The War on Mosques in The Ultra Roman Catholic Country of Italy
How many Italian Catholic Churches are ther in the Arab countries and have ever any one asked to close them down?
Milan: Mosque facing closure
Roberto Maroni, the Italian Minister of the Interior (Northern League), says that unless a solution is found by the end of August to the Islamic Cultural Institute and mosque in the Viale Jenner in Milan, it will be shut down. Maroni says he is sure a quick solution can be found for the demands of the citizens to have their street and for the mosque to have enough space.
Municipality representatives and politicians met to discuss the problem. Maroni had met with representatives of the people living in the area of the mosque, who complain about the fact that four thousand Muslims come to the mosque on Friday and spread out their prayer rugs all over the street and sidewalks.
Umberto Bossi, head of the Northern League, says that this will close down the mosque and that this is an important step for the League, which is keeping its promise to the voters. They demand that the Muslims to move not only the mosque (which is in a garage) but also the Islamic center, that they will get no public aid, and that the conditions are met by the end of August.
Mayor Letizia Moratti's proposed solution was to open up places at the time of prayer to be used for prayer. One such place is the Velodromo Vigorelli, but this was hampered by the requirement to move both mosque and cultural center and by the resistance of the League.
One of the problems is that the municipality is willing to find a solution for the mosque, but not for the cultural center. Deputy Mayor Riccardo De Corato says that given the urban density there is no room.
Abdel Hamid Shari, head of the center, says he's willing to consider temporary prayer arrangement and the transfer of the center, but that nobody had spoken to him and the entire discussion is being conducted through the press. Shari says that he doesn't accept ultimatums, and that if they want to prevent people from praying on the streets, they should send the police to do so, rather than closing the center.
Source: Corriere Della Sera (Italian), h/t François Desouche (French)
Milan: Mosque facing closure
Roberto Maroni, the Italian Minister of the Interior (Northern League), says that unless a solution is found by the end of August to the Islamic Cultural Institute and mosque in the Viale Jenner in Milan, it will be shut down. Maroni says he is sure a quick solution can be found for the demands of the citizens to have their street and for the mosque to have enough space.
Municipality representatives and politicians met to discuss the problem. Maroni had met with representatives of the people living in the area of the mosque, who complain about the fact that four thousand Muslims come to the mosque on Friday and spread out their prayer rugs all over the street and sidewalks.
Umberto Bossi, head of the Northern League, says that this will close down the mosque and that this is an important step for the League, which is keeping its promise to the voters. They demand that the Muslims to move not only the mosque (which is in a garage) but also the Islamic center, that they will get no public aid, and that the conditions are met by the end of August.
Mayor Letizia Moratti's proposed solution was to open up places at the time of prayer to be used for prayer. One such place is the Velodromo Vigorelli, but this was hampered by the requirement to move both mosque and cultural center and by the resistance of the League.
One of the problems is that the municipality is willing to find a solution for the mosque, but not for the cultural center. Deputy Mayor Riccardo De Corato says that given the urban density there is no room.
Abdel Hamid Shari, head of the center, says he's willing to consider temporary prayer arrangement and the transfer of the center, but that nobody had spoken to him and the entire discussion is being conducted through the press. Shari says that he doesn't accept ultimatums, and that if they want to prevent people from praying on the streets, they should send the police to do so, rather than closing the center.
Source: Corriere Della Sera (Italian), h/t François Desouche (French)
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