ramadan starts about ten days earlier each year because of the lunar calendar, this year ramadan andummer holy days begin at almost the same time. people are busy taking trips or going back to their home towns. about 1.8 million foreigners leave in the fast growing dubai, that's 90% of the population. muslims from syria, egypt, india, pakistan and other countries are here working to get rich or just support families back home. every year many of them return home during ramadan. but this year, the flow has reversed. people are fleeing for dubai. >> they come here to have a safe time. even the people who are from syria, lebanon and egypt and instead they visit their family, they ask her family to come here. >> he works for a foreign company in abu dhabi since years ago. he lives with his wife and daughter. the couple comes from the central syrian city of homs, one of the bloodiest battle grounds in the civil war. many of the parents and relatives are still there. but the couple find it's too dangerous to visit them. the couple tries to call their family every night. but only rarely rea

. >> plus, as the holy month of ramadan begins, reciting the entire koran by heart, more than 6,000 verses. >>> major funding for "religion & ethics newsweekly" is provided by the lilly endowment, an indianapolis based private family foundation, dedicated to its founders and christian religion, community development and education. additional funding provided by mutual of america, designing customized, individual and group retirement product. that's why we're your retirement company. the estate of william j. carter. the jane henson foundation and corporation for public broadcasting. >>> welcome. i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. religious groups are among those expressing sorrow and outrage over the shooting massacre at a colorado movie theater on friday. president obama called for a day of prayer and reflection for the victims and their families. in other news, as the international community continued to wrestle over a response to the growing violence in syria, religious leaders intensified their calls for more humanitarian aid and an end to the crisis. a catholic archbisho

to reports the holy spirit of ramadan will in no way reconcile the enemies. it's a call for prayer that at times sounds like a mother's wail and at others like a sinister cry in a horror movie plumes of smoke are now competing with men there at sea on the damascus skyline. and few expect things to get any better in the coming months saturday is the first day of ramadan for many syrian muslims but not for all their fellow riches and the rebels that seem to disagree on just about everything also differ on the holy month is supposed to begin the start of ramadan is determined by the side of the new moon which varies from country to country to the weather so in syria as well as in iran or amman it fell on saturday the rebels do decided to start fasting a day earlier in line with geopolitical allies like saudi arabia and turkey mixing religion and politics is becoming increasingly common in this seventeen month long struggle. we have something like. if we have to fry we don't care about the guy because when we die we will go through a law to heaven. and they come

it's ramadan. what is it all about? on the muslim holy month and how muslims connect spiritually to the gift -- to the spirit rather of giving. melanie alnwick -- i cannot talk this morning. she is in sterling virginia. >> you need a little caffeine, tony. it may help you out. if you are celebrating ramadan, caffeine is one of the no nos, one of the things you will be ab staining from during the entire month. we are here at the all area dulles muslim society, a community of about 6,000 families in the washington, d.c. area. i am learning about ramadan. we are going straight to the experts, straight to the source. with me i have imam here. i know it's tough. what is the shorthand version. >> it is the holy month in the muslim calendar where muslims abstain from food and drink from sunset to dawn but also we [inaudible] also muslims open their homes for other friends and other people to come to the home like myself and our wife that open our home to our neighbors to breakfast with us. but at night before the morning praye

and we hope become fights against them even in ramadan you know it's not that. we will do into a law because we are with god and god with. healing in the name of god is nothing new of course and in syrian foxholes there are indeed very few atheists. and while the enemies of praying to the same god they also seem to agree on at least one other thing that the holy month is unlikely to bring any response to violence the holy month of ramadan is it time for a frantic shopping in time for sunset when muslims break their fast but here in what used to be an upscale residential area close to central damascus you can barely find a single shop open most of them have been ravaged or destroyed like this one those that stayed intact a close and actually there's absolutely no short burst here in the only people that we have met so far are the army troops. twenty five year old is a conscript who joined the army fresh out of university a year and a half ago while islam examples active duty soldiers from the dawn to dusk fasting has some says he and the majority of other troops

