AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Local Italian media have recently exposed the dimensions of the anti-religious and Islamophobic legislative proposal by the right-wing Lega party. This bill, being examined in the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the Italian Parliament under the title "Draft Law 1385," under the cover of terms such as "combating religious fundamentalism and radicalism," openly targets religious minorities without a formal agreement with the state, particularly Italian Muslims, with new police, security, and colonial policies.
This controversial bill, presented with the signatures of representatives such as Igor Iezzi and Riccardo Molinari, using estimated statistics, claims that Italy's Muslim population will reach three million by 2030, and presents this population growth as a backdrop for security threats, terrorism, jihadism, and criminal cases. Critics of the plan emphasize that the designers of this law have prepared a long list of inquisitions against minorities before any crime occurs; recording the number of worshippers, names and records of prayer leaders, the principles and beliefs taught, the financial resources of mosques, and the assets of the Muslim community are part of this inquisition.
An important part of this plan is a clear assault on the sovereignty of religious freedoms; according to Articles 1 and 2 of this draft, a "National Registry of Imams and Preachers" would be established in Italy's Ministry of Interior, and those whose names are not registered would not be allowed to lead congregational prayers or conduct religious rites. Conditions for registration include having an Italian language certificate at the B1 level, five years of continuous residency, no open judicial cases (even without proof of a crime), and beyond that, an expression of loyalty and "heartfelt sharing of the values of the Charter of Citizenship and Western integration," which critics say is a form of imposing beliefs.
In the area of places of worship, the bill's clauses explicitly deny the right to have a mosque; according to Article 3, any speech or sermon in a language other than Italian is prohibited, and violators face fines of up to 10,000 euros and immediate closure of the place of worship. Additionally, the construction, renovation, or change of use of mosques is subject to the approval of the regional council and a positive vote from the majority of local residents through a "public referendum"; an act that officially holds religious freedom hostage to the decision of the majority. The law's designers also, by linking religious needs to the statistics of "resident foreign nationals," insist on describing Islam as a foreign religion belonging to non-Italian immigrants, so that the citizenship rights of Italian-born Muslims are overlooked.
Italian media also acknowledge that the Italian government is moving toward approving this control tool while it is itself the main culprit in failing to fulfill bilateral commitments, including halting the finalization of the legal recognition of reputable Islamic organizations such as COREIS and UCOII, despite technical approval from the Council of State, and also halting the review of changes to the statute of the Islamic Cultural Center of Rome (known as the Grand Mosque of Rome). This report warns that the ruling right-wingers in Italy, by closing the doors of interaction and suspending councils, are now seeking to pass garrison-like laws to control the thought, language, and faith of the Muslim community.
**************
End/ 345E
