Berlusconi faces Muslim clash

Silvio Berlusconi is facing a row with the Muslim world over his plans to appoint a member of the far-Right to his cabinet.

Roberto Calderoli, 52, a senior member of the Northern League, enraged Muslims two years ago during the row over a set of Danish cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohammed. He appeared on television wearing a T-shirt printed with one of the cartoons. The Italian consulate in Libya was set on fire and 11 people died in riots.

Mr Calderoli has also threatened to defile the proposed site of a mosque in Padua by walking a pig over the ground. When Italy beat France in the 2006 World Cup, he said France had “sacrificed its identity by fielding niggers, Muslims and communists”.

Despite the controversies, which forced him to resign as a minister for reform in 2006, Mr Calderoli is likely to get another job when Mr Berlusconi picks his cabinet because of the strong results obtained by the Northern League in the general election.

Saif Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan leader, said the appointment would have “catastrophic consequences” for trade between Italy and Libya. Italy is Libya’s largest European trading partner, and an importer of Libyan oil.

Franco Frattini, who is likely to become foreign minister, promised that Mr Berlusconi would have a “dialogue” with Islamic countries before cabinet appointments.

Read Another Article

Church recognizes Virgin Mary appearances in France
David Lynch tours schools; touts Transcendental Meditation

Related News Articles Topic(s): Islam Related Tags / Keywords: Islam • islamic • islamic extremism • Islamism • muslim • muslims 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 Life in jail for two Pakistani Muslim Blasphemers A good man who did something Thousands of Muslims rally over blasphemy law in Pakistan Police Arrest 5 Muslims in Danish Terror Plot Muslim ‘Radicalization’ Is Focus of Planned Congressional Inquiry About 200 Islamic extremists in Sweden: intel Christians In Karachi Comes Under Attack From Islamists Muslims in Pakistan Burn, Beat Evangelist Unconscious Man Arrested in Afghan Woman’s Mutilation Teen arrested in Oregon car bomb plot led 2 lives

Search Religion News Blog