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Muslim wins Italian court ban on crucifixes in classroom
The Guardian ^
| Monday October 27, 2003
| Sophie Arie
Posted on 10/26/2003 6:33:33 PM PST by yonif
A Muslim rights advocate has scored a victory over the Catholic Church and conservative Italians, winning a court ruling that will remove crucifixes from the state primary school his children attend. "The presence of the symbol of the cross shows the will of the state to put Catholicism at the centre of the universe as the absolute truth," Judge Mario Montanaro ruled in the central town of L'Aquila.
A concordat with the Vatican confirmed in 1984 that Catholicism was no longer the state religion. And laws introduced in 1920s fascist Italy, making crucifixes mandatory in classrooms, have been interpreted loosely since then, though not revoked. The cross is still a permanent fixture in many government offices and hospitals.
The judge argued that the 1920s norms were out of date and that the crucifix culture in schools showed that the state had "not the slightest respect" for the role of other religions.
The ruling flies in the face of Italy's conservative leaders, including the education minister, Letizia Moratti, who supports the crucifix in class as a way of valuing "Christian roots". Roberto Maroni, a Labour minister and member of the rightwing Northern League, said yesterday: "This is outrageous. It is unacceptable that one judge should cancel out millennia of history."
Many teachers, however, have hailed the ruling as a sign that the education system should be made truly secular.
The court case was brought by Adel Smith of the Union of the Muslims of Italy. Of a Scots family, Mr Smith converted to Islam in 1987. In public, he termed the crucifix a "small body on two wooden sticks". He wanted Koran prayers displayed at his children's school and lobbied to have an "offensive" 15th century Giovanni di Modena fresco removed from Bologna cathedral and Dante's Divine Comedy deleted from the school syllabus. He said both showed the prophet Mohammed cast into hell.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catholicchurch; crucifixes; dante; divinecomedy; islam; italy; purge; school
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1
posted on
10/26/2003 6:33:34 PM PST
by
yonif
To: yonif
Ah - another glorious victory for the Genocidal Arabic Moon-Devil "Allah:
2
posted on
10/26/2003 6:38:13 PM PST
by
Pubbie
(Vote "No" On Recall, "Yes" On Bustamante)
To: All
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/3215445.stm BBC NEWS: "STORM OVER ITALY CRUCIFIX RULING" (Updated)
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The law on crucifixes in schools dates back to the 1920s
A controversy has erupted in Italy over a court ruling ordering a state kindergarten to remove crucifixes from its classrooms.
A judge in the central town of L'Aquila upheld a complaint by an Italian Muslim leader, Adel Smith.
The ruling has re-opened a bitter debate about religious symbols.
Italy's Justice Minister said he would order an inquiry into whether the decision conformed with Italian law.
The BBC's Frances Kennedy in Rome says the case is set to have far-reaching implications
It centres on a nursery and primary school near L'Aquila, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Rome.
The president of a Muslim group, Adel Smith, initially suggested that a symbol from the Koran should be displayed alongside the crucifix in his children's classrooms."
When this was denied, he took his complaint to the courts.
3
posted on
10/26/2003 6:43:02 PM PST
by
Cindy
To: yonif
Evil just keeps chipping away at us! Lord We Pray!
4
posted on
10/26/2003 7:08:30 PM PST
by
Wiggins
To: Wiggins
Man, if crosses are coming down in Italy... yikes.
5
posted on
10/26/2003 7:11:08 PM PST
by
wizardoz
(Palestinians are just dynamite!)
To: yonif
Disgusting cave in to malevolent Mohammedan members of Mad Mo's moon god cult.
6
posted on
10/26/2003 7:13:48 PM PST
by
dennisw
(G_d is at war with Amalek for all generations)
To: yonif
Get rid of the burqas, too!
7
posted on
10/26/2003 7:21:23 PM PST
by
Pearls Before Swine
(South-south-west, south, south-east, east....)
To: yonif
As I have always said about the barbaric bloodlusting cult of Islam: if Islamic culture won't grow up and enter the modern world peacefully then the modern world needs to make the Islamic world into a radioactive and epidemic-plagued, continent-spanning parking lot....
To: yonif
Many teachers, however, have hailed the ruling as a sign that the education system should be made truly secular.Yup, taking any references to God out of the classroom has just done wonders for the school system here in the US. Why not try it in the rest of the world.
9
posted on
10/26/2003 7:35:00 PM PST
by
YankeeReb
To: YankeeReb
It's the Christian God they don't want mentioned in classrooms. The Islamic Moon pagan deity would probably be allowable to these cretinous school administrators.
To: yonif
How can this be? Every time I turn around, I'm told that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance!! sigh...
11
posted on
10/26/2003 7:47:27 PM PST
by
Prime Choice
(---] Stay the course -- Bush 2004 [---)
To: Prime Choice
Maybe we should pray to get the Fascists back into power.
Say, maybe that would work in the US...
12
posted on
10/26/2003 7:51:26 PM PST
by
gcruse
(http://gcruse.typepad.com/)
To: yonif
He said both showed the prophet Mohammed cast into hell. My mother always told me to put things back where they belong.
13
posted on
10/26/2003 7:51:49 PM PST
by
Peelod
To: yonif
Cripes, if they are so disgusted by it why don't they just leave ???????
Talk about your overbearing, imposing, obnoxious guests !!!!
To: wizardoz; Salvation; xzins; RnMomof7; AAABEST; hope
UR# 5.......
Man, if crosses are coming down in Italy... yikes. Hitler and Stalin and Saaddaam Hussennn and 'OBL' (AQ) and ACLU and would 'love it'.
Pope said they worship the 'same god',....didn't he?
15
posted on
10/27/2003 1:44:01 AM PST
by
maestro
To: maestro
Good catch!
16
posted on
10/27/2003 7:07:53 AM PST
by
hope
To: yonif
Unbelievable.
17
posted on
10/27/2003 9:00:22 AM PST
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: dennisw; watchin; VOA; harpseal; timestax; xJones; justshutupandtakeit; TopDog2; ThomasMore; ...
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=457657
A school in Italy has been ordered to remove crucifixes from its classroom walls in a legal case that has ignited a bitter national row.
The debate was provoked by legal action taken by Adel Smith, a Muslim leader, who did not want his two children to attend classes in a building with crucifixes on the walls.
Islam-list
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
18
posted on
10/27/2003 10:56:50 AM PST
by
knighthawk
(And we all cry for freedom with your fists in the sky)
To: knighthawk
I would hope there was a bitter national row over this terrible decision!
19
posted on
10/27/2003 11:40:24 AM PST
by
OldFriend
(DEMS INHABIT A PARALLEL UNIVERSE)
To: knighthawk
We're going to find out, sooner or later,If Abdul will pray, to a smoking crater.
20
posted on
10/27/2003 11:59:30 AM PST
by
Travis McGee
(----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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