Rome (NEV), December 12, 2020 – The Council for relations with Islam is starting again. As stated in a note from the Ministry of the Interior of December 2, “The members of the body called to consultative functions for the in-depth study of issues related to the integration and exercise of the civil rights of those professing the Islamic faith in Italy have been selected”. Among the members of the Council, there are personalities from the world of culture, teachers and experts from various disciplines and religions, including the Waldensian Paolo Naso, professor of political science at the Rome University ‘La Sapienza’ and coordinator of Mediterranean Hope, the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI) migrant and refugee program.
“In the last phase of the Council for the relations with Islam – explains Paolo Naso -, born in 2015, the most important result was the signing of a pact, in 2017 (at the time Naso was coordinator of the Council, ed), signed by all the main Islamic associations in Italy. An important result, conceived and oriented in the perspective of an agreement between the Italian State and Italian Islam, pursuant to Article 8 of our Constitution. As it is known – continues Naso -, there are over two million Muslims in Italy who constitute not only a numerically relevant reality, but also a very significant presence in the national cultural, social and religious scene. For various reasons this community of faith has not yet received adequate juridical recognition”. One of the main objectives of this Council is therefore that of initiating, facilitating and accompanying Islamic communities in a process of legal recognition within the framework of current regulations in the Italian legal system.
Among other goals we recall : the promotion of programs and policies to combat racism; training courses for Muslim worhip ministers, open also to other faith communities; meetings with second generation young people aiming at assessing their specific sensitivity, as people born and trained inItaly, within their Islamic community.
The Council chaired by the Minister of Interior, or by a deputy undersecretary, is now composed as follows: Francesco Alicino, professor of ecclesiastical law at the Libera Università Mediterranea (Lum) “Jean Monnet” in Casamassima (Ba); Stefano Allievi, professor of sociology at the University of Padua; Pasquale Annicchino, researcher at the Cambridge Institute on Religion & International Affairs; Rosaria Maria Domianello, professor of ecclesiastical law at the University of Messina; Alessandro Ferrari, professor of ecclesiastical law at the University of Insubria (Varese); Maria Chiara Giorda, professor of history of religions at the “Roma Tre” University (Rome); Shahrzad Houshmand Zadec, professor of Islamic studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University and at the Pontifical Theological Faculty “Marianum” (Rome); Paolo Naso, professor of political science and coordinator of the master in religions and cultural mediation at La Sapienza University of Rome; Vincenzo Pace, professor of associates ology at the University of Padua; Younis Tawfik, professor of Arabic language and literature at the University of Genoa and writer; Francesco Zannini, in professor of Arabic language and culture at Libera Università Maria Santissima Assunta (Lumsa) Rome; Ida Zilio Grandi, professor of language and Arabic literature at the “Ca ‘Foscari” University of Venice.
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