Light and Dark

Muslims in Italy (The journey and the meeting of two worlds)

Michele Groppi

• Publisher: VIJ Books (India) Pty Ltd
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9789389620238
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

A mixture of journalism and scientific illustration, Light and Dark wishes to pay tribute to the Italian Muslim community, its traits, colors, people, and contradictions. The book is a recollection of interviews, stories, numbers, and from the author's journey to 15 Italian cities, asking about "everything" that could describe what it means to be Muslim in today's Italy. Heated in nature, queries ranged from racism to violence in the name of God, from identity crisis to women in Islam, from Islamophobia to attempts to Islamise society. What emerges is an indubitably fascinating and kaleidoscopic picture: a combination of joy and sadness, love and hatred, peace and war, hope and disillusionment. And this is exactly the point: we must honor complexity. We cannot make big generalizations. Yet, we must study, question, the challenge in constructive ways – for only through dialogue will we maximize chances for mutual understanding and cohesiveness.

Radicalisation and Terrorism

Killing in the name of God

It’s true. If we look at the data, terrorism kills less people than that malaria, cardiovascular diseases, and road accidents caused by reckless use of mobile phones while driving.

It’s true. Numerically, separatist attacks still outnumber jihadist attacks. According to Europol data, every year in Europe, ETA and similar groups still perpetrate more attacks than ISIS.

And it’s true. Radicalism does not automatically equate to terrorism. Those who advocate “radical” or orthodox Islamic ideas (I say “Islamic”, but from any creed, really), for the most part, never turn violent. While several jihadist terrorists are not even observant.

Let’s not pretend it’s all good, however. While it is necessary to contextualise them, we shouldn’t be afraid to state that jihadist radicalisation and terrorism do frighten us. The jihadist cause radicalises and attracts thousands of men and women. In the name of God, jihadist attacks aim to be, generally, the most lethal. The most indiscriminate. The most theatrical. The most catalysing. And, probably, the ones penetrating public psyche the most. Because, perhaps more than other types of terrorism, jihadist terrorism despises life’s sacredness. Because, perhaps more than other types of terrorism, it wants to strike values and every aspect of the daily physical and psychological sphere, making no distinctions.

And probably because jihadism seems to hover over our lives. It enters households through the news. It becomes a crucial element in the political debate on security. It increases suspicion over Muslims and Muslim immigrants. It accompanies us whenever we go to airports, train stations, and subways. It even mirrors itself in the guns of officers guarding public sites and piazzas, and in peoples’ frightened looks. Simply put, a radicalised bomber might always be an arm away, striking any moment, just like in Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin, Barcelona, or Stockholm.

Unsurprisingly, jihadist radicalisation and terrorism incarnate very hot topics. For some, their threat is magnified by the media and certain politicians to mask racism and denied rights. For others, the kind of fear stemming from such phenomena is not socially constructed, but it is indeed existential and, hence, it requires strong countermeasures.

From whatever perspective one might approach them, radicalisation, terrorism and, in general, violence in the name of God surely remain truly controversial matters.

Especially within the Islamic community, people do not talk about such issues with pleasure.

Before embarking on the journey across the peninsula, a dear Imam warns me: “In this historical moment, after so many attacks, the community is afraid, Michele ... it is going to be hard”. “You will not be able to talk about these things, for no one will talk, “reiterates a university colleague.

In fact, for the first few months, I only manage to collect a handful of numbers. On radicalisation and terrorism, a few people are willing to share their ideas. That is understandable. This is what could happen if I travelled to certain parts of Italy asking about Mafia, Camorra, and Ndrangheta. Some wouldn’t want to talk about them. Many would be afraid. And a few others would not show their support publicly.

But as I walk in front of Giotto’s bell tower in Florence, ISIS strikes Brussels. In the following months, attacks in numerous European cities take place one after the other. Radicalisation and terrorism turn into public matters. Within the societal debate, narratives become increasingly heated. Object of alarmism and unfair generalisations linking it to such heinous crimes, the Islamic community might be shutting its doors soon, I being to fear.

And yet, it is precisely at this point that dozens of Muslims feel the duty to share their views about radicalisation and terrorism.

The first interesting fact concerns the perception of radicalisation, here conceptualised as the support (and not participation) for violence in the name of God.

According to most examined Muslims, in general terms, Islam does not have a problem of radicalisation. In the surveys, 20% of the sample (86/440) thinks this issue might exist; otherwise, 44% (194/440) believe that radicalisation is minimal and exaggerated by the media, and 26% (115/440) believe it is not an issue at all. The absence of a true issue is even more noticeable when it comes to Islam in Italy. Only 10% of the sample (46/440) believes the Italian Islamic communities is actually afflicted by radicalisation; on the contrary, 30% (132/440) deem the question minimal and 43% (189/440) declare radicalisation is no issue at all.

This does not mean that the study’s participants deny the existence of violence in the name of Islam. However, radicalisation would not be a problem because jihadists are not part of Islam in the first place. From north to south, 8 out of 10 respondents claim that: “He who commits atrocities is not a true Muslim”; “We do not consider terrorists to be brothers, for they are our enemies”; “Terrorists don’t know what true Islam is, as they know nothing about religion in general”; “He who kills goes against the message of the Prophet and the wrath of Allah is upon him”; “Islam is a perfect religion and those who become radical stop being Muslim ... or perhaps they have never been true Muslims”; “There cannot be a problem of radicalisation in Islam because these people do not represent us, they are not part of our community, not here or anywhere in the world”.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the vast majority of the Islamic community categorically rejects religious violence. 7 out of 10 participants (303/440) say that violence in the name of religion cannot be justified. 76% (334/440) repudiate Al Qaeda and 77% (338/440) ISIS. In the post