AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The new round of Italian city council elections, taking place in 894 cities (including 18 provincial capitals), has become an arena for the manifestation of the Muslim community's political power. In Venice, a city in northern Italy, the Bangladeshi-origin Muslim community has united in full force to support their candidates on the Democratic Party's (left-wing) list. The central demand of this campaign is the construction of a new mosque in the Mestre area (a district of Venice). Candidates such as Miah Rhitu and Sumiya Begum, who have appeared on the campaign trail wearing the Islamic hijab, along with Kamrul Syed, are striving to establish Muslims' right to religious freedom.
Beyond the north, in southern Italy and the city of Agrigento (located on the island of Sicily), the presence of Muslim candidates on electoral lists has become controversial. Adnane Khezar, a Moroccan-origin entrepreneur, and Carmela Lombardi, who has appeared in campaign materials wearing the hijab, have announced that religious faith should become a political project to serve the city. Emphasizing the oneness of God, these candidates are striving to elevate the social standing of Muslims. This similar trend is also observed in other cities such as Lecco and Legnano in the Lombardy region, where Muslim candidates, supported by left-wing mayors, seek to consolidate their religious identity.
In Rome, the capital of Italy, an Islamic organization known as MuRo27 (short for "Muslims for Rome 2027") has issued a direct warning to Democratic Party officials in District 5 of the city. This district has the highest concentration of the capital's Muslim population. Francesco Tieri, a spokesperson for this organization (a converted Italian Muslim), has asked Mauro Caliste, the district president, why five-year promises to bring mosques out of their "unofficial" status have not been fulfilled. He emphasized that there are at least 15 places of worship in this district that should be recognized according to urban standards and the legal right of followers of religions, and brought out of hiding.
These movements have faced sharp reactions from right-wing and nationalist parties. Members of the Brothers of Italy party (Fratelli d'Italia) believe that the left wing, by ignoring urban regulations, is striking a deal with Muslims to gain their votes. Mauro Malaguti, a member of the Italian parliament, has claimed that the left wing, after being disappointed by the working class, is now seeking to build a new voter base among the immigrant and Muslim communities. According to these right-wing currents, the presence of Muslims on the electoral lists of left-wing parties will be a prelude to the formation of independent Islamic parties in the near future, which would prioritize religious matters over current national laws.
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