also the syria enters the muslim holy month of ramadan. government forces and rebel fighters battle on every corner of the wall torn country. plus trigger happy tourism a new attraction for visitors to israel sparks fears of promoting a negative perception of the country. from the new center here in the russian capital this is r.t. with twenty four hours a day massive crowds are gathering in the spanish capital for the latest and demonstration rallies have been taking place across the country for over a week now after the prime minister announced an additional sixty five billion euros in cutbacks let's not get the latest from ortiz and he's. there in the capital tell us more about the sentiment in the streets there. well it is getting louder by the minute definitely it's been very peaceful during the day with several rallies held in different points across the city now we understand that several thousand people are gathering here and where the. square in the central madrid for the biggest protest so far we understand that more people are o

to violence the holy month of ramadan is it time for frantic shopping in time for sunset when muslims break their fast but here in what used to be and not for sale of residential area close to central damascus you can barely find i think shop open most of them have been ravaged or destroyed like this one those that stayed intact closed and actually there's absolutely no short burst here in the only people that we have met so far the army troops twenty five year old is a conscript who joined the army fresh out of university a year and a half ago while islam exam to active duty soldiers from the dawn to dusk fasting. he and the majority of other troops in his unit will do it anyway. it's summer it's hearts and we are freezing and preach challenge from these terrorists is on our side it gives us strength for as long as it takes over yet he recognizes that with the advent of their efforts to stand what they call this threat of terrorism is likely to face more challenges not only mosques have been used by the militarized the position for recruitment large crowds heading to prey make it eas

ramadan is a time when followers of islam show piety by fasting from dawn to dusk. it's also an opportunity for prayer, self-reflection and doing good deeds. >> translator: i'm especially grateful this ramadan because natural disasters that killed many of our brothers in recent years didn't happen this year. >> malaysia and bangladesh have declared ramadan shall start on saturday. and india on either saturday or sunday. >>> in southern thailand, authorities warned that islamic militants were likely to attempt a large-scale attack ahead of ramadan. and on friday, a car bomb destroyed a four-story commercial building in the southern most province. the blast injured eight people and heightened the sense of fear among the local community. thailand's deep south has been plagued by violence since 2004. at least 5,000 people have been killed in frequent attacks blamed on muslim separatists. and that's wraps up our bulletin. i'm dhra dhirakaosal in bangkok. >>> officials at japanese automaker suzuki say they aren't sure when their company's subsidiary in india can reopen an

the capital to reclaim districts held by rebels but the country is now facing a new religious front ramadan is meant to be a time of peace and prayer in the muslim world but it's now being used for political means and syrians have little hope it will help curtail violence as artie's oksana boyko now reports from damascus. it's a call for prayer that at times sounds like a mother's wail and it all there is like a sinister cry in a horror movie plumes of smoke are now competing with minarets on the damascus skyline and few expect things to get any better in the coming months saturday is the first day of ramadan for many syrian muslims but not for all. the rebels that seem to disagree on just about everything also differ on the holy month is supposed to begin the start of ramadan is determined by the side of the new moon which varies from country to country to the weather so in syria as well as in iran or amman it fell on saturday the rebels do decided to start fasting a day earlier in line with political allies like saudi arabia and turkey mixing religion and politics is becoming increasingly

saturday is the first day of ramadan for many syrian muslims but not for all their thought which is that the rebels that seem to disagree on just about everything also differ on when the holy month is supposed to begin the start of ramadan is determined by the side of the new moon which varies from country to country whether so in syria as well as in iran or amman. today the rebels do decided to start fasting a day earlier in line with political allies like saudi arabia and turkey mixing religion and politics is becoming increasingly common in this seventeen month long struggle. we have something like. if you have to fly we don't care about. die because when we die we will go through a law to heaven and the comforts of neighborhood of damascus the mosque still bears the scars of clashes between the rebels and the army local men tell us about atrocities committed by the troops and how their fate. and we hope become part against them even if. we are with god and god. killing in the name of god is nothing new of course and in syrian foxholes there are indeed there are a few atheists and whi

