Italy refers ‘anti-mosque’ law to court

Italy refers ‘anti-mosque’ law to court

The Italian government has decided to refer the “anti-mosque” law of the northern region of Lombardy to the country’s Constitutional Court.

The administration of Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced the decision on Friday following public outcry over new regulations that practically make it impossible for Muslims to construct any new mosque in Lombardy.

Back in January, Lombardy’s regional council ratified the law, which imposes severe restrictions on building new sites of worship for unofficial religions in the region.

The new law obligates religious minorities to conform to special standards with regard to the appearance of the building and the size of its parking facilities, and also overcome several bureaucratic obstacles before constructing new places of worship in Lombardy.

The law also allows Lombardy’s officials to call a local referendum about building any new place of worship in the region.

The critics of the regulations say that the restrictions directly target Italy’s one million plus Muslim population because Islam is the sole major religion which is not officially recognized in the European country.

Critics believe that Italy’s Constitutional Court is bound to revoke the discriminatory law as it breaches the country’s constitution on several grounds.

Recent reports show that Muslims and mosques are being increasingly targeted in Europe following the rise of Islamophobia in the continent.