THE ISLAM in Cuba Today. ** EL ISLAM en Cuba Hoy.

Posted on October 1, 2014 by admin

EL ISLAM EN CUBA HOY.

Sin una mezquita para realizar sus oraciones, poca tradición dentro de la sociedad y sin posiblidades de viajar a La Meca, la comunidad de musulmanes en Cuba ronda actualmente los 4,000 convertidos.

Este año ha sido particularmente significativo para los musulmanes en la isla.El pasado abril, y la Fundación de Asuntos Religiosos de Turquía (TDV) envió una delegación a La Habana para discutir la posible construcción de lo que sería la primera mezquita en Cuba. Los visitantes se reunieron con funcionarios de la Oficina de Asuntos Religiosos del Comité Central del Partido Comunista y solicitaron el permiso para emprender la obra en un terreno de la Habana Vieja, con un diseño similar al de la legendaria Ortakoy de Estambul.

En septiembre, cientos de fieles celebraron el Ramadán con una ceremonia en el céntrico Paseo del Prado de La Habana, frente a la sede de la Unión Arabe de Cuba.

http://youtu.be/NtCIvEHRWAE

Sobre el florecimiento y los retos que encara la comunidad musulmana, CaféFuerte conversó con Pedro Lazo Torres, conocido como el Imán Yahya y presidente de la Liga Islámica de Cuba (LIC). Lazo Torres, de 63 años, profesa la tendencia sunita y habló sobre una religión que es prácticamente desconocida dentro de la isla.

En los últimos tres o cuatro años ha habido un crecimiento de personas convertidas al Islam, que actualmente ronda los 4,00 registrados.

La Liga islámica de Cuba. (LIC)

“La LIC se creó para dar a conocer esta religión. En ella agrupamos a la mayoría de la comunidad islámica del país, también la representamos en todos los foros nacionales e internacionales” nos declaró el Imán Yahya.

En Cuba es una institución religiosa que tiene su registro legal y, jurídicamente, está reconocida en el registro de asociaciones bajo la Resolución 89 del 2007, aunque ya trabajábamos desde el 2002.

En la actualidad existen 10 casas templos diseminadas por toda Cuba”.

Sobre las exclusiones de mujeres en el Islam nos dice: “No excluimos a las mujeres como algunos han hecho creer. Aquí tenemos unas 70, principalmente jóvenes, que se han convertido, aunque provienen la mayoría de familias convertidas.

Actualmente, “no tenemos acceso a ningún medio de información oficial para promover el Islam, aunque tenemos los derechos para hacerlo”.

En Cuba “existen pocos lugares donde se pueda comprar o conseguir el Corán, pero hemos recibido muchos ejemplares de hermanos del extranjero. En la última Feria Internacional del Libro de La Habana se regalaron ejemplares en el pabellón de Arabia Saudita”.

Preguntado sobre la visita de una delegación de Turquía que visitó recientemente la isla para supuestamente construir una mezquita en La Habana. ¿Cree usted que se haga realidad? nos dijo: “Seria magnífico que se construyera una mezquita, pero creo que eso no va a ocurrir, aunque se han construido otros lugares de culto como la Iglesia Ortodoxa Griega y Rusa.

¿Reciben ustedes ayuda de las autoridades cubanas?

No, nunca hemos recibido ayuda, ya que este es un gobierno laico, tampoco creo que otras religiones la reciban en Cuba. Lo que existe es igualdad entre todas las religiones.

Agencies/CafeFuerte/InternetPhotos/YouTube/TheCubanHistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.

CUBA PHOTOS.

THE ISLAM IN CUBA TODAY.

Without a mosque to perform their prayers, little tradition in society without possibilities to travel to Mecca, the Muslim community in Cuba is currently around 4,000 converts.

This year has been particularly significant for Muslims in island.The last April, and the Foundation of Religious Affairs of Turkey (TDV) sent a delegation to Havana to discuss the possible construction of what would become the first mosque in Cuba. The visitors met with officials from the Religious Affairs Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and requested permission to undertake the work in an area of Old Havana, a similar to legendary Istanbul Ortakoy design.

In September, hundreds of worshipers celebrated Ramadan with a ceremony in the central Paseo del Prado in Havana, outside the headquarters of the Arab Union of Cuba.

http://youtu.be/NtCIvEHRWAE

On flowering and the challenges facing the Muslim community, spoke with CaféFuerte Pedro Lazo Torres, known as Imam Yahya and president of the Islamic League of Cuba (LIC). Lazo Torres, 63, professes Sunni trend and talked about a religion that is virtually unknown on the island.

