A change to Italian urban planning legislation intended to clamp down on the conversion of garages or warehouses into mosques was presented in the Italian Parliament this month by PM Georgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party. Liberal opposition politicians criticised the legislation which they view as both Islamophobic and unconstitutional.
The draft bill was introduced by the ruling FdI party and amends the Italian building code to force religious groups to seek permission to use unsanctioned buildings, such as garages, and would heavily constrain the location of mosques in Italy.
If passed, the bill would force the closure of places of worship already located in buildings not approved by the Italian state. The legislation is largely seen as a way to stem any potential Islamification of Italy.
Despite having over a million Muslim residents, Italy only has a total of eight mosques in comparison to over 2,200 in France. The Italian state’s withholding of official recognition is largely what is hampering the construction of new mosques.
The Italian government is helped by the fact it does not officially recognise Islam as a state religion, which severely restricts the ability of new mosques to be constructed. The majority of Muslims worship in informal prayer spaces that are being targeted by the new legislation.
The construction of mosques has been a contentious issue in Italy for over a decade with FdI’s coalition partner Lega earning a reputation for campaigning against new mosques on the grounds of protecting Italian heritage.
FdI was elected last year on a platform of opposing mass immigration, particularly from outside Europe, with the bill spearheaded by the party’s leader in the Italian Chamber of Deputies Tommaso Foti. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has led efforts to reduce immigration, meeting with the Tunisian leadership last week to discuss how to stop the flow of illegal immigration into Italy.
The legislation is currently being debated in the Parliament’s environment committee. Similar anti-mosque legislation has been proposed previously by right-wing controlled regional councils in Lombardy and elsewhere.
Both the Greens and the liberal Democratic Party have voiced their opposition to the proposals, saying that the bill is unconstitutional and violates constitutionally guaranteed rights to worship freely. Recent immigration from Morocco, the Balkans, and Pakistan has led to a ballooning of the number of Muslims in Italy.
