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| Europe |
| Italian lawmaker proposes kicking out Arabs... |
| 2002-08-08 |
| An Italian coalition lawmaker has called for a crackdown on mosques and Arab visitors in Italy. Federico Bricolo, the No. 2 whip in the Chamber of Deputies for the anti-immigrant Northern League party, asked Italy's interior minister on Wednesday to "close down all those Islamic centers and those mosques frequented by possible supporters of terrorism." Whatever for? Just because they're centers of subversive activity and instigation of racial hatred? "League: 'Let's kick out the Arabs from Italy,"' was how Il Giornale, a Milan daily, headlined its report on Bricolo's appeal for a reduction in Italian entry visas for Arab citizens. According to AP, Bricolo justified his position Wednesday in a statement: "You don't host the enemy and you don't help him." Well, maybe you don't... Bricolo’s call came after a secret services report presented to Parliament said that Italy could be a target of an attack because of Rome's support for the US-led war against al-Qaeda. "Enough of this tolerance for the intolerant. Arabs out of our country," Bricolo said. But... But... You have to be tolerant of the intolerant, because, ummm... they say so. Quickly denouncing Bricolo's stand was another coalition party member, Luca Volonte', who made clear on state radio Thursday that the appeal was unacceptable. "Not even during the First Crusades were Arab merchants kicked out of the Veneto," region of northeast Italy, where the League is now powerful, Il Giornale quoted Volonte' as saying in other comments. So he's in favor of tolerating the intolerant? Well, at least he's honest about it... A former Italian ambassador, Mario Scialoja, who converted from Christianity to Islam, and who is an Italian representative of an international Muslim group, said Bricolo "denotes a culture crudeness unworthy of an Italian parliamentarian." Obviously, having |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |