The ‘Brothers of Italy’ Party introduces bill citing concerns over ‘Islamic enclaves’.

On Wednesday, Brothers of Italy (FdI), the far-right party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, introduced a bill in the Chamber of Deputies to regulate mosque financing and ban the wearing of full Islamic veils in public spaces.

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“It will help counter the creation of enclaves, counter-societies where sharia is applied instead of Italian law, and where Islamic fundamentalism flourishes,” said FdI lawmaker Sara Kelany, who co-sponsored the proposal along with Galeazzo Bignami and Deputy Justice Minister Andrea Delmastro.

The bill consists of five articles. Article 5 states: “The use of garments that cover the face, masks, or any other means that hinder personal identification is prohibited in public or publicly accessible places, educational institutions of all types and levels, universities, commercial establishments, and offices.” Violations of this prohibition would result in an administrative fine ranging from 300 to 3,000 euros.

The proposal also “includes provisions concerning the financing and construction of places of worship, in order to clarify and make transparent the origin of funds and prevent them from coming from individuals or entities with aims contrary to the state’s legal order,” as well as “regulates the reporting of foreign funding, requiring that such contributions be specified to the Interior Ministry.”

Article 3 amends Article 558 of the Penal Code (inducement to marriage by deceit) by increasing penalties to better combat the phenomenon of arranged marriages. “Therefore, it seeks to punish with a prison sentence of four to 10 years anyone who, through violence or threats, or by exploiting religious precepts or a situation of vulnerability, forces another person to marry, even abroad,” the bill reads.

In January, the ruling League party also introduced a very similar bill, which has since been shelved. It aimed to “ban garments that conceal the face, such as the burqa or niqab, citing not only reasons of public order but also, and above all, respect for women’s dignity.”

Although there is no law in Italy explicitly prohibiting the Islamic veil, the relevant statute is Law 152, which bans “the use of protective helmets or any other means designed to make it difficult to identify a person in a public place or one open to the public, without justified reason.

In any case, such use is prohibited during events held in public or open spaces, except for sports events requiring such gear.” While the Islamic veil is not explicitly mentioned, the law has often been interpreted as applying to it.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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