Photo: settme3 (flickr)The Islamic calender is based on the lunar calender, and Ramadan begins when the crescent moon is started.
Muslim clerics have declared Friday the start of Ramadan in the Arab world. Cannons will mark the start of the holy month in Bahrain, and Muslims in China and Indonesia will recognize Friday as well.
Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar, and officially starts when the crescent moon is sighted.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset — it is one of the five pillars of Islam.
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Muslims prepare to observe Ramadan, whenever it starts (CNN)Shots from cannons to mark beginning of Ramadan (Gulf Daily News)Muslim Religious Leaders Declare Friday the Start of Ramadan (Voice of America News)
Bombing in Syria claimed three of president Bashar al-Assad’s senior officials Wednesday as rebel fighters defended Damascus.
The rebel forces claimed towns on the Iraqi and Turkish borders.
The UN has been in stalemate over the conflict, with China and Russia vetoing tougher sanctions on Damascus.
Thursday saw what may have been the highest single death toll, with reports of 155 civilians and 93 government soldiers killed.
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Border Posts Fall Into the Hands of Syrian Rebels (New York Times)Syria conflict: Rebels seize Turkey, Iraq border posts (BBC)
In what appears to be coordinated attacks, two prominent Muslim clerics were attacked Thursday in Tatarstan.
Both clerics had spoken against stricter forms of Islam than the state-sanctioned Islam practiced in Russia.
Authorities quickly blamed radical Islamists for the attacks, noting that the two men were staunch defenders of their traditional culture and had been engaged in an escalating struggle against Salafi influence among the Tatars. If they are right, it could mark a turning point for Russia and for its Islamist insurrectionists, who until now have mostly focused on terrorist acts in the rugged North Caucasus, far to the south.
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