Teaching Islam Makes Berlusconi Shudder
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
ROME – Silvio Berlusconi has said he doesn’t want Italy to become a multi-ethnic country, drawing applause from his coalition partners and strong criticism from the opposition.
“We don’t want Italy to become a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural country” he said. “Those foreigners who are here must adopt themselves to our laws and our way of life.”
He said proposals by Italian communists to teach Islam alongside Christianity in schools “is stuff that makes me shudder.”
Over recent years the demographical landscape of Italian cities has changed dramatically, with the number of migrants doubling to 3.3 million or 5.7% of the population since 2003.
Yesterday, another 310 illegal migrants arrived on the southern Sicilian island of Lampedusa, which has been struggling to cope with an influx from north Africa.
Mr. Berlusconi’s coalition allies include the xenophobic Northern Alliance, and Alleanza Nazionale, which also takes a tough line on immigration.
