Imam in Rome says suicide bombings OK—in Israel at least

The Jerusalem Post ^ | June 9, 2003 | LISA PALMIERI-BILLIG

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

The new Imam of the Grand Mosque of Rome, the largest in Europe, called for the "victory of Islamic fighters in Palestine, Chechnya and other areas of the world" in his sermon last Friday. He called for Allah's help in "the destruction of the homes and destruction of the enemies of Islam", for their "annihilation", and "the victory everywhere of the Nation of Islam."

In a report by Magdi Allam, the Italian columnist of Egyptian origin who writes regularly about the Arab and Muslim world for the national daily La Repubblica, 32-year-old Imam Abdel-Samie Mahmoud Ibrahim Moussa is quoted as having told the correspondent that suicide attacks in Israel are religiously legitimate, whereas they are not in Saudi Arabia, Morocco or Italy.

"From an Islamic viewpoint there is no doubt that the operations of the mujahidin against the Jews in Palestine are legitimate. They are missions of martyrdom and those who commit them are martyrs of Islam because all Palestine is a Dar al-harb, a territory of war. This is because all of the Jewish society illegally occupies an Islamic land."

On the other hand, in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, "Islam condemns attacks against foreigners who are hosted by the Muslim people. We have an Aqd al-wafa'a, a Covenant of loyalty with them. We welcomed them and we are responsible for their physical safety."

By the same token, Muslims living in Italy may not commit terrorist acts against Italians because an Aqd al-aman, covenant of security, binds them to loyalty to the State that provides for the physical safety of the resident Muslims.

These, together with rigid invocations against marital infidelity and on the dependent role of women, were some of the statements made in the sermon and the subsequent interview. During the sermon, the Imam reportedly also forbade marriage with Jewish women.

He cited three requirements for marriage with Jewish or Christian women: "1) they must be chaste, 2) they must be religious, 3) the people of their religion must not fight Muslims." He concluded, "this is why today marriage with Jewish women is forbidden."

Imam Moussa was selected by the Egyptian Al Azhar University by a tacit agreement with the Saudi Arabian-financed Mosque of Rome. He is described as inexperienced, with no knowledge of the Italian language.

The Italian Minister of the Interior, Giuseppe Pisanu, in an interview by Magdi Allam published May 24, said "Italian mosques must be entirely freed of preachers of violence" adding "I know from bitter experience that the history of terrorism is a history of political underestimations that lead right up to the eve of tragedy."

So far there has been no official reaction by the government. Leaders of Muslim organizations in Italy have made contrasting comments to this episode, which Magdi Allam, author of several books on Islam in Italy, considers not an isolated phenomenon of the preaching of hate.

Very few openly condemned the Imam for his words, finding "excuse" in the fact that he is foreign and not used to the Italian mentality—tacitly justifying such preaching in an Arab Islamic context. There are approximately one million Muslims in this country (mostly immigrants), by far outnumbering the numerically small but historically important 35,000-member Jewish Community.

He considers the majority of Muslim immigrants, a very pluralistic lot who come from all over the world, to be moderate and peaceful. However, the minority of fundamentalists who openly espouse anti-US and anti-Israel extremist positions are harbored in some of the 250-odd mosques spread across the country and by the official organizations of Islam, such as the UCOII organ of the Union of Italian Islamic Communities, connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, an international association of Islamic integralism originating in Egypt and responsible for the murder of Sadat, among many other acts of terror in the past.

The Muslim community in Italy has been dragging its feet in negotiating an agreement with the Italian Government modeled on the Catholic Church-State Concordat and other agreements between the government and other religious minorities including that with the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.

The main difficulties seem to lie in the lack of unified views due to the great variety of ethnic origins of the immigrants, plus the ideologies and vested interests behind official Islamic organizational structures. Italians, conditioned by the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church, which embraces about 90 per cent of the population in Italy, tend to look for hierarchical counterparts or "official voices" in other religions, where they simply do not exist.

Islam in Italy has expanded enormously in the past ten years. Conversions to Islam have increased, but mostly the growth is mostly due to the great waves of immigrants landing daily on Italian shores, both legally and illegally. Effective solutions to problems regarding integration lag behind this reality.

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

What does CAIR have to say about this?

[Starrgaizr]

It is a clash of civilizations. Or rather, between civilization and barbarism. Israel is on one of the front lines. And it is an open question whether civilization has the strength to win. It will require internal reform and civilization of the Islamic world alongside external containment. But the latter will not be enough if radicalism is not made an unacceptable fringe element within Islamic society.

[American in Israel]

So, I wonder what this Imam would think if Jews began to bomb Islamics in return. Would it then be ok? Perhaps a nice F16 strike on his house or something?

[Bikers4Bush]

Ultimately we're going to have to kill of most of the muslims if we expect to be allowed to live in peace.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Allah is not the God of Abraham.

[denydenydeny]

Islam's horrible metastatic self-destruction continues.

[theDentist]

Each of these Imams should be dragged from their mosques and home and publicly flogged.

[Lijahsbubbe]

He considers the majority of Muslim immigrants, a very pluralistic lot who come from all over the world, to be moderate and peaceful. However, the minority of fundamentalists who openly espouse anti-US and anti-Israel extremist positions are harbored in some of the 250-odd mosques spread across the country and by the official organizations of Islam

More examples of the 'moderate Muslim'. What happened to "those who harbor terrorists will be held accountable"?