In the last three or four years there has been an increase of people converted to Islam, which is currently around 4.00 registered.

The Islamic League of Cuba. (LIC)

“The LIC was created to raise awareness of this religion. Here we group the majority of the Islamic community in the country, also represent all national and international forums,” said Imam Yahya us.

In Cuba it is a religious institution that is legally registered and legally, is recognized in the register of associations under Resolution 89 of 2007, although worked since 2002.

At present there are 10 temples scattered houses throughout Cuba. ”

On exclusions of women in Islam says: “We do not exclude women as some have been led to believe here about 70, mostly young, who have become, although most come from families converted..

Currently, “we have no means of access to official information to promote Islam, even though we have the rights to do so.”

In Cuba “there are few places where you can buy or get the Koran, but have had many examples of brothers abroad. During the last International Book Fair of Havana copies were given away in the pavilion of Saudi Arabia.”

Asked about the visit of a Turkish delegation that recently visited the island to supposedly build a mosque in Havana. Do you think that reality? said: “It would be great if a mosque was built, but I think that will not happen, although there are other places of worship built as the Greek and Russian Orthodox Church.

Do you get any help from the Cuban authorities?

No, we have never received help as this is a secular government, I do not think that other religions receive in Cuba. What exists is equality of all religions.

Agencies / CaféFuerte / InternetPhotos / YouTube / TheCubanHistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.

René Portocarrero, internationally recognized painter and sculptor. (born in Havana) ** René Portocarrero, pintor y escultor reconocido internacionalmente.

Posted on September 30, 2014 by admin

René Portocarrero (born Havana, 24 February 1912; died Havana, 27 April 1985) was a Cuban artist recognised internationally for his achievements.

He began his artistic education at the San Alejandro academy, but left early and is hence considered ‘self taught’.

He put on his first exhibition in 1934, at the Havana Lyceum, beginning a long and fruitful career which included a 1937 collaboration with Mariano Rodríguez and work as a ‘free studies’ teacher of painting and sculpture.

After travels in Haiti, Europe and the United States he gave his first show to an overseas audience at Julien Levy’s gallery in New York City in 1945.

In 1950 he worked with Wilfredo Lam, Mariano, Martinez Pedro and Amelia Palaez in the village of Santiago de Las Vegas. René received lessons in painting from Nicolás Guillén Landrián.

In 1977 he worked for the Japan Women’s Association. In 1979 he worked for UNESCO and AIAP.

In the 1980s he was the teacher of Victor Miguel Moreno Piñeiro (Victor Moreno), cousin of Servando Cabrera Moreno.

Artworks.

As well as a painter and sculptor, Portocarrero worked as a ceramicist, scenic designer and book illustrator, publishing his own Las Máscaras (The Masks) in 1935 and El Sueño (The Dream) in 1939.

He was also a muralist, producing public artworks for the Havana Prison, a church in Bauta, Cuba, the Cuban National Hospital, the Cuban National Theatre and the Hotel Tryp Habana Libre.

His artworks form part of the permanent collections of galleries in Argentina (Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires), Brazil (Museums of Modern Art, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro), Canada (National Gallery, Ottawa), France (Modern Arts, Paris), Peru (Instituto de Arte Contemporaneo, Lima), the United States (Museums of Modern Art, New York and San Francisco; Milwaukee Art Center; Union Panamericana, Washington; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Art Museum, Indianapolis), Uruguay (Bellas Artes, Montevideo) and Venezuela (Bellas Artes, Caracas), as well as his native Cuba (Museo Nacional, Havana).

Awards.

In his lifetime he won ‘best collection’ at the seventh São Paulo Art Biennial (1963), was honoured by the governments of Bulgaria and Poland, and given a seat on UNESCO’s International Association of Fine Art.

Five of his paintings can be viewed online at www.vanguardiacubana.com. In 1981 he received the ‘Felix Varela’ prize from Cuba and in 1982 he received the ‘Aztec Eagle’, Mexico’s highest award.

Agencies/Various/Wiki/InternetPhotos/thecubanhistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.

SPORTS: CUBA accuses U.S. of “Unconventional War” in Baseball. ** CUBA acusa a EEUU de “Guerra no convencional” en el baseball.

Posted on September 30, 2014 by admin

CUBA ACUSA A EEUU DE “GUERRA NO CONVENCIONAL” EN EL BASEBALL.

Cuba atribuyó a una “guerra no convencional” de Estados Unidos el éxodo de sus mejores jugadores de béisbol a las Grandes Ligas en ese país.

