‘Anti-Mosque’ Law (Round Two) Passed in Northern Italy

General view of the main mosque in Rome, Italy © Tony Gentile / Reuters

The Italian region of Liguria has approved a controversial law that may make it almost impossible for new mosques to be built in the area. Critics describe the law as anti-constitutional.

The set of new rules suggested by the Northern League party was adopted by a narrow majority, with 16 votes in favor and 15 against on Wednesday, according to Italian newspaper Il Secolo XIX.

The new restrictions define the criteria a new religious building should meet to gain a construction permit.

Any such construction must not run counter to the “architectural and dimensional suitability of religious buildings with the general and specific characteristics of the Ligurian landscape,” the paper reported, meaning mosques and minarets may be found “un-Ligurian” and as such don’t belong to the current image of the region.

The law, though not attributed to any particular religion, has been dubbed “anti-mosque” by local media outlets.

Politicians opposed to the legislation, including members of the Five Star Movement (Cinque Stelle) and the Democratic Party (PD), claim the law goes against Italy’s constitution, the Corriere Della Sera newspaper reported.

Marco Scajola, city planning assessor in Liguria, who supports the law, rejected the accusations, saying that “respecting the general characteristics of Liguria's landscape is a merit, not a fault,” l’Occidentale reported. He added that the plan would introduce “clear rules, without overstepping municipalities and citizens.”

The law will also give greater powers to the region’s local authorities to choose the location of new buildings and other criteria that are to be respected. Municipalities will hold referendums to decide whether a new religious building should get the green light. The practice may cause problems since it goes against Liguria’s municipal charter, which bans referendums on matters concerning “single individuals or specific group of people.”

Round One

A similar draft law approved in the region of Lombardy in 2015 was rejected by Italy’s Constitutional Court in February. Lombardy’s bill was to target faiths that are not officially recognized in Italy, but the plan was dismissed since it could “obstruct or compromise freedom of religion.”

Regional authorities in Liguria had to pay special attention to the text of their law to avoid the possibility of the same outcome.

The number of mosques in Italy is relatively low, though one in Rome is said to be among the largest in Europe. Muslims living or visiting Italy often pray in makeshift places of worship set up in rented buildings.

Islam is the only major faith in Italy that does not have official status.

    Liguria, Italy

‘Austria Will Stay in EU if Turkey Stays Out’ – Presidential Candidate Hofer to RT

Norbert Hofer © Heinz-Peter Bader / Reuters

There will be no need for a referendum on EU membership in Austria if the European Union decides not to let Turkey become a member, Norbert Hofer, the head of Austria’s eurosceptic Freedom Party (FPO) told RT.

“I believe that people are able to learn, that political structures are able to develop, and that Austria will contribute to making Europe better. There is one exception, however, that is if the EU decides to let Turkey join the Union,” Hofer said, adding that under such circumstances “Austrians will have to be asked whether they want this.”

“I hope that there will be no need for a referendum [on EU membership] in Austria, and that the Union will develop in a positive manner,” he added. “But I am fully certain that Austrian people will not accept Turkish membership in the bloc, as well as the situation where Austria is deprived of its powers in favor of the authorities in Brussels.”

I like this guy; he makes absolute sense.

Hofer said the EU must learn the lesson the posed by the British referendum, namely to divide the powers between its central authority in Brussels and the 27 member states.

“Of course I was concerned about the future of the EU [in view of the British referendum results]. I respect the decision the British nation made, all democratic decisions must be respected,” he said.

“However, the European Union must learn this lesson: we must be creating Europe for the people, not Europe for bureaucrats. This means that we need to come up with better agreements, we must divide the powers between the EU, on the one hand, and its member states, on the other, and get the citizens involved in these projects,” Hofer said.

He said that the EU has a chance to avoid the  of other European states following the UK out of the bloc if it becomes a subsidiary union, which “takes into consideration, which powers are exercised by its authorities, and which – by member states.”

"Bottom line, it all depends on the direction the EU chooses for its further development,” Hofer said.

Earlier, Hofer warned that Austria could hold its own referendum on EU membership within a year if the bloc insists on political “centralization.” The FPO leader and his establishment see the bloc as based on economic, rather than political, cooperation. And his views have an increasing influence on the public opinion in Austria, especially now that Hofer has a chance to become Austrian president after the country’s Constitutional Court ruled a re-run of last month’s presidential election which saw him narrowly lose the post by just 31,000 votes.

“If the EU chooses the right path, there will be no need for a referendum in Austria,” Hofer told RT.