[Aquinasfan]

He called for Allah's help in "the destruction of the homes and destruction of the enemies of Islam", for their "annihilation", and "the victory everywhere of the Nation of Islam."

In matters political Islam is a system of despotism at home and aggression abroad. The Prophet commanded absolute submission to the imâm. In no case was the sword to be raised against him. The rights of non-Moslem subjects are of the vaguest and most limited kind, and a religious war is a sacred duty whenever there is a chance of success against the "Infidel". Medieval and modern Mohammedan, especially Turkish, persecutions of both Jews and Christians are perhaps the best illustration of this fanatical religious and political spirit.

Mohammed and Mohammedanism
1917 Catholic Encyclopedia

So much has changed in the last 100 years...

[SauronOfMordor]

The Grand Mosque of Rome needs to be razed and a pig farm installed on the land it used to occupy.

[LarryM]

More examples of the 'moderate Muslim'. What happened to "those who harbor terrorists will be held accountable"?

Just hot air. In fact, the new State Dept. policy has a Jewish clause: It's OK to murder Jews to advance the "peace process," but murdering Americans (as long as they aren't Jewish) is unacceptable terror that must be fought everywhere.

[Aquinasfan]

So, I wonder what this Imam would think if Jews began to bomb Islamics in return. Would it then be ok? Perhaps a nice F16 strike on his house or something?

It's a sobering fact that Pakistan has the bomb. And I have a bad feeling that Iran is next.

[Consort]

The new Imam of the Grand Mosque of Rome...

Is that prophetic of the replacement of the Pope and the Vatican? Don't answer too quickly.

[dennisw]

Ultimately we're going to have to kill of most of the muslims if we expect to be allowed to live in peace.

The Muslim world needs a major dose of Ritalin and vaporizing their so called holy cities would fill the prescription. I say take out Mecca/Medina/Qom and you eliminate the Jihad factor, you make a new more humble and chastened Islam. As peaceful as Buddhism. Buddha saw the light and so can some fresh Islamic leaders.

[Stultis]

Bump!

[dennisw]

YEAR 1995 ---->



Prince Salman and Italian President Scalfaro Open Islamic Center in Rome


Riyadh Province Governor Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz and Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro in late June inaugurated the Islamic Cultural Center in Rome, the largest of its kind in Europe. The ceremony, which began with a reading of the Holy Qur'an by ten-year-old Ahmed Gaber, was also attended by Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Ali, the Islamic Cultural Center Director Dr. Abdullatif Al-Khatani, Italian Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli and other senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Italy and other Muslim states.


The focal point of the new cultural center is a mosque with a prayer hall 197 feet by 131 feet in size surmounted by a central dome 65 feet in diameter and surrounded by 20 smaller domes. Built with marble and decorated tiles bearing Islamic motifs, the mosque's minaret is 129 feet high.


Capable of accommodating 2,000 worshippers inside and 2,000 worshippers outside, the mosque will serve the spiritual needs of the estimated 800,000 Muslims currently residing in Italy. The cultural center also houses a library with over 30,000 works, a conference hall, a museum of Islamic artifacts and an Islamic school.


The estimated cost of the project is 50 million U.S. dollars, with Saudi Arabia funding half of the cost and more than 22 other Muslim countries contributing the remainder. The 7.4 acres of land the complex is situated on was donated by the city of Rome.


Prince Salman pointed out that the mosque is a "worthy addition to Rome's rich heritage" and a "practical contribution toward what can be achieved by believers in God and his message in saving the ship of humanity, a ship battered by troubled times." He described the center as a "bridge between the Islamic world and Italy" and noted that Islam calls for cooperation between all peoples and all cultures.


Italian President Scalfaro told the participants: "We are glad that in this city of popes, Muslims now have a place of worship." During one of his public audiences, Pope John Paul II said: "It is significant that in Rome, center of Christianity, Muslims have their own place of prayer in full respect of their freedom of conscience."


Minister Al-Turki said the Rome center will help the Italian people in particular and the European people in general acquire a better understanding of Islam and its message of peace and brotherhood.


Before leaving Rome, Prince Salman and Minister Al-Turki met with Italian Prime
Minister Lamerto Dini to discuss Saudi-Italian relations and issues of common interest.



###

[Alouette]

What happened to Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi? Didn't he used to be the Chief Imam of Rome? Has he finally been fatwahed? (There has been a fatwah out on him for years)

[Lijahsbubbe]

3) the people of their religion must not fight Muslims." He concluded, "this is why today marriage with Jewish women is forbidden."

Hilarity. Guess that rules out everyone else but Muslims. Why bother to have a #1 and #2?

[dennisw]

What happened to Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi?........

I'm sure he's around. Just at a smaller Mosque. Looks like the Grand Mosque is Saudi funded (what a shock) and no way is a Palazzi type Imam going to run a Saudi mosque

[martianagent]

Islam in Italy has expanded enormously in the past ten years. Conversions to Islam have increased, but mostly the growth is mostly due to the great waves of immigrants landing daily on Italian shores, both legally and illegally. Effective solutions to problems regarding integration lag behind this reality.

What if anything does the mafia have to say about any of this? Where's Don Corleone when you need him??