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'Islamic Culture And Values Not Compatible With European Civilisation': Italy PM Giorgia Meloni
Nayan Dwivedi
Dec 18, 2023, 10:29 AM | Updated 10:38 AM IST
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In a recent political festival organised by the far-right party Brothers of Italy in Rome, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stirred controversy with her bold statements on Islamic culture, sparking a heated debate on cultural compatibility and immigration in Europe.
"I believe that there is a problem of compatibility between Islamic culture and the values and rights of our civilization," remarked Prime Minister Meloni during the event, as reported by Livemint.
She further expressed concern about the financing of Islamic cultural centres in Italy, pointing out that they are often funded by Saudi Arabia, where Sharia law is enforced.
Meloni asserted that Europe is witnessing a process of Islamisation that is distant from the values of western civilisation.
The comments from Meloni, known for her outspoken views, have ignited a fierce discussion on the place of Islamic culture in European society.
Her statements come at a time when political leaders across the continent are grappling with the challenges posed by immigration and the integration of diverse cultural and religious communities.
The controversial remarks did not go unnoticed by foreign leaders attending the event.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was present at the festival, addressed the issue of asylum and warned about the potentially overwhelming impact of a growing number of refugees on Europe.
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, also made a rare appearance at the gathering, offering his perspective on immigration and cultural identity.
Musk emphasised the importance of preserving cultural identity, stating, "There is value in cultures; we don’t want Italy as a culture to disappear. We want to maintain a reasonable cultural identity of those countries or they won’t be those countries."
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Nayan Dwivedi is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
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