SOMALIA - Hundreds killed as Mujahideen battled Ethiopian forces for 5 days. African Union troops and the port have also been attacked. (BBC, Mar 22)
NIGERIA - Most candidates fighting presidential elections in Apr are Muslim. Frontrunner is Umaru Yar'Adua, governor of a Muslim state. (BBC, Mar 7)
CYPRUS - Greeks demolished part of a barrier dividing Greeks and Muslim Turks since 1974 in the capital. Turkey rules north Cyprus. Greeks rejected a UN plan to unify the island in 2004. (BBC, Mar 9)
BORNEO - Clouded leopards on Sumatra and Borneo are a new species of animal. 3 Muslim countries have territory on Borneo - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. (BBC, Mar 15)
PALESTINE - Israel rejected a Saudi peace plan which calls for Israeli withdrawal from land seized in 1967 in return for peace with Arab states. Jews stall any plan which will establish a Palestinian state. (BBC, Mar 13)
IRAN - US war on Iran enters a new arena with the Hollywood movie 300, which gives the impression that Iran was for centuries the source of evil, and ancient Iranians were dumb savages. Iran captured 15 UK marines in Iranian water. They were later released. (BBC, Mar 13, Apr 6)
EGYPT - Police arrested Muslim Brotherhood (MB) members. MB wants an Islamic state. (BBC, Mar 13)
USA - 14 Muslims transferred from secret CIA prisons to Guantanamo are undergoing closed trials, criticised by human rights groups. Amnesty called for them to be boycotted. (BBC, Mar 22)
DENMARK - A company, Fighters & Lovers, was charged with terrorism for selling T-shirts inspired by freedom fighters. They were to donate proceeds to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to finance a graphics studio in Palestine. (BBC, Mar 15)
IRAQ - 11 detainees escaped from a UK prison in Basra. They were held for 2 years without charge. Thousands of Iraqis are held in US/UK prisons in Iraq on no charge. (BBC, Mar 16)
PALESTINE - Unity govt formed by Hamas and Fatah, with Norway first to recognise it. Israel and USA refuse to recognise the right of Palestine to exist. A Jenin lady invented gel socks to help Palestinians, especially pregnant and elderly, suffering from swollen feet waiting at Jewish checkpoints in West Bank. (BBC, Mar 16,19)
PAKISTAN - Police arrested hundreds including leader of the Islamic coalition, after Chief Justice Chaudhry was suspended by Musharraf. In Islamabad, govt gave in to 3,000 Hijab-clad girls who refused to leave a religious school Musharraf wanted demolished. The girls also raided a brothel and kidnapped the lady in charge. (BBC Mar 16)
TAJIKISTAN - Govt is interfering in the centuries-old system of Madressas to stop the rise of Islam. In neighboring Uzbekistan torture of Islamists is widespread. (IOL, Mar 11)
TUNISIA - Islamists and secularists issued a joint statement that hijab is an inalienable right. Hijab is banned in state institutions. (IOL, Mar 11)
LATIN AMERICA - Bush's tour of Latin America was met with protests and marches. Venezuela Pres Chavez is also on tour and launched stinging verbal attacks on the US. (BBC, Mar 12)
SAUDI ARABIA - Captive-bred mountain gazelles were successfully released into the wild for the first time in 10 years. (BBC, Mar 7)
CHINA - Ismail Semed, an Uighur from Xinjiang, a Muslim province, was executed. He founded the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. In 1997 he fled to Pakistan but was deported in 2003. (BBC, Feb 23)
INDIA - Police seized a 400-year-old Qur’aan, written by pious Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It has 1000 pages, each with a unique fragrance. Gold and silver were mixed with ink. (The Hindu)
USA - CIA is holding the 9 and 7-year-old sons of alleged 9/11 mastermind. They are being interrogated in USA. (Telegraph, Mar 9)
MALDIVES - A R70 million party of a UK tycoon which had topless dancers, celebrities, alcohol and a Bhudda statue was condemned by the Democratic Party in this Muslim country. (BBC, Mar 21)
NIGERIA - Muslim high school pupils in Gombe allegedly killed a Christian teacher who desecrated the Qur’aan. (BBC, Mar 20)
World News March 2007
