Despite social and economic advances in the last two decades, Latin America is still the most unequal-and the most insecure region in the world. The Human Development Report for Latin America reveals new data on how crime and violence impact the region, highlighting a series of policy recommendations to effectively improve citizen security. "Due to its objectivity and sound analysis, as well as the relevance of its...

As part of their online media strategy, jihadi groups have in recent years begun using Western websites and technologies - uploading videos to YouTube and to the Internet Archive, creating official Facebook pages, tweeting news flashes from the jihadi fronts, and most recently posting images on Instagram. Jihadis have come to depend on free web hosting, where content can be uploaded anonymously, reliably, and at no cost. The use of social media in the current conflict in Syria highlights the...

According to the reports gathered by El Confidencial Digital, the Mossos d’Esquadra are investigating the Sunni Islamist organization named Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (HuT) -or Party for the Islamic Liberation-. The number of Islamist groups of this kind is rising on the Internet, and using the WWW to gain supporters, that could be even recruited by the radical Islamism. HuT was born in Jerusalem in 1953 founded by the Palestinian Taqiuddin al-Nabhani. They are supporters of an Islamic...

Five years after March 11th, which made Spain a target of the Islamist terror, Interior Minister has stated that Spain is now a source of Human Resources for future terrorists"..."situated in the 1st place in the ranking of their preferred recruitement's places for Al-Qaeda's recruitment in Europe, and, at the same time, it continues to be a target of international terrorism. Since March 11th, State Security Forces have detained 384 alleged Islamist terrorists. Some of the them had...

Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Spain, with more public expressions and greater acceptance of virulent anti-Jewish attitudes, according to a newly issued report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Polluting the Public Square: Anti-Semitic Discourse in Spain examines recent trends in Spain, including anti-Semitic criticism during Israel's three-week military campaign in Gaza last winter; viciously anti-Semitic cartoons and articles in Spain's mainstream media; and opinion polls conducted...

A report published Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League has documented what it calls "greater acceptance of virulent anti-Jewish attitudes" in Spain, despite relatively low levels of actual violence directed against Jews. The report cited "viciously anti-Semitic" cartoons which have appeared in several major newspapers, alongside editorials comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, which is defined by even the European Union media watchdog as anti-Semitic. The report also noted...

‘Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad must love the tropics’, commented ironically The Miami Herald. He has spent more time in Latin America than President Bush. Since his inauguration in 2005, Iran’s foreign policy focus has shifted from Africa to Latin America in order to, as Ahmadinejad puts it, ‘counter lasso’ the US. Iran’s Goals in Latin America Farideh Farhi argues that while Iran’s increased attention to Latin America as a region is a...

When you think of medieval Europe, you usually think of knights, castles, and the church. Rarely, though, do you think of the Moors, the powerful, benevolent rulers of Spain for nearly 700 years. While the rest of Europe was still struggling with Feudalism and food shortages, Moorish Spain was a center of culture, science, and trade. The illustrious Moors brought to the dry Spanish plains irrigation systems imported from Syria, transforming the area into a rich agricultural cornucopia. Foods...

Islam Islam is an Arabic word that can be defined as "to make peace." Islam is the religion founded by Mohammed, which considers the Koran as its holy book. In addition, Islam accepts the New Testament of the Christians and the Old Testament of the Jews as Divinely inspired works. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims (also: Moors, Turks, and Moslems) and, just as Jews and Christians, believe in only one God. Yet, over the centuries, Muslims have engaged in tremendous wars with...

Ibrahim Gonzalez, raised as a Catholic, says he didn't convert to Islam -- rather, he says, he reverted. Like a small but growing number of Hispanics, the New York-born Puerto Rican has found a spiritual home in a faith with a long history in Spain, stretching to the rule of Muslim Moors from the 700s to the 1400s. Today, Hispanics with roots in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain and Central and south America are turning to Islam. A mix of immigrants and longtime residents, they are expanding the...