The Italian news agency has reported that an Italian state official has expressed caution on building a mosque in the Bologna suburbs which is linked to the Unione delle Comunità ed organizzazioni Islamiche in Italia (UCOII). According to the report:
In response to inquiries by the Italian parliament, The Home Office undersecretary, Alfredo Mantovano has expressed caution on building a mosque in the Bologna suburbs with links to the “controversial” Ucoii (Unione delle Comunità ed organizzazioni Islamiche in Italia). The Islamic Cultural Center, the contact of the Muslim community in the area said Mantovano, “joins all Ucoii, associations in aiming to provide the community of Muslims with a range of services as well as aiming to become the only, or at least the principal representation to the Italian state. “The Ucoii has long been been recognized as a radically oriented organization and the subject of controversy for positions on Israel, the United States and the West in general and for links with the neo-traditionalist support for separate communities within Western nations Western rather than a true integration.
The UCOII is generally is thought to represent the Muslim Brotherhood in Italy and is probably a member of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), the EU-level Islamic organization claiming to represent the Muslims of Europe, although it is not listed as the FIOE contact organization in that country. A post from last September discussed the Bologna mosque project which was postponed at that time.
(Source: ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano September 16, 2008 Tuesday ISLAM: MANTOVANO; UCOII CONTROVERSA,CAUTI SU MOSCHEA BOLOGNA)
CAUTION: Machine translated source.