Chronicles of ordinary racism 2011 - Cronache di ordinario razzismo
Chronicles of ordinary racism 2011 - Cronache di ordinario razzismo
Chronicles of ordinary racism 2011 - Cronache di ordinario razzismo
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not to mention Tg4 and Tg5, the PM is everywhere. 385 His lengthy me<strong>di</strong>a marathon<br />
stands out thanks to his insulting statements, <strong>di</strong>rected, as ever, against Roma and<br />
Muslim in<strong>di</strong>viduals, already the target <strong>of</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> the racist speeches <strong>of</strong> the Northern<br />
League. Silvio Berlusconi, stan<strong>di</strong>ng next to the symbols <strong>of</strong> Pdl (People <strong>of</strong> Liberty party)<br />
and the 150 th anniversary <strong>of</strong> the Unification <strong>of</strong> Italy with the EU and Italian flags in the<br />
background, sounds the alarm, launching an appeal to the general public: “They want<br />
to turn Milan into the Stalingrad <strong>of</strong> Italy. Pisapia’s programme is harmful for families<br />
and businesses because it involves higher taxes, a big Islamic centre, local election<br />
voting rights for foreigners, an end to Roma evictions and the legal recognition to Roma<br />
<strong>of</strong> the right to self‐construction, namely the right to build their makeshift homes<br />
wherever they think fit. Milan will not be turned into an ”Islamic city” a “gypsytown”.<br />
The history <strong>of</strong> Milan cannot fall into the hands <strong>of</strong> the extreme left whose only desire is<br />
to open mosques and Roma settlements, allowing the construction <strong>of</strong> gypsy hovels<br />
everywhere, instead <strong>of</strong> dealing with the city’s real problems”. (“Berlusconi, parte<br />
l’invasione dei Tg”, Berlusconi, and so begins the invasion <strong>of</strong> Tv news, Corriere della<br />
sera, 20 May <strong>2011</strong>). After his appearance on various news programmes, the prime<br />
minister repeated his points in two online video messages, only three days later. Two<br />
video‐clips are posted on the Pdl website, one for Milan, the other for Naples. The<br />
message is always the same. Pisapia “wants an Islamic city, a gypsyville besieged by<br />
foreigners to whom he also wants to grant the right to vote. We must protect our rights<br />
and our freedom” (“Berlusconi: ‘Milano alla sinistra sarà una zingaropoli islamica’ –<br />
Berlusconi: ‘Milan will be turned into an Islamic gypsytown under left‐wing<br />
government”, Avvenire, 23 May <strong>2011</strong>) 386 . The PM is echoed by other members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
centre‐right. The chairman <strong>of</strong> the Milanese town council Manfredo Palmieri (Fli) and<br />
third party can<strong>di</strong>date for mayor, comments on the answers given by the mayor in <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
about the buil<strong>di</strong>ng <strong>of</strong> mosques in Milan: “Mayor Moratti proposes smaller and<br />
decentralized places <strong>of</strong> worship. In other words, neighbourhood mosques. How can<br />
this position be reconciled with the electoral campaign <strong>of</strong> her supporters To be<br />
consistent, they should declare that it will be Moratti herself who will turn, and, in fact,<br />
already has turned, Milan into Islamville” (Agi, 23 May <strong>2011</strong>). Northern League member<br />
Mario Borghezio, appeating on KlausCon<strong>di</strong>cio, a TV program broadcast on YouTube,<br />
states: “There is no doubt about it. Islamic fundamentalists, foremost among them Al<br />
Qaeda and the Al Zawahiri himself, would be very happy should the League lose and<br />
385 The services and products committee <strong>of</strong> the communications watchdog Agcom decides, in a majority vote, to impose the<br />
toughest sanctions allowed by the law on the Tg1 and Tg4 television news programmes (these two have committed the <strong>of</strong>fence<br />
before), and to fine Tg2, Tg5 and Stu<strong>di</strong>o Aperto €1000 each for the "situation which arose at prime time on Friday 20 May when<br />
Tg1, Tg2, Tg5, Tg4 and Stu<strong>di</strong>o Aperto all ran interviews with the prime minister." On that evening, accor<strong>di</strong>ng to accusations<br />
brought before Agcom, all the principal news programmes with the exception <strong>of</strong> Tg3 and La7 gave airspace to the prime<br />
minister, each with its own interview. ('Premier occupies all TV stations, Agcom fines news programmes', corriere.it, 23 May<br />
<strong>2011</strong>.)<br />
386 Naga, a voluntary charitable organisation in Milan, files an anti-<strong>di</strong>scrimination suit for the use <strong>of</strong> the the expression 'Islamic<br />
Gypsyville' during an election campaign. "The magistrature was the main target for the right in Milan's mayoral campaign; and<br />
naturally foreigners were the second target. Roma people in particular seemed to hold a place <strong>of</strong> honour in the campaign <strong>of</strong> the<br />
out-going mayor: the city was plastered with posters warning <strong>of</strong> the danger that Milan would become a 'Gypsyville'. But<br />
followers <strong>of</strong> Islam – both Italians and foreigners – weren't forgotten either, and the prime minister stated that Milan might well<br />
become a 'Muslim Gypsyville' with Europe's largest mosque. Given the highly <strong>di</strong>scriminatory nature <strong>of</strong> the posters and<br />
statements released over the past few days towards Roma – a minority protected by law – and towards Italians and foreigners<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essing the Muslim faith, we have presented a case at Milan's civil court, citing 215/2003 and law 286/1998, against the<br />
Northern League and the PdL (People <strong>of</strong> Freedom) party. For information, see the communiqué released by the association on 25<br />
May <strong>2011</strong> on naga.it.<br />
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