The southern Italian island of Sicily is about to become the proud new owner of a multi-million euro mega-mosque.  

The mosque, to be built in the medieval town of Salemi in southwestern Sicily, is being paid for by the oil-rich Persian Gulf Emirate of Qatar. Supporters of the mosque hope it will become a reference point for Muslims in Sicily as well as the rest of Italy.  

Construction of the mosque reflects the growing influence of Islam in Italy, which is now home to an estimated 1.5 million Muslims.

People's Assembly Elections in Egypt Yield Victory for Muslim Brotherhood, Salafis; Downfall for Liberals, Left, and Revolutionary Youth 

Egypt's recent elections for the People's Assembly, the first free elections held in the country since the January 25, 2011 revolution, yielded a clear victory for the Islamists – the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and Salafi parties – whereas the secular-liberals and the left, and the fledgling parties of the country's youth, women, and Copts, suffered a crushing defeat.[1]

According to sources within Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has issued a new directive to further protect the regime. There are several sections to the directive, one is to confront the opposition inside and outside of Iran and another includes engaging the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to buy more time for the development of the nuclear bomb but also orders to the Guards to double their efforts to finish getting the bomb.

Sooner or later, everybody who has worked with the Cyprus question becomes tired of it. 

US President Lyndon Johnson, in his letter to Turkish premier Ismet Inönü in June 1964, called it “one of the most complex problems on earth” and UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim said that Cyprus was the “most thankless and frustrating task” of his period of office. Now, it's Ban Ki-moon's turn. 

On Twitter, Jihadist Groups Advocate Establishment of Islamic Caliphate in Pakistan  

The micro-blogging website Twitter, like other social networking sites such as Facebook and the video-sharing website YouTube, has emerged as a major publisher for jihadist and militant organizations worldwide.  

Hizbut Tahrir Pakistan, an Islamist group campaigning for the establishment of a worldwide Islamic caliphate, posts a vast amount of content on the Internet, including via its Twitter account, Media Office Hizb-PK @HTmediaPAK.

Last week, I wrote on the strategic challenge Iran faces in its bid to shape a sphere of influence stretching from western Afghanistan to Beirut on the eastern Mediterranean coast. I also pointed out the limited options available to the United States and other Western powers to counter Iran. 

One was increased efforts to block Iranian influence in Syria. The other was to consider a strategy of negotiation with Iran. In the past few days, we have seen hints of both. 

Rebel Gains in Syria  The city of Zabadani in southwestern Syria reportedly has fallen into the hands of anti-regime forces. Though the city does not have much tactical value for the rebels, and the regime could well retake it, the event could have real significance. Up to this point, apart from media attention, the resistance to the regime of President Bashar al Assad has not proven particularly effective. It was certainly not able to take and hold territory, which is critical for any insurgency to have significance.