Italy Community Chairman says Muslims in Italy are not Fanatical

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - According to the Chairman of Italy’s Muslim Community Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini, despite considered as a minority group in Italy, Islam has made its presence across various sectors of community life in the country.

The presence of Islam in numerous sectors in Italy, he further explained, is due to Italy’s Muslim community presenting itself without showing overzealous fanaticism towards their religion. In 2017, it’s predicted that the Muslim community in Italy has grown to a total of 59 million people.

However, Pallavicini gave his opinion on the Islamophobia that has risen across European regions and pinned it down to people that are fearful towards religion which are attempting to create a society that is disconnected to God and replace it with an egocentric and individualistic society.

“Each person that attacks a certain religion is the same as attacking every level of society. There must be discussions across dimensions in order to reduce the Islamophobia and help find an identity connecting tradition to modernity,” said Pallavicini in between events at the 'high level consultation of world muslim scholars on wasatyyat Islam’ on Wednesday, May 2.

Furthermore, living as a minority in Italy, Pallavicini envied Indonesia that he said has highly-developed Islamic teachings and community. He finds it interesting and surprising considering that 80 percent of Indonesia’s Muslims are not Arabic descendants and has lived in harmony among numerous ethnic groups.

SUCI SEKARWATI