Italy's League blocks Muslims from buying and converting chapel

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Italy's League blocks Muslims from buying and converting chapel

 

Italian Northern League leader Matteo Salvini speaks during a political rally in Milan, Italy February 24, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

 

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's far-right League party intervened on Sunday to block efforts by a Muslim association to turn a former hospital chapel into a mosque.

 

The Muslim group last week made the highest offer for the chapel in the northern city of Bergamo at an auction organised by a local hospital, outbidding the Romanian Orthodox Church which had been using the building for its religious services.

 

But the project proved short-lived, with League leaders in the wealthy Lombardy region, which includes Bergamo, announcing they would halt the sale by using a 2004 law that enables them to intervene and safeguard cultural sites.

 

"I would never put a Church on sale and I am amazed that the hospital management did not realise what a sensitive issue this is," Lombardy President Attilio Fontana, a League politician, wrote on Twitter.

 

"However, we will exercise our right of first refusal (for the sale) and there will be no space for any appeal," he added.

 

His decision means the region must now buy the property.

 

League leader Matteo Salvini warned earlier this year that Italian culture and society risked being eradicated by Islam. "Centuries of history risk disappearing if Islamisation, which up until now has been underestimated, gains the upper hand," he said in a statement.

 

Muslims only represent a small minority in Roman Catholic Italy, with the Pew Research Centre saying they will make up 4.9 percent of the population by 2020 against 3.7 percent in 2010.

 

Islamic associations complain that local building restrictions makes it almost impossible for them to get licences to build mosques, meaning that they often have to use structures such as garages to hold their prayer meetings.

 

There was no immediate reaction from the Bergamo Muslim group.

 

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by David Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-29

[Orton Rd]

They can always pray at home, try getting permission for a Church in Saudi Arabia!

[welovesundaysatspace]

59 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

They can always pray at home, try getting permission for a Church in Saudi Arabia!

The Catholics could pray at home as well. 

[Dellboy218]

1 minute ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

The Catholics could pray at home as well. 

Try getting permission to build a church in Saudi! 

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 minute ago, Dellboy218 said:

Try getting permission to build a church in Saudi! 

I don’t want to build a church in Saudi, so why should I do that? 

[vanillalatte]

Welovesundaysatspace!You do not need any church anywhere,you don't pray in church,you pray in front of your mirror?

Edited October 29, 2018 by vanillalatte

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

The Catholics could pray at home as well. 

The Italians are protecting their heritage, and good on them.

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 hour ago, vanillalatte said:

Welovesundaysatspace!You do not need any church anywhere,you don't pray in church,you pray in front of your mirror?

That’s what user Ordon Rd said. That people should just carry out their religion at home. 

 

For me, i am fine that religions have their churches and mosques and temples. 

[petermik]

That,s the way to go...........

[alfieconn]

Why do they need a Mosque ? in the Uk they just pray in the local park or street....... unfortunately!

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, alfieconn said:

Why do they need a Mosque ? in the Uk they just pray in the local park or street....... unfortunately!

There are already nearly 2000 mosques in the UK, how many do they need?

[AhFarangJa]

12 minutes ago, giddyup said:

There are already nearly 2000 mosques in the UK, how many do they need?

They will keep going until there is one on every street corner.............unfortunately.

[Morch]

There was no chance this wouldn't be taken as an inflammatory action. And little chance Muslim community leaders weren't aware of it. With all due respect to their religious beliefs, perhaps applying a bit of common sense would have worked out better.

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, Morch said:

There was no chance this wouldn't be taken as an inflammatory action. And little chance Muslim community leaders weren't aware of it. With all due respect to their religious beliefs, perhaps applying a bit of common sense would have worked out better.

That doesn't fit with their agenda.

[Thechook]

3 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

The Catholics could pray at home as well. 

I believe italy is their home.

[welovesundaysatspace]

16 minutes ago, Thechook said:

I believe italy is their home.

You shouldn’t believe so much but educate yourself. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

There are already nearly 2000 mosques in the UK, how many do they need?

How many churches do the Catholics need?

[giddyup]

10 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

How many churches do the Catholics need?

It's their country, they can build as many as they like.

[giddyup]

13 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

You shouldn’t believe so much but educate yourself. 

Perhaps you can educate all of us, is Italy home for catholic Italians or not?

Edited October 29, 2018 by giddyup

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

It's their country, they can build as many as they like.

Italy is owned by the Catholics? Very interesting. Again, talk about education. 

 

Just now, giddyup said:

Perhaps you can educate all of us, is Italy home for Italians or not?

