Italian MP Proposes Banning Muslim Veil For Under-age Girls

An Italian politician who has received death threats for her campaign against the oppression of Muslim women has proposed making it illegal for under-age girls to wear a headscarf.

Daniela Santanche of the right-wing National Alliance party was quoted in Thursday’s Corriere della Sera as saying she would submit a bill to parliament forbidding minors from wearing “any kind of veil”.

“Eleven or twelve-year-olds are not able to decide on their own,” Santanche was quoted as saying.

Her announcement came a day after media reports revealed she had received anonymous death threats in a letter written in Arab.

The letter was accompanied by a photograph of murdered Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh and anti-Islam campaigner Ayaan Hirsi Ali accompanied by a text reading “this is the hour of liberation”.

Veil Variations

View various Muslim veil styles, including the burka, in this BBC popup.

Viewpoints: Europe and the headscarf (BBC)

Muslim headscarves upset secular Europe

Muslim scarf at heart of disputes around U.S.

Research resources on Islam

Santanche, who has been slammed on Iranian radio for writing a critical book on the condition of Muslim women, has been living under police escort since October, when she was verbally attacked by a Milan-based imam for describing the veil as “a symbol of women’s submission” during a televised debate.

Speaking to Corriere on Thursday, she said that though she was concerned by the threats, she had no intention of backtracking.

“I really believe that our culture is superior to the Islamic (culture), which lapidates women and allows polygamy,” the opposition lawmaker said.

The veil has become a hot topic of debate in Italy since Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Muslim women should not “hide behind” full veils.

There an estimated 1 million Muslims, mostly foreign immigrants, living in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy.

Read Another Article

Ottawa target in brainwashing case
Prosecutors request extradition of Brazilian church founders arrested in Miami

Related News Articles Topic(s): Islam Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Islam Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog