Italy: Illegal Mosques Still Operating in Milan

We have posted several translations in the past couple of years about illegal (unlicensed)  mosques operating in Italy especially in Milan.

This week, Il Giornale is running a story about one such mosque in Milan that has been operating in piste of several complaints from local residents. The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk. We are in the process of translating a video.

 https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/milano/assembramenti-e-moschee-abusive-milano-schiaffo-ai-milanesi-1932187.html

Is this not a red zone…? It is crowded at the illegal mosque

Milan is in the red zone, but in the extreme west periphery, Muslims flock to the mosque. The anger of the Lega (League)

-Francesca Galici, Friday, March 19, 2021, 16:43

Milan, All of Lombardy is again in the red zone beginning Monday, 15 March with the consequences that derive (from this).

It is prohibited to leave home if not for a valid, justified reason, which could be (for) health. The schools are closed, as well as restaurants, bars, and many commercial enterprises. The ban on assemblies is the same for the past year in all of Italy, particularly in red zones. The experts now say that even one meter of distance is not enough to reduce the risk of contagion due to variants, and therefore, it is necessary to at least double the social distance. If, for the most part, the majority respect these directions, there are those who seem to live above the rules, as pointed out by Silvia Sardone, Euro Parliamentarian and Lega (League Party) municipal advisor, and Stefano Pavesi, League advisor of Municipality 8. 

The two League advocates denounced what is happening in via (Street) Sabatino Lopez, on the extreme northwest periphery of Milan, between Bovisasca and Quarto Oggiaro. “Maybe something has escaped us, but via Lopez is precisely around the illegal mosque inside a former bakery; is it not a red zone like the rest of the city? Judging by the gatherings of Muslims on the sidewalks, it seems not,” noted the two League members.

With the images from the outside of the building, the words of the League advocates take on more weight. “It is absurd and inconceivable that the municipality doesn’t enforce the laws, in this case, the regional (law) on religious locations, especially in a pandemic situation that we are going through,” explains Silvia Sardone, who then wonders: “Why are the Muslims free to gather together blatantly violating the anti-Covid regulations while citizens and merchants have to remain home or keep their own locations closed with the evident social and economic damages?”

In the Milan community, the question is long-standing, especially that which concerns illegal mosques. It is impossible to censor them all, especially when the police intervene to close one, another quickly opens. But Silvia Sardone isn’t giving up and continues to make decisive and timely inquiries to Mayor Beppe Sala: “This mosque is illegal and (should be) closed. Mayor Sala, make yourself heard, send the local police to make an inspection, and then proceed accordingly. To begin with, it would be enough to intervene on Friday, the day of prayer, to punish all those who don’t respect the rules, beginning with social distance.”

Stefano Pavesi is strongly committed to combating whatever violation but, “the municipality of Milano and Municipality 8 led by the Pd (Partito Democratico) are sound asleep”. Numerous reports have already been sent in on the situation on via Lopez, “but in return, we have received total silence, sign of an evident lack of political will to resolve the problems raised”. The outermost peripheries of Milan are always alone, almost forgotten by the central administration. Stefano Pavese, however, has promised his community the maximum commitment for a resolution: “We will go forward to maintain high attention, at the side of citizens exasperated by this situation. Enough with “two weights and two measures” (different rules for different people). The people of Milan cannot always be penalized in respect to the (non-EU) foreigners.”

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As mentioned this is not the first such complaint about this particular illegal mosque. The below article from Milano Post back in December 2020 is also translated by Fousesquawk.

.https://www.Milano post.info/2020/12/07/milano-occorre-chiudere-moschea-abusiva-di-quarto-oggiaro/

Milan: The illegal mosque of Quarto Oggiaro needs to be closed

-7 December 2020

“The municipality of Milan should close the illegal mosque set up inside the former bakery on via Lopez, in the quarter of Quarto Oggiare, on the northern periphery of the city. That is the request from Silvia Sardone, Euro-Parliamentarian and municipal advisor to the (Lega) League,  who yesterday, carried out an inspection to “verify the situation” of a structure that in her judgment, “is creating a lot of problems in the quarter without any respect for the regional law which sets the boundaries for all religious locations”.  On via Lopez, explains the Caroroccio advocate, “I found dozens of Muslims entering the mosque and after having left their shoes on the public sidewalk; even the signs shown on the outside of the structure expressly mention a mosque. This gives the impression that the Muslim community feels a sense of impunity: They know very well they are violating the laws even going along without fear of being evicted. Why doesn’t the Municipality of Milan send the local police to verify the actual intended use of the locations? Why does the left pretend nothing is happening?” Hers is above all a call to the municipal administration. “On several occasions, would-be terrorists have been discovered who frequented the Milan mosques. In these places, nobody knows what is said or what happens. The people of Milan have a right to their own security, not for Sala to pamper the Muslim community that illegally uses space in our city.” Therefore, concludes Sardone, Mayor Sala, “put ideology aside and think about enforcing the laws”.