muslims often end their daily ramadan fast with delicacies.asting is strenuous in the summer heat. it is boiling in the west bank and gaza. >> we only have electricity for half the day. that is a problem, because it is really hot. even if you want to get something to but in the refrigerator, it will be ruined. >> the goal of ramadan is to strengthen religious belief and self-discipline and foster identification with the poor and needy. >> western countries seeing cutbacks in spending in crucial areas like police and firefighting services, they may want to take tips from countries like kenya that are using social media to fill the gap. >> we have already seen it twitter and facebook and how they helped bring about a revolution in egypt, for example, but it does not have to be that dramatic. it twitter text can help keep daily life running smoothly. we have this report. >> school is in and today's lesson from the police chief is twitter. most villagers have a mobile phone, but almost no one has an internet connection. not a problem. the teacher'

month of ramadan. >> this athlete hopes to earn a gold medal in judo at london olympics.e says he has no problem competing during ramadan. >> sports are not affected by fasting. sports will remain sports regardless of the season or the month in which they take place. >> an estimated 3000 muslim athletes will be taking part in this year's olympics. this british rower has decided he will compete and he will make donations to charity for not asking. -- fasting. >> i am the -- i am the first gb rower that is a practicing muslim. in some ways, that is an honor. in others, it is a shame. i wish there were others who had come before me. >> this athlete believes he has good religious grounds to go ahead -- to decide to go ahead with his training. >> we ask religious scholars. they said that if we are on a national mission like this, there is no problem with not fasting. afterward, you have to make up for the days you lost. >> the timing conflict between the games and ramadan is unfortunate. the muslim athletes who will be competing say they have come to terms with it. but still t

ramadan is a time when followers of islam show devotion by fasting from dawn to dusk. it's also an opportunity for prayer, self-reflection and doing good deeds. >> translator: i'm especially grateful this ramadan because natural disasters that killed many of our brothers in recent years didn't happen this year. >> malaysia and bangladesh have declared ramadan shall start on saturday. and india on either saturday or sunday. >>> we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo. .

islamic extremists use the month of ramadan as the time -- we need to stand with the church and asking the church to pray >> the realities that we are seeing muslim on muslim violence, we want to remember not just the christians, but the innocent muslims caught also as well in the cross fire. carl muller from open doors, >> thank you, george, god bless. >> egyptian christians refuse to many egyptians angry about the obama administration's ties with newly elected president morsi. constitution makes islam the state religion. christians can support the document so long as protections for them and other religious minorities are included. coptic christians make up the east. as egypt moves towards democratic reforms, the situations deteriorates for the church. as john jessup reports, that is >> one year later after tahrir square, they have seen their churches burned and community abused. the voice belongs to a young coptic christian woman who came here seeking asylum. >> i kept asking where would i be if this man hadn't saved me. >> she testified to protect her family. >> i was screaming. i

blessed ramadan! bye-bye. if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. if you've got a business, you didn't build that. somebody else made that happen. my father's hands didn't build this company. my hands didn't build this company. through hard work and a little bit of luck, we built this business. why are you demonizing us for it? it's time we had somebody who believes in us. someone who believes that achievement should be rewarded not punished. we need somebody who believes in america. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. i've never felt this way before, but it's a scary time to be a woman. mitt romney is just so out of touch. [ female announcer ] mitt romney opposes requiring insurance coverage for contraception. and romney supports overturning roe versus wade. romney backed a bill that outlaws all abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. there's so much we need to do. we need to attack our problems -- not a woman's choice. [ obama ] i'm barack obama, and i approve this message.

