this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2024
468 points (96.1% liked)

World News

51419 readers
2580 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Bangladeshi residents and others in Monfalcone say decisions to prohibit worship at cultural centres and banning burkinis at the beach is part of anti-Islam agenda

The envelope containing two partially burned pages of the Qur’an came as a shock. Until then, Muslim residents in the Adriatic port town of Monfalcone had lived relatively peacefully for more than 20 years.

Addressed to the Darus Salaam Muslim cultural association on Via Duca d’Aosta, the envelope was received soon after Monfalcone’s far-right mayor, Anna Maria Cisint, banned prayers on the premises.

“It was hurtful, a serious insult we never expected,” said Bou Konate, the association’s president. “But it was not a coincidence. The letter was a threat, generated by a campaign of hate that has stoked toxicity.”

Monfalcone’s population recently passed 30,000. Such a positive demographic trend would ordinarily spell good news in a country grappling with a rapidly declining birthrate, but in Monfalcone, where Cisint has been nurturing an anti-Islam agenda since winning her first mandate in 2016, the rise has not been welcomed.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 128 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (17 children)

Everyone likes to think of Italy as this land of the cultured and sophisticated with all the art, food, and architecture. But you'll find a lot of Italians are as racist and ass backwards as a toothless Klan member in Mississippi.

[–] Deestan@lemmy.world 70 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Italy literally invented fascism.

Hitler used to jerk off to pictures of Mussolini while building his movement.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] rustyfish@lemmy.world 28 points 2 years ago (3 children)

My GF is Italian. That’s pretty much how she describes Italy.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (4 children)

"Everyone likes to think of Italy as this land of the cultured and sophisticated..."

This is no big deal and it's kinda funny, but really it just sounds like you thought that, and then were shocked when you learned otherwise lol.

Because I honestly don't know anyone who believes that. While I'm sure there are people who do, it's not this massive common misconception that you're claiming.

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

No I've never been and don't plan on going, mainly because of the racism and warnings from other black travelers. That being said outside of Europe the idea Italians are cultured, suave, and classy is definitely a thing. Europe in general is stereotyped that way.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] bruce965@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 years ago (4 children)

As an Italian, I would say that's not the case, not "a lot of Italians are racist". I've had interactions with a few racist people of older generations, but I would say that they are the exception, thankfully.

[–] Diplomjodler@feddit.de 54 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Frankly, that's kind of hard to believe when your country has an openly fascist government

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] ABCDE@lemmy.world 25 points 2 years ago

You don't have votes the way you do without endemic racism. Football still has a massive problem too.

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago

Would you say Italian football fans would be considered "a lot of Italians?"

How about Serie A itself?

Or Fratelli d'Italia party members and voters?

Sometimes I think racism is nutrients for a lot of italians because they can not and will not stop with it

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (13 replies)
[–] redcalcium@lemmy.institute 79 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

The decision to ban burkini is weird. You can't swim nude on Italy's beaches, but can't swim fully clothed either?

[–] Hubi@feddit.de 47 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I can see how banning the Burkini in indoor pools makes sense from a hygienic perspective, but banning them on public beaches is just to take something enjoyable away from a specific group of people.

[–] crossmr@kbin.social 27 points 2 years ago

France is pretty strict on that. Apparently men can't wear trunk style swimming bottoms. I'm not sure how they handle the burkini vs rashguard issue. I know rashguards are very popular with a lot of east asians because they worry about skin cancer.

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

People pee in the pool. I doubt a Burkini is going to make the hygienic difference.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 2 years ago

Hard agree. Pools are gross—anyone getting in one knows that and accepts it. I’ll take a lady in a burkini over an unattended child any day.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] MacStache@sopuli.xyz 53 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure that's against italian constitution. Freedom of religion is a fundamental freedom on EU level as well.

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 17 points 2 years ago

Municipalities in Italy have been pushing an anti-Muslim agenda since at least 9/11 as part of the right-wing identity politics agenda.

Mosques and cultural centers are seen as radicalization centers.

They know that any court would shoot down shit like this as unconstitutional, but Italian law is slow as molasses and their goal is signaling to xenophobes and racists.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Who knew electing fascists would lead to fundamental freedoms of minorities being removed?

[–] soulsource@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 2 years ago

Who knew electing fascists would lead to fundamental freedoms being removed?

FIFY

[–] Jaysyn@kbin.social 39 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Christofascists are gonna fash.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] FartsWithAnAccent@lemmy.world 32 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (5 children)

Bigotry aside, that seems like a wildly unenforceable law: What are they going to do? Go house to house to make sure people aren't praying the wrong way?

[–] theinspectorst@kbin.social 46 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I mean, bigotry and unenforceability aside, it's also pretty unambiguously illegal.

Italy is a signatory to the ECHR which creates an explicit right to privacy (Article 8) and freedom of religion (Article 9).

The Italian constitution itself also specifies a right to religious equality before the law (Article 8).

[–] hydrospanner@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

Yeah that was gonna be my question: does Italy not have any legal mechanism in place that would be the functional equivalent of the US's supremacy clause?

Like...not saying shit like this isn't attempted all the time in deeply conservative areas of the US, but in most cases where the far right leadership has even a shred of strategic thinking, they often don't even attempt to pass or enforce laws like this because it'll trigger immediate challenge in the courts, the challenge will be 100% taken up and the decision will come down against them (since even in a conservative court, the only thing they hate more than ruling in favor of "liberal" causes is any ruling that would limit the court's power in the future), and at that point there's a permanent legal precedent in the books, against the repression they'd like to carry out.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] Reddfugee42@lemmy.world 19 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I am stunned, stunned I tell you, that a culture famous for its misogyny is also backwards in nearly every other possible way.

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago (4 children)

now come on - don't judge all Italians based on piece of shit Berlusconi and other fascists.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 17 points 2 years ago (3 children)

The amount of hate and ignorance ITT is staggering. Do better Lemmy, please

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago

Lemmy has passed it's golden moment now that enough regular Redditors made if over.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›