Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Anti-Islamic books' success fuel fears of racism in Italy
The Guardian ^ | August 7, 2004 | Sophie Arie

Posted on 08/10/2004 3:46:25 PM PDT by veronica

Human rights groups warned yesterday that racism was becoming increasingly tolerated in Italy after the country's biggest-selling newspaper published a book by a veteran journalist which warns of an Arab invasion of Europe.

The 126-page tract by Oriana Fallaci appeared on newsstands with the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

In the book Fallaci makes sweeping criticisms of authorities for failing to stop Europe becoming "Eurabia" and "a colony of Islam", in a stealthy process she describes as the "burning of Troy".

Oddly, Fallaci interviews herself in the book, the third volume the New York-based journalist has written against Islam since the September 11 attacks in New York. The first two have been bestsellers in Italy and elsewhere.

"This kind of argument does a lot of damage," said Luciano Scagliotti, head of the Italian branch of the European Network Against Racism.

"We are very worried. Fallaci and others like her are using their popularity to create hatred. She is effectively telling thousands of people they must chase the Arabs out of Europe.

"It's a kind of racism that was unacceptable in Europe until a few years ago. Now, with this kind of publication, it is becoming acceptable. The more these books are published the more people even feel urged, encouraged and justified in wanting to chase the 'enemy' out of Europe.

"It's exactly the same thing we saw in Italy when the laws were brought in against the Jews in 1938."

Human rights groups and immigration experts have warned that Fallaci's message, along with the frequently xenophobic messages from the Northern League, a member of Silvio Berlusconi's government coalition, feeds on fear of foreigners in a country that has only experienced mass immigration in recent decades.

The Muslim community, now the second largest religious group in Italy, is made up of more than 800,000 first or second generation immigrants. Yet they are not formally recognised as a religious group.

The Italian government has signed accords with representatives of most other, much smaller religious groups, but Islam remains on the sidelines. The fragmented Italian Muslim community has failed to identify one official religious representative.

Fallaci's first book written after September 11, The Rage and the Pride, was an international bestseller, selling more than a million copies in Italy alone. Her follow-up, The Force of Reason, published in April this year as a tribute "to the dead of Madrid", has already sold 800,000 copies in Italy.

Her latest book attacks world leaders including George Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Henry Kissinger. But most of her venom is saved for Islamist terrorists, anti-war protesters and anyone leftwing, accusing protesters of "intellectual terrorism" and being "brainwashing", "philo-Islamists" who would happily allow Osama bin Laden to live in Italy.

The veteran war correspondent warns of inertia comparable to that of Europe in 1938 in the face of the Arab threat.

The Corriere della Sera, which belongs to RCS media group, hails Fallaci as "a woman who has the courage to write the truth about others and herself."


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-34 next last

1 posted on 08/10/2004 3:46:26 PM PDT by veronica
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: veronica

The islamic people CHOOSE not to assimilate into the culture. They want to bring down Western Europe to THEIR level. Whatever. Meanwhile, a saint like Orianna Falacci is dying of breast cancer.


2 posted on 08/10/2004 3:47:53 PM PDT by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: veronica

Human rights groups warned yesterday.......

Sounds like a great book. I await the English version


3 posted on 08/10/2004 3:48:21 PM PDT by dennisw (Once is Happenstance. Twice is Coincidence. The third time is Enemy action. - Ian Fleming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: veronica

Sounds like that book is enjoying similar popularity and sales rates in Italy as "Unfit for Command" is in America. Perhaps the human rights groups should consider that most humans AREN'T STUPID!!

Prairie


4 posted on 08/10/2004 3:50:55 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (God bless our coaltion troops.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

The second coming of Pim Fortuyn...
http://www.rnw.nl/hotspots/html/ned030110.html

Another book I wish would be printed in english


5 posted on 08/10/2004 3:51:42 PM PDT by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: cyborg


-----> From another newspaper

The Italian press has rejected Colombani's accusation, complaining that racism is not Italy's but Europe's problem. Newspapers pointed out that Israel's Ariel Sharon had called on French Jews to move to Israel to escape rising anti-Semitism in France.

But the success of an anti-Islamic tract by the veteran Italian war correspondent Oriana Fallaci, who says Europe is turning 'into Eurabia', added to fears that unabashed racism is winning an ever-wider audience in Italy. The book, Oriana Fallaci Interviews Oriana Fallaci, sold 500,000 copies in a matter of hours. Stocks of the volume, sold with the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, were exhausted and a new edition is being prepared.

'I say what I think and that is what people think but almost never say,' said Fallaci. 'They have found someone who gives a voice to their silence.' Many buyers said they read the volume because they wanted to know how extreme the extremist anti-immigrants were becoming.

Racism monitors say non-white Italians and coloured immigrants are treated systematically with less respect than white Italians in Italy.

'We are still at a stage in this country where coloured people are considered different and treated, if not as inferiors, as children,' said Luciano Scagliotti, representative in Italy of the European Network Against Racism.


6 posted on 08/10/2004 3:52:40 PM PDT by dennisw (Once is Happenstance. Twice is Coincidence. The third time is Enemy action. - Ian Fleming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

Racism monitors say non-white Italians and coloured immigrants are treated systematically with less respect than white Italians in Italy.

*** That is a BALDFACED LIE. I know PERSONALLY that is not true. *LOL* Lord have mercy. If their 'racism monitors' are anything like the victicrats the US has, all the more reason not to believe them.


7 posted on 08/10/2004 3:55:41 PM PDT by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: veronica
I would suggest that this book be banned so the hatred growing for the Arabs in Italy allows to fester.

If we're lucky, the rage will finally burst forth and the Italians will physically drive the ragheads out of Italia.

8 posted on 08/10/2004 3:57:28 PM PDT by zarf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cyborg

would this include the Bible?


9 posted on 08/10/2004 3:57:42 PM PDT by Rakkasan1 (Justice of the Piece:Kerry/Edwards...so full of crap they need two Johns.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Rakkasan1

?


10 posted on 08/10/2004 3:58:44 PM PDT by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Rakkasan1

If you mean that the Bible is an anti-islamic book, that's already being decided by Canada I believe. It's ridiculous. BTW, I'd argue that the Bible is anti-islam but not anti-muslim people because God loves all people but hates sin.


11 posted on 08/10/2004 4:00:33 PM PDT by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: zarf
Italians got more pride than the Froggies and the Germans who just about bend over for the Mohammedans.

Mi amo Italia e Burlusconi!!!

12 posted on 08/10/2004 4:03:46 PM PDT by dennisw (Once is Happenstance. Twice is Coincidence. The third time is Enemy action. - Ian Fleming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: cyborg

isn't any book opposing Islam a racist and mean-spirited book?


13 posted on 08/10/2004 4:06:55 PM PDT by Rakkasan1 (Justice of the Piece:Kerry/Edwards...so full of crap they need two Johns.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: dennisw
I await the English version

While you're waiting, here's a diferrent translation into English.

Romiyya

14 posted on 08/10/2004 4:07:19 PM PDT by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Rakkasan1

*lol* Yes in the eyes of the libs.


15 posted on 08/10/2004 4:09:26 PM PDT by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: veronica
It's interesting that whenever Islam is questioned, people scream 'racism'. Islam has nothing to do with race. It just creates more uproar to pretend it has something to do with race.

I have no problem with people of ANY race living next to me, of any culture or language, etc, as long as they aren't living in the 7th century and wiring up detonators.

16 posted on 08/10/2004 4:15:02 PM PDT by Sender ("Hype is on the way!" -John F'n Kerry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

"Many buyers said they read the volume because they wanted to know how extreme the extremist anti-immigrants were becoming."


EEE, I pinged you because this sentance made me think of you!


17 posted on 08/10/2004 4:16:17 PM PDT by jocon307
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Shermy

That crazy Muslim stuff has as much substance as Nostradamus's predictions.


18 posted on 08/10/2004 4:17:06 PM PDT by dennisw (Once is Happenstance. Twice is Coincidence. The third time is Enemy action. - Ian Fleming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: cyborg
Meanwhile, a saint like Orianna Falacci is dying of breast cancer.

That's a shame. She's a very gutsy lady.

19 posted on 08/10/2004 4:17:37 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (John Kerry did not spend Christmas in Cambodia, it was another lie from the faux Irishman)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dubyaismypresident

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1186880/posts


20 posted on 08/10/2004 4:18:48 PM PDT by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-34 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson