Vilnius Its Jewish influence has led to it being described as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" and Napoleon named it "the Jerusalem of the North" as he was passing through in 1812. In 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with the Austrian city of Linz. The name of the city originates from the Vilnia River. The city has also been known by many derivate spellings in various languages throughout its history: "Vilna" was once common in English. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: , , , , , , ("Vilne"). A Russian name from the time
United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel called for a boycott of American products. Anwar Abbas, a leading Muslim cleric of Indonesian Council of Ulema, read the petition calling for the boycott. On December 27, the Iranian government became the first Muslim nation that passed a bill recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Palestine. Hundreds of Muslims attended the Friday prayers outside the White House, in response to calls by American Muslim organizations. They wore Palestinian keffiyeh or colours of Palestinian flag, with protesters holding placards denouncing Israeli presence in East Jerusalem and West Bank. Protests were held against the decision in Times Square, by hundreds of pro-Palestinian