Italian media is reporting that an Italian government official has ruled out agreements with groups such as the Union of Islamic Communities and Organizations in Italy (UCOII). According to the report:
“There can be no accords with those, likethe UCOII (Union of Islamic Communities and Organizations in Italy), who defacto deny the existence of the state of Israel and hold ambiguous positions on terrorism at the national and local level (no mention of international terrorism, as published).” This was said by (Italian) Community Policies Minister Andrea Ronchi, who was on a fact-finding mission in Bologna yesterday, holding a series of meetings to gather information on a plan (initially mooted but later scrapped) for the construction of a huge new mosque. “The battle is not political but ethical,” he said.
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.
For background on the UCOII, go here.
(Source: “Italian Minister Faults UCOII’s Stance on Israel, Terror, Rules Out Accord” Unattributed report: “Ronchi on Islam: ‘No to Mosques Rune by Fundamentalists'” Il Giornale December 16, 2008)