MEXICO CITY, 18 February 2005 - The colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas in the highlands of the Mexican state of Chiapas is a much-loved tourist destination, known for its colorful Indian market. Eleven years ago it made news across the world when the indigenous Indian population in the form of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) occupied the town and declared war on the Mexican government. The bishop of San Cristobal at the time, Samuel Ruiz, became a figure on the...

Islam has joined a battle for the hearts and minds of Mexico's volatile Tzotzil Indians in Chiapas state, home of Zapatista rebels and a hotbed of sectarian strife between Christians. In an unlikely meeting of two worlds, an idealistic Muslim sect has converted some 300 Tzotzils, a Maya Indian group known for drink-fueled fiestas and religious fervor. "It was difficult to learn the prayers in Arabic at first but now I have them in my heart," said Muhammad Emin Lopez, 46, a Tzotzil...

As the administration of President George W. Bush weighs an attack against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, international terrorist groups are taking firm hold in South America - often referred to as "America's backyard" - according to recent testimony given to the U.S. House of Representatives. Both Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida and the Palestinian terrorist group Hezbollah are active in Latin America, with Hezbollah having "broader penetration in the Western Hemisphere than any other...