Italy is home for many. Italians and non-Italians, Christians and other religions. Again, educate yourself. 

[gunderhill]

8 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Italy is owned by the Catholics? Very interesting. Again, talk about education. 

 

Italy is home for many. Italians and non-Italians, Christians and other religions. Again, educate yourself. 

If they all educated themselves there would be no need for any place of worship, but they still cling to their religious fairy tales worldwide , unfortunately.

[giddyup]

17 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Italy is owned by the Catholics? Very interesting. Again, talk about education. 

 

Italy is home for many. Italians and non-Italians, Christians and other religions. Again, educate yourself. 

Italy is predominantly (80%) a catholic country, and has been for many centuries. Muslims make up 2.3%. What's your point, it comes across as rambling or troll-like behaviour? It seems it is you who needs the educating.

Edited October 29, 2018 by giddyup

[welovesundaysatspace]

3 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Italy is predominantly (80%) a catholic country, and has been for many centuries. Muslims make up 2.3%. What's your point, it comes across as rambling or troll-like behaviour? It seems it is you who needs the educating.

You claimed Catholics somehow own Italy (“it’s their country”), so the only one who appears to be trolling or in the need of education would be you. What’s your point? 

[giddyup]

13 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

You claimed Catholics somehow own Italy (“it’s their country”), so the only one who appears to be trolling or in the need of education would be you. What’s your point? 

As much as any native of their country "owns it". Who else owns Italy, the French, the British? Listen, if you don't have anything actually constructive to add, instead of telling everyone to "get educated", I suggest you desist from further comments and making yourself look even more foolish.

Edited October 29, 2018 by giddyup

[welovesundaysatspace]

5 minutes ago, giddyup said:

As much as any native of their country "owns it". Who else owns Italy, the French, the British. Listen, if you don't have anything actually constructive to add, instead of telling everyone to "get educated", I suggest you desist from further comments and making yourself look even more foolish.

If you don’t want to be told to educate yourself, maybe don’t post utter nonsense that even my 6 years old nephew would laugh about. I will not stop calling people out for their bullshit. 

 

And if anyone makes himself look foolish then it’s the person saying a country is owned by its natives, whoever that is. Wanna share who those natives are that own France, Italy and the U.K.? 

 

 

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

If you don’t want to be told to educate yourself, maybe don’t post utter nonsense that even my 6 years old nephew would laugh about. I will not stop calling people out for their bullshit. 

 

And if anyone makes himself look foolish then it’s the person saying a country is owned by its natives, whoever that is. Wanna share who those natives are that own France, Italy and the U.K.? 

 

 

Typical, you call everyone else's comments as BS, but offer absolutely nothing to dispute those comments. I am no longer prepared to discuss the matter with someone who is only prepared to taunt and ridicule. You show yourself for exactly what you are.

[Snow Leopard]

35 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Italy is owned by the Catholics? Very interesting. Again, talk about education. 

 

Italy is home for many. Italians and non-Italians, Christians and other religions. Again, educate yourself. 

What do you think is going to happen if you want to build/convert a chapel into a mosque. It is going to cause issues. It was done for the purpose of being antagonistic that's why. Simple as that. Go and find a building that has no religious ties and then make an application to convert it.  

[hansnl]

5 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

The Catholics could pray at home as well. 

True, but they stopped killing others for not believing in their way.

[welovesundaysatspace]

10 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Typical, you call everyone else's comments as BS, but offer absolutely nothing to dispute those comments.

If it was to difficult for you to grasp: no one owns a country. Different ethnicities, religions, cultures and races can live there and practice their traditions. 

 

10 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I am no longer prepared to discuss the matter with someone who is only prepared to taunt and ridicule. You show yourself for exactly what you are.

I hoped you would enlighten us and explain your theory what “natives” own a country. But it’s probably a good idea to leave before you make yourself look even more foolish. To be honest, I didn’t expect you were able to explain your ridiculous theory. 

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

If it was to difficult for you to grasp: no one owns a country. Different ethnicities, religions, cultures and races can live there and practice their traditions. 

 

I hoped you would enlighten us and explain your theory what “natives” own a country. But it’s probably a good idea to leave before you make yourself look even more foolish. To be honest, I didn’t expect you were able to explain your ridiculous theory. 

Is it really necessary to repeat everything I say? I call you foolish, you repeat the same thing to me, I call your behavior troll-like, you repeat it back to me. Can you at least try to inject some originality into your  "polly want a cracker" mentality?  Thank god for the ignore button.