fasting during ramadan is one of the five most important pillars of the faith.you are expected to pray five times a day and fasting during ramadan is as important. there are religious leaders who say nobody is forcing you to be an athlete. this is not a religious obligation. this is something you have chosen to do. basically you made your choice and you have to live with it. you chose to be an athlete. you are good enough to go to the games. you have to fast while you are there. some of them are saying because you are a muslim there representing islam it is all the more important for you to fast. there are other imams who say we are living in the real world. islam is not supposed to make you suffer. it is supposed to be a religion of ease and not pain. if there is a good way around this if you can fast later or do something to make up it is okay. there are other alternatives. >> it is a fascinating discussion. thank you for bringing it to us. the opening ceremonies start on friday. you can read richard's story on cnn.com/belief. it is a fascinating read. it real

blessed ramadan! bye-bye.

they appear to be coordinated with the beginning of ramadan. the wave of attacks left police and emergency crews across the country stretched then. -- thin. northern iraq was also hit hard. at least four car bombs hit the city of kirkuk, killing six people and wounding 17 more. the attacks have left many iraqis angry at the government's inability to maintain security. >> we are the nash -- where are the national guard? how long is this destruction going to go on? even during ramadan. the authorities say everything is under control. it is only poor people who were killed. >> no group has taken responsibility, but some observers suspect al qaeda is trying to start a sectarian war between iraq's sunni and shiite communities. >> to the u.s. now or the man suspected of killing 12 people in a movie theater in aurora, colorado last week is made his first appearance in court. >> the 24-year-old was brought in by prosecutors who are considering whether to seek the death penalty. authorities say so for the suspect has refused to provide any information a

>> reporter: ramadan is one of the five tenets of islam. for many muslims, not observing the fast is considered immoral. >> translator: it is not allow for a muslim man or woman to break their fast unless they are traveling or feeling sick. >> reporter: the balance between faith and performance is nothing new. and it's not just muslim athletes who deal with it. athletes of all faiths have struggled with the question to compete or not to compete. 19-year-old olympian hermed has made his decision. the judo schedule could including up to six matches on his day. to win he says fasting is not an option. >> translator: i don't think i should feel guilty, because this is what the competition needs. god is merciful and compassionate. >> fahed has no plans to pull out, but the young athlete still hasn't decided to fast or not to fast. mohammed jamjoom, cnn, abu dhabi. >>> it is the bloodiest series of wars since world war ii, yet you rarely here about this, almost 5.5 million people have been killed since fighting erupted in the democratic republic

celebrating ramadan in the land of the midnight sun face an unusual problem no sunrise or sunset.onstant sun is a problem because muslims are supposed to fast from dawn until dusk during the holy month of ramadan and because of this challenge, many local muslims choose to observe ramadan but the sunrise and sunset times of turkey, one of the nearest muslim country to us fin land. apart from the late sunset times, muslims living in the arctic also face a lack of traditional food. >>> a kid who used to try to get kicked out of swim practice could be one of the biggest medal winners for the united states at the olympics in london over the next few weeks. swimmer ryan lochte spent several years swimming in the shadows of michael phelps. he recently told matt lauer that he likes to take a lot of risks and in just about everything he does and he says that hasn't changed since he found out he was going to london. >> we were to go out on the street right now and i would say here is skateboard, would you skateboard down the road here? >> oh, yeah, i do tricks, i do everying, because if i d

its commander based in turkey had a special message to mark the start of ramadan. all the officers and members of the free syrian army congratulate the people on the onset of the blessed month of ramadan in the hope that this month would usher certain victory. >> but the regime is already claiming victory itself. at least here, one of the parts of southern damascus where the fighting has been heaviest. >> we have cleansed the area and we are now in full control. some residents were forced to flee. ransacked shops as well as public and private buildings. >> state television said at least 20 mercenary terrorists were killed, their bodies carefully laid out for the camera. it's said some of them were foreign arab nationals. battling for state survival, television is constantly running propaganda film showing the army as the protector of the people. but the regime's grasp has clearly slipped at border posts along the iraqi frontier where rebels took over. they also claimed control of the nearby town. we've liberated the town and stormed the headquarters, he said. your

