The first minaret in Cuba could soon issue calls to prayers to faithful Muslims across Havana. The predominantly Catholic nation of Cuba, which generally has a chilly relationship with religion, is planning to build its first official Mosque for roughly 10,000 Muslims who are currently living on the island. The funding is reportedly being provided by Saudi Arabia. Sputnik reports: Cuba has officially been a secular state since its communist revolution in 1959. The state leadership barred believers from joining the ruling party and though no official ban on worship was issued for common folk, the state generally promoted and endorsed atheism. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cuban authorities eased their attitudes, which resulted in a historic visit by Pope John Paul II in 1998. In 2008, the first Russian Orthodox church opened on the island. However, there is still no sanctuary for Cuba’s Muslim population, which increased significantly after 2010. Cuban Muslims, most of them reportedly converts bolstered by the influx of Muslim students from Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Pakistan, have been praying at their homes. Foreign Muslims and tourists also have the option of attending Friday prayers at a place known as Casa de los Árabes, or Arab House, which belonged to a wealthy Arab immigrant who lived in Cuba during the 1940s. Cuban Muslim nationals are [...]
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