“No se puede ser ingenuo; obligarlos a dejar el béisbol de su nación, que igual que en Estados Unidos, es pasión, identidad nacional, cultura, donde son ídolos, líderes de opinión, admirados por niños, jóvenes, y adultos, tiene el miserable objetivo de convertirnos a los héroes en traidores y para ello se destinan sumas millonarias.

Cualquier parecido con la guerra no convencional no es pura coincidencia”, dijo hoy el diario oficial Granma.

Según el artículo del órgano del gobernante Partido Comunista de Cuba, todos los jugadores cubanos que se fueron del país para jugar en Estados Unidos han tenido “excelentes resultados”. Mencionó a José Dariel Abreu, con 36 jonrones, 107 impulsadas y 317 de average en la Gran Carpa, además de ser el primero en slugging, con 581, a Yasiel Puig (297 a la ofensiva) y al lanzador Aroldis Chapman con más de un centenar de “ponchados” en 53 entradas, con 35 juegos salvados.

El comentario de Granma siguió a la deserción de otra “estrella” nacional de ese deporte, el segunda base Héctor Olivera, semanas después que el joven prospecto Yasmani Tomás tomara el mismo camino.

El periódico reconoció que los millones de dólares que ganan los jugadores en las Grandes Ligas en EEUU “generan un desarrollo acelerado, sustentan un espectáculo de altísima calidad, convirtiendo en máquinas perfectas la geografía humana de los atletas, llevándolos a insospechadas realizaciones”.

No obstante, agregó que “también arrastra los lastres del doping (o lo que es lo mismo la trampa, tan peligrosa que ya se ha cobrado algunas vidas); la corrupción, que ha tocado hasta la mismísima cúpula del Comité Olímpico Internacional (COI)”.

El deporte profesional en Cuba fue suprimido por las autoridades en 1962. La medida provocó el cese en el béisbol de un campeonato anual muy vinculado a las Grandes Ligas de Estados Unidos, que fue sustituido con el torneo “amateur”.

Por décadas los pocos peloteros que “desertaban” para jugar en torneos extranjeros eran considerados “traidores”.

En 2014, en el marco de cambios que aplica el gobierno desde 2008, ganaron vigencia nuevas regulaciones que ampliaron las compensaciones que pueden ganar los “peloteros” en Cuba y las autorizaciones para que estos puedan jugar en otros países, en ligas profesionales. Pese a ello el éxodo no se ha detenido.

Agencies/CRESatelital/InternetPhotos/Excerpts/TheCubanHistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.

CUBA PHOTOS.

CUBA ACCUSES U.S. OF “UNCONVENTIONAL WAR” IN BASEBALL.

Cuba attributed of “unconventional warfare” to the US for the exodus of their best players to the Major League of Baseball of that country.

“You can not be naive; force them to quit baseball his nation, as in the United States, is passion, national identity, culture, where they are idols, opinion leaders, admired by children, youth, and adults, has the wretched goal of becoming heroes traitors and for that millions of dollars are allocated.

Any resemblance to unconventional warfare is no coincidence, “the official newspaper Granma said Friday.

Under Article organ of the ruling Communist Party of Cuba, all Cuban players who left the country to play in the United States has been “very successful”. He mentioned José Dariel Abreu with 36 homers, 107 RBIs and 317 average in the big leagues, in addition to being the first in slugging, with 581 to Yasiel Puig (297 on offense) and pitcher Aroldis Chapman with more than one hundred “strikeout” in 53 innings with 35 saves.

Granma’s comment followed the defection of other national “star” of the sport, second baseman Hector Olivera, weeks after the young prospect Yasmani Thomas took the same path.

The newspaper acknowledged that the millions of dollars earned by players in the majors in USA “generate accelerated development, support a spectacle of the highest quality, perfect machines becoming human geography of athletes, leading to unexpected realizations.”

However, he added that “also drags ballasts doping (or what is the same trap, so dangerous that has already claimed some lives); corruption, which has played to the very dome of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). ”

Professional sports in Cuba was suppressed by the authorities in 1962 The move caused the cessation of a baseball closely linked to the major leagues in the United States, which was replaced with the “amateur” annual championship tournament.

For decades the few players who “defected” to play in foreign tournaments were considered “traitors”.

In 2014, under changes applied by the government since 2008, gained force new regulations that increased the compensation that can win the “players” in Cuba and authorizations so that they can play in other countries, in professional leagues. Despite this exodus has not stopped.

Agencies / CRESatelital / InternetPhotos / Excerpts / TheCubanHistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.