we have the ramadan celebration starting in july. it will go july 19 to august 20 -- or 19, depending on the moon phase. that takes place. the safe passage program -- great program. i mentioned that before. it is really -- that is almost there. it has been a long time coming. we started in january with the physical logistics part. i am a small portion of that committee. mostly the neighborhoods -- they have done a fantastic job. there is the old padre out their blessing a taxicab. then you have the art of moon festival. that is getting bigger and bigger every year. halloween festival -- we have that at 570 ellis. we have trick or treat spots. the kids can go, and some of the hilton hotels provide hot dogs and food for the kids. this year, we had a tenderloin holiday treat giveaway. they gave us 400 trees. i thought for sure we would have a forest fire in the tenderloin, and we got rid of all of them but 16. it was a great event. we had people from all over the city coming in working on the. that worked out great. they were nice trees

. >>> more than a billion muslims worldwide are marking ramadan right now. in sterling this morning with more on how this sacred time is being marked in this particular area. if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. if you've got a business, you didn't build that. somebody else made that happen. my father's hands didn't build this company. my hands didn't build this company. through hard work and a little bit of luck, we built this business. why are you demonizing us for it? it's time we had somebody who believes in us. someone who believes that achievement should be rewarded not punished. we need somebody who believes in america. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. >>> i am melanie alnwick filling in for holly morris. this is the largest muslim community in washington. they are in the middle of ramadan which is the holy yeast month of the year. coming up, we will learn all about ramadan, what is it and how dot area muslims celebrate and we will talk about the special celebrations and the food they have. it will be a gr

of self religion while the country is split over when to start marking the islamic holy month of ramadan. as the u.n. observers have another thirty days to assess the situation on the ground all members of the security council house voted in favor of extending their mandate which could be renewed if necessary. and protesters demanding a right to rally and brain are met with tear gas after the government bans political demonstrations at least fifty people have died since the odd unrest began in february of last year and up next my colleague bill dodd asks russia's ambassador to the un what was behind his no one for the western backed resolution on syria. mr churkin russia's decision to veto this latest resolution has caused consternation and widespread criticism or. is russia supporting the assad regime. of course not about what needs to be done in order to settle the crisis unfortunately the strategy of our western colleagues too seems to be to try to whip up tensions in and around syria at every opportunity and this time they took the occasion of the need to extend the mandate of the mo

joined us very well welcome here in moscow top stories now syria enters the muslim holy month of ramadan engulfed in violence as government forces and rebel fighters battle on every corner of the war torn country the u.n. observers will remain in syria for another thirty days in an attempt to halt the bloodshed. spain is gearing up for more angry and just thirty protests just days after nationwide marches descended into clashes that left dozens injured people have been running ever since prime minister. sixty five billion euros in cuts on top of the measures. trigger happy tourism a firing range is now bringing even more visitors to israel but critics say the new attraction is promoting a negative perception of the country. about with another summary in fifteen minutes when i spoke to russia's ambassador to the un vitaly churkin who explained moscow's stance on syria and that full interview is next on r.t. . russia and china have vetoed the latest western backed draft resolution on syria at the u.n. security council and joining us live now is one of the men who raised his hand in that no

overseas, indonesian's began fasting and praying to zero marks the beginning of the holy month of ramadan. the government declared tomorrow as the official beginning. the difference is due to different ways of calculating. ramadan is a holy month dedicated to fasting, prayers, and good deeds, and it ends with a three-day holiday. >> authorities are keeping a closer eye on the father of one of two missing i a lot cousins. the man has a lengthy criminal -- i/o cousins. the man has a lengthy criminal history. -- iowa cousins. he is the father of a 10-year- old to vanished. both girls have been missing since last weekend. and north american man from massachusetts pled guilty to the use of remote-controlled model planes to blow up the pentagon and u.s. capital. the 20-year-old was arrested last year after the al-qaeda member delivered materials he had requested. sentencing is set for november 1. >> still to come tonight, the end of the viacom direct tv nightmare. >> plus, you may be saying goodbye to the old-fashioned way of keeping your medical records in order. >> we will check the seven-day