Posted on 07/31/2005 8:18:26 PM PDT by Pikamax
Italy bans Islamic burqas Natasha Bita, Florence August 01, 2005 ITALY has banned Islamic burqas under tough terrorism laws that provide two-year jail terms and E2000 ($3200) fines for anyone caught covering their face in a public place.
The counter-terrorism package, passed by Italy's parliament yesterday, doubles the existing penalty for wearing a burqa or chador -- traditional robes worn by Muslim women to cover their faces -- or full-faced helmets or balaclavas in public.
Police can extract DNA samples without a suspect's consent, detain them for 24 hours without a lawyer present, and deport foreigners suspected of terrorism under the new legislation. Soldiers involved in counter-terrorism have been given the same stop-and-search powers.
The changes, approved in a rare show of bipartisanship, came as Italian police arrested a fugitive hunted by British police over the bungled bombing attempt in London on July 21.
"In the course of the investigation, it has been possible to identify a dense network of individuals from the Eritrean and Ethiopian communities in Italy, believed to have helped the fugitive cover his tracks," Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu told the Senate. "We have before us a grave threat that has to be confronted with all the means of prevention and contrast that we have." Italian media yesterday reported that the suspected terrorist, named by British police as Somali-born Hussain Osman, was Hamdi Adus Issac, 27, born in Ethiopia and allegedly granted British citizenship using false Somali documents.
Osman, who reportedly lived in Rome for several years and speaks fluent Italian, is fighting Britain's extradition request via a European arrest warrant. He slipped through Britain's security dragnet last week by catching a train from London's Waterloo station to Paris. He then moved to Milan and Rome, where Italian police arrested him during a raid on a relative's apartment. They had been tracking him by monitoring his mobile phone.
Italy's biggest newspapers reported that Osman had admitted to his Italian police interrogator that he had carried a bomb on to a train in his backpack.
Italy's opposition leader, former European Commission president Romano Prodi, yesterday pledged to withdraw Italy's 3000 troops from Iraq if his centre-left coalition wins elections due by June next year.
"We will withdraw them as a occupying force because our job will be to aid in the reconstruction of Iraq," he said.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi -- who has said Italy will progressively withdraw its troops starting in September -- accused his rival of putting Italian soldiers' lives at risk by defining them as "occupying".
"He's breaking Western solidarity, justifying and enticing attacks against our troops," Mr Berlusconi said.
Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini accused Mr Prodi of exposing Italy to a terrorist attack.
Too bad it will never happen here with all the pussies we have running the show.
Is Europe starting to wake up to the serious problem they have allowed to infiltrate?
LOL!
My dad would be proud!!!!
Molte bene! Bravo Italia!
If only. From your keyboard to God's ear.
We care too much about being politically correct and "racial profiling". Last time I checked, Italians, Hispanics, anyone other than Muslims, weren't the ones flying planes into buildings or blowing up buses and tubes.
"now if we can get rid of the ACLU, the US should do the same"
Great suggestion!
Ding...ding...ding! I think this is the long-delayed wake-up call going off in Europe. The Spanish heard it first and shamefully disgraced their dead by caving to the terrorists. The Dutch heard it next in the butchering of Van Gogh. The English heard it this month when 52 people were blown apart going about the business of living. Now the Italians know they have enemy cells just waiting for the signal to inflict murder and mayhem on Italians. I would certainly be giving the Vatican extra protection since it is everything the Muslims despise and envy.
Fantastic!
Excellent, makes my 25% Italian genes proud.
Proud to be an Italian who supports President Bush.
Serious testicoli!
Grazi, grazi mille.
About doing the same in the States?
Immigration is destiny.
"Osman, who reportedly lived in Rome for several years and speaks fluent Italian"
A 27-year old eritrean thug who has lived in his native jungle and in Britain for a number of years, I doubt the mutant speaks fluent Italian or English.
Deport all muslims out of Europe. Deport them NOW!
"Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini accused Mr Prodi of exposing Italy to a terrorist attack."
God bless Italy's right.
Buttiglione, Fini and Berlusconi are our friends in this war on terror. Communist Prodi is our enemy.
Thanks for the laugh.
It's a shame when we have to look towards Europe for pointers. That being said, I don't think that this will have much effect. Italy is just doing something to get rid of some of the built up public pressure. Ban the burqa and these animals will adapt. Come to think of it, when did they use the burqa in their schemes (they might have and I just haven't heard of it)? No, the way to get to them is to have laws that are a little more invasive than that and are not just examples of tokenism.
Next thing you know, Leftists will insist that this move was the cause of the next terrorist attack.
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