On October eighth, 2024, Italy signed the decree for the deportation of Zulfiqar Khan, a 54-year-old imam primarily based in Bologna. Khan, a Pakistani citizen who entered Italy in 1995, had his residence allow revoked concurrently his expulsion.
The executive decree highlighted that since autumn 2023, Khan’s behaviour had more and more exhibited ideological fanaticism and a shift in direction of radical positions.His rhetoric was famous to have included robust anti-Western, antisemitic, homophobic, and anti-feminist sentiments. Throughout one in all his sermons, Khan reportedly inspired Muslim believers to withstand the State’s imposition of taxes, arguing that the sources ought to stay inside the Muslim group. He additionally referred to homosexuality as a illness that wanted to be cured and one thing Muslims had a proper to battle as a way to stop what he believed could possibly be catastrophic penalties, such because the extinction of the human race.
Khan’s social media exercise, between November 2023 and April 2024, was stated to have included movies by which he accused Individuals, Germans, French, English, and Italians of supporting impure Zionists. He additionally invoked Allah to destroy the oppressors, notably Western states that assist Israel. Italian authorities additionally linked Khan to foreigners who had been concerned in Islamist extremist teams and instructed he may facilitate the infiltration of political-religious and paramilitary organisations within the Bologna space.
In Might 2024, Khan allegedly made statements from the pulpit of a mosque praising Hamas and criticising Israel. He expressed admiration for Hamas, claiming that they had demonstrated Israel’s incapability to confront males and will solely goal kids, ladies, and civilians. He additionally voiced his perception that Hamas was not a terrorist organisation however was defending its territory. He thanked Allah for revealing what he known as the reality about Israelis and Individuals, labelling them as terrorists and murderers. Khan later said that teams equivalent to Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, and Yemen didn’t search to hurt civilians, and he invoked divine punishment on the Western states.
Khan’s antisemitic feedback had been additionally documented. In Might 2021, throughout a public speech in Bologna’s important sq., he cited the Gospel of John, claiming that a part of the Jewish inhabitants was merciless and used intelligence to hurt others. In Might 2024, Khan publicly questioned the legitimacy of antisemitism, suggesting that the time period was fabricated within the late 18th century. He additionally denied that Zionists had been Semites and criticised efforts to introduce DNA testing for people residing in Israel.
Khan’s views had been additional publicised throughout an look on the Italian TV present Dritto e Rovescio in November 2023, the place he described Israelites as terrorists and deceivers, referencing the Bible to assist his claims. In July 2024, movies had been posted on the Iqraa Islamic Heart’s Fb web page by which Khan attacked Italian-Egyptian journalist Magdi Cristiano Allam, who had transformed from Islam to Christianity. Allam, who had been residing underneath police safety as a consequence of threats from Islamist extremists, was criticised by Khan in these movies.
On a number of events, Khan challenged Italian authorities officers, asserting that the Italian Structure supplied him with the safety to say what he wished. He additionally claimed that the Quran guided his phrases, whereas the Structure acted as an umbrella for his speech.
Nevertheless, the Italian authorities took a agency stance with Khan’s deportation and the choice to not authorise pro-Palestinian demonstrations celebrating the October seventh bloodbath. This demonstrated that the nation wouldn’t tolerate pro-Palestinian terrorism or extremism. Whereas freedom of expression is protected, it was made clear that hate speech and assist for terrorism wouldn’t be allowed. Minister Piantedosi’s choice to signal the deportation order on the anniversary of the October seventh bloodbath was seen as notably vital.
Khan’s expulsion adopted the sanctioning of one other imam in Italy, Mohammad Hannoun, by the US Treasury Division. Hannoun, a Genoa-based Palestinian architect, was recognized as a Hamas member concerned in elevating funds for the group. On the night of October eighth, prosecutor Nicola Piacente instructed {that a} new investigation into Hannoun could possibly be opened by the Genoa Public Prosecutor’s Workplace if related documentation from america grew to become obtainable.
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Meloni’s Italy expels pro-Hamas Imam Zulfiqar Khan | – Occasions of India
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