Posted on 12/07/2008 4:27:55 PM PST by Bokababe
Rome, 4 Dec.(AKI) - Muslim intellectuals in Italy have rejected a plan by the conservative government to halt the construction of new mosques, arguing that a shortage of mosques was making it more difficult to monitor radical Islam. The anti-immigrant Northern League, a coalition partner, has renewed calls to stop any more mosques being built.
Its call followed the arrest on Tuesday of two Moroccans suspected of plotting terrorist attacks on several targets in the northern city of Milan.
One of the suspects accused of planning attacks in Milan was a Muslim preacher at an Islamic cultural centre outside the city.
"Rome's Grand Mosque is the only official mosque in Italy, so a moratorium on the construction of future mosques is futile," said the Association of Muslim Intellectuals in Italy's president, Gianpiero Vincenzo.
"It is far more important to regulate the various 'cultural centres' where Muslims in Italy have to gather for prayers because there are no more suitable venues," said Vincenzo.
The Grand Mosque in Rome has for some time been trying trying to set up a federation of cultural centres in Italy which pledge to abide by the peaceful and moderate principles of Islam, he said.
"It's a slow, delicate and strategically important task for the Muslim community in Italy and more help from the government and politicians would be invaluable," he said.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has sought approval to dissolve associations in Italy that promote terrorism.
The chief parliamentary whip for the Northern League party, Roberto Cota on Wednesday renewed earlier proposals by his party for a halt to mosque building in Italy. His call was met with outrage by centre-left opposition politicians.
The Northern League - to which Maroni belongs - has also proposed a referendum be held before any mosque or other place of worship is built.
The party has opposed mosque-building projects in several towns and cities in northern Italy, where Muslim immigrant communities have been growing.
Last November, Muslims and non-Muslims expressed outrage at the attempted 'desecration' of a plot of land earmarked for a mosque in the northern city of Padua by Northern League members who paraded a pig on the site.
Senior member and cabinet minister, Roberto Calderoli, last October proposed a regular "pig day" in which he threatened to take his pet pig for a walk on land in the Northern League stronghold of the Veneto region where mosques were planned.
Pigs are considered unclean in the Muslim and Jewish faiths.
The Northern League is a coalition partner of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's ruling People of Freedom party.
Senior member and cabinet minister, Roberto Calderoli, last October proposed a regular "pig day" in which he threatened to take his pet pig for a walk on land in the Northern League stronghold of the Veneto region where mosques were planned."
Hmmmm... that's one way to solve the problem!
Ping!
Similar article to the one you posted on the subject, but this is from an Italian news agency. Includes some info on what Northern Italians have done to protest the new mosques.
Italians don’t back down. I love the Northern League! I will take pigs over jihadists any day.
If Italy doesn’t do something.....if Europe doesn’t do something, Muslims will take it over. They best send them all home.
Do as the Russians are doing. Petition for Catholic Churches in Mecca, Medina, and Riyadh. No churches there, no Mosques here
Actually, I'm not really that cynical. I haven't written off Europe quite yet.
Italy - please reject Muslims!
Let me start by saying that the people from Padua are the crabbiest people I have ever met in all my travels.
On the other hand, I do respect them.
Now, wait! They “pledge” to be peaceful. Why wouldn’t we take their word for it?
“Actually, I’m not really that cynical. I haven’t written off Europe quite yet.”
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Do you think they are going to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?
Maybe for the same reason that I didn't believe every guy who told me he loved me just to try to get into my pants -- but hey, maybe that just me!
If more of them stand up to islamofascist aggression then defeat is not inevitable.
Putin had the right idea in this case, equating the building of a mosque in Moscow with the building of a Russian Orthodox church in Saudi Arabia.
When permission to build a mosque is refused, the Muslims always scream that their religion is being treated unfairly. But if the government of Italy refuses permission, until Saudi Arabia permits churches, when they scream persecution, just tell them to talk to the Saudis.
Quid pro quo. Teach the Muslims that they can’t take, until they give, and they can’t have, until they offer. Like civilized people.
Muslims hate that. They want something for nothing.
***Do as the Russians are doing. Petition for Catholic Churches in Mecca, Medina, and Riyadh. No churches there, no Mosques here****
When the Islamists origionally petitioned for mosque ROME the dictator Mussolini said they could ONLY when a church is built in Mecca.
There is now a mosque in Rome but not one in Mecca, or all Saudi Arabia.
Northern Italians are usually snobs. If they stand up to Islam and parade pigs around possible Muslim sites then they are my heroes. We have one in NJ named Leo Donofrio standing up to another muslim.
Good for Putin. Hopefully the Italians and Pope will tell the muslims for every mosque built we want a church in a Muslim country.
I like the idea on parading pigs around land areas they are considering for poissble mosques.
True, but I generally have a certain "snob appeal", as they think that I am one also (which I am to some degree).
But in Padua, I thought that they were going to spit at me just for asking directions in American-accented Italian. In Milan, the Lakes, Mantua and Firenze, I did well and we were very comfortable.
The only thing that I guessed was that Padua is close to Vincenze where the US military base is and it's isn't very popular among Italians.
I have been to the area around Vicenza. They all usually over dress in restaurants and coffee bars.
American-accented Italian? They probably thought you were Italian-American. The northern Italians look down on Italian-Americans as peasants from Southern Italy who left the south for America. The northern Italians believe the north is paradise and who in their right mind in the north would even think of emigrating.
They have a point. ;-)
If they keep standing up to Islam they have my undying love.
There was a great thing from the UK Daily Mail on FR yesterday from the Daily mail a serialized small bit of Mario Puzo new book on the Godfather and the story behind it. He recounted a story how Frank Sinatra was pissed that Puzo had the Johnny Fontaine character in the book and movie that was supposedly Sinatra. At restaurant Sinatra heaped abuse on Puzo. Puzo said it was humiliating because an northern Italian was insulting and southern Italian and the southern Italian (Puzo) walked away. I never knew Sinatra was a northern Italian.
Hmmmm....how about Italians rejecting muslims...home-grown & imported varieties....send them back to the dark ages.
One mosque in Italia for each new church in Saudi Arabia. Fair is fair. Even the Russians are adopting this policy.
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