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

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.

    • Cosmicomical@lemmy.worldEnglish
      356·
      10 months ago

      How about we invest in properly educating children so we won’t need to worry about religion anymore?

      • Hadriscus@lemm.eeEnglish
        1219·
        10 months ago

        Religion is not necessarily a lack of education, perhaps there is a correlation where you live but it’s quite insulting to suggest this is universal

        • SkippingRelax@lemmy.worldEnglish
          247·
          10 months ago

          It seems to be, on the planet I live on. It’s literally trying to explain things with magic and imaginary creatures.

          • Hadriscus@lemm.eeEnglish
            65·
            10 months ago

            @SkippingRelax

            You’re being willfully reductive… religion is not only a cosmogony, it is also (and often dominantly) a set of rites and laws. People have always been educated and religious. But then that varies locally and I don’t hope to invalidate your experience by stating that

            • Cosmicomical@lemmy.worldEnglish
              121·
              10 months ago

              I’m sure you’re a good person, and I don’t have much against religion as a concept, but on average it’s not a force that i consider positive for humanity, and religious establishment is very easily corrupted in every possible way.

      • uis@lemm.eeEnglish
        527·
        10 months ago

        Sounds like communism. Or Navalny, but he is busy being corpse.

      • uis@lemm.eeEnglish
        353·
        10 months ago

        Ok. Then removing state funding and subsidies of all religions.

        • iegod@lemm.eeEnglish
          282·
          10 months ago

          That’s reasonable and should be the default. No special treatment, but no special restrictions either. That’s only fair.

          • uis@lemm.eeEnglish
            43·
            10 months ago

            Dunno. But they are in Russia. Fuck Putin.

      • stoly@lemmy.worldEnglish
        75·
        10 months ago

        Yes but then you’re hurting everyone equally. This is actually a better idea than discriminating against a single group because it’s actually fair.

      • mods_are_assholes@lemmy.worldEnglish
        513·
        10 months ago

        anti-theists never care about the damage they inflict, as they are strong believers that the damages religion brings is infinitely worse than the atrocities they feel they must commit to eradicate it.

        It’s just another flavor of fanaticism that feels entitled to their violent rhetoric because ‘they see more clearly’.

        It’s the same euphoria any zealot feels.