre residents are Shi’ite Muslims, members of Lebanon’s Christian [read more]

Egypt: 31-year-old Emergency Laws Lifted in some Cases

Date: January 25th, 2012 |

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In a manner of speaking, military rulers have lifted the 31-year-old emergency laws that gave police far-reaching powers. The emergency powers can still be used to combat crimes committed by “thugs,” a term that the military failed to define. Rights groups and pro-democracy activists in the country have already voiced disdain for the declaration’s ambiguity. [read more]

Nigeria: Christmas Bombing Sparks Fear of Religious War

Date: December 28th, 2011 |

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The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, which is suspected of having ties to al-Qaeda, has claimed a series of Christmas day bombings that left more than 30 people dead as Christian leaders warn of escalating violence and the possibility of religious war. Nigeria is divided roughly along religious lines, with the north being predominantly Muslim [read more]

Israel: Border Region with Lebanon sees Rockets, Artillery Fire

Date: November 30th, 2011 |

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Tensions are once again high along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Rockets were fired from southern Lebanon into Israel, instigating rounds of artillery shells in response from the Israelis. While the exchange was relatively small considering the history of the region, it marked the end of two years of quiet along the notoriously volatile border region. It [read more]

Israel: Temporary Ceasefire Announced

Date: August 30th, 2011 |

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Following five days of conflict, Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs the Gaza Strip, were reported to have reached a ceasefire. Tensions have risen steadily since Aug. 18 when a group of Palestinian gunmen shot dead eight Israelis in the Negev desert. Israel pursued the gunmen and also launched a series of retaliatory [read more]

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