this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2024
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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.

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[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 137 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (11 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 74 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Italy literally invented fascism.

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

[–] Gympie_Gympie_pie@sh.itjust.works 35 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Mussolini invented fascism, not Italy . Lots of Italians fell for it and supported it, the rest of the population - the vast majority - had to endure it and were straight up forced to live by its rules through persecution, imprisonment, violence, oppression, physical torture, displacement and homicide. Google the crimes of the Camicie Nere. Millions of Italians were killed because they wouldn’t accept the dictatorship. Look up the Partigiani fighters, they are the true heroes of the anti-fascist fight. Google the Fosse Ardeatine Massacre as one of many examples. Americans fancy themselves the saviours but they stepped in very very late when all the hard work had been done already by the Partigiani. Italy is historically a socialist country, so to say “Italy invented fascism” is just wrong.

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Was Mussolini part of the government when fascism was invented? Then yes. Italy invented fascism.

It's okay. It's history.

[–] Gympie_Gympie_pie@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

What does that even mean…

Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini invented fascism. Indeed, it’s history. Whathttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_fascism

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Correct. They were part of the government at the time, therefore Italy invented fascism.

Just like Britain invented the first tank. Not "some dude in the government."

[–] iegod@lemm.ee 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Mussolini invented fascism, not Italy

If this is the case you're gonna have to give back a lot of things that are attributed to "Italy". I think it's well understood what is meant when someone claims something is from a region/area/country. It was an Italian and it took a country to back it. It's Italian.

[–] Gympie_Gympie_pie@sh.itjust.works -2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

it took a country to back it

So you don’t understand how dictatorship works, ok.

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago

Not the point. That's a huge red herring.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Millions of Italians were killed because they wouldn’t accept the dictatorship.

100,000 max (45k combat. 45k pow camps) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_resistance_movement

Those are the Partigiani, but countless other Italians have been killed because they were against fascism, even before the Partigiani movement formed.

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

So if any italians are like Israel. A country with a rich history of strife and oppression but basically ignore it because it's easier to blame others (in this case brown ppl/immigrants) as the cause of all their problems slowly sliding back to the ideals (in this case racism and fascism) they supposedly rejected.

[–] Sp00kyB00k@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

You are missing the point. The Dutch has Nazi's too, but also a lot of resistance. There is good and bad all around, even within people. If you want to label it as one thing, that would be shortsighted.

[–] rustyfish@lemmy.world 31 points 9 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

As a land of culture and sophisticated art or a land of toothless racists? Or is it both at the same time?

[–] subwoofer@lemmy.gockandgum.party 5 points 9 months ago

I can say that it is both

[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months 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 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months 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.

Anecdotal but my impression is that most people feel like Italy is a culturally sophisticated place and don't realise there's a lot of racism and prejudism.

[–] Cosmicomical@lemmy.world -1 points 9 months ago

This tells more about you than about Italians

[–] maness300@lemmy.world -2 points 9 months ago

I know plenty of people who think that and agree with his assessment that most people view Italian culture as refined and sophisticated, just like the French.

[–] bruce965@lemmy.ml 10 points 9 months 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 58 points 9 months ago (2 children)

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

Fascism is not exclusively about racism. It’s a government style were the first victims are the citizens themselves. Racism is a component of it.

[–] subwoofer@lemmy.gockandgum.party 4 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Damn, you must not live there, even in the south, were people are mostly ignorant, all I hear is complains about giorgia meloni and how shitty her government is 🥶🙏

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

But why did she win if not because of the majority of voting Italians wanted her? (which could be just half+1, I concede)

This is why Trump won in 2016. Complacency. "Everyone in my state hates his guts. He must not be popular, then. I don't even need to vote since Clinton will clearly win!"

[–] subwoofer@lemmy.gockandgum.party 2 points 9 months ago

Replied to the other person about this!

[–] Diplomjodler@feddit.de 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't live in Italy, that's correct. But if nobody likes the fascists, who voted for them, then?

[–] subwoofer@lemmy.gockandgum.party 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

The most likely reason is that most of the young people did not vote, leaving the vote to old people and middle aged ones.

Though, by living in the south, I may have a different view of it, as most politicians hate our southern asses, including the meloni

Edit: so, excluding most younger people, it leaves most of the northerns individuals ( who usually have more money invested in their infrastructure by governments ) and old people who are likely to vote for her. But it is still weird as literally anyone I talk to, not friends, just random people,vsay that they have not voted for her, even including some oldies that I know personally

Edit 2: no but like seriously, literally no one likes her, especially after the shitshow she has been making with the bonuses

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Just because they're not young, doesn't mean they don't count. Doesn't Europe have an aging population anyway? So if "old people" voted for her, and she won, then yes, Italians voted for her, period.

But it is still weird as literally anyone I talk to, not friends, just random people,vsay that they have not voted for her, even including some oldies that I know personally

Nope, not weird at all. That's pretty much the definition of "living in a bubble." I'm not saying this to insult you, OP. It's just that that's exactly what it is.

I saw it in Venezuela. People thinking that Chavez was never going to win. Hell, even all the media was projecting the other candidate to win (they were all biased.) Oh, but who are these people? Middle class. If all you do is talk to other middle class people (because god forbid you talk to poor people!), then all you'll hear is that no one will vote for Chavez. Except that the middle class is (was) just the 20% of the population, and the majority of people, 80% of them, were all in for Chavez. Chavez wins, and people like you get a surprised pikachu face.

[–] ABCDE@lemmy.world 27 points 9 months ago

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

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago
[–] VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

I have never once in my life thought of Italy as being sophisticated. I feel like they definitely use to be but havnt been in a long time.

[–] Gnugit@aussie.zone 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They also make very low quality export olive oil.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

They actually make really good quality olive oil but "water" it down with cheap filler oils and export an inferior product because that's safer and more profitable than trafficking drugs.

[–] maness300@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Totally agreed. There's a reason why italians sided with fucking hitler during world war 2.

They are insecurity incarnate.

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Even if we fully ignore that it was Mussolini, by that broken logic modern Germans are Nazis which they so obviously aren't.

I'm not saying this situation isn't a shambles but trying to say all Italians are insecurity incarnate is honestly stupid. They just aren't. Most Italians are lovely.

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world -2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

OP didn't say "Today's Italy" sided with hitler. Most Italians are indeed lovely, yes. But your comment is a strawman.

[–] subwoofer@lemmy.gockandgum.party 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Nah, op clearly meant present day Italians, the comment you are replying to is not a straw man

[–] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

cultured and sophisticated

Maybe french but not italian culture, no. Italian is more about passion. Them and spain are a typical southern climate culture to other europeans.

[–] thetreesaysbark@sh.itjust.works 7 points 9 months ago

Lol the french.

[–] maness300@lemmy.world -2 points 9 months ago

Have you ever heard of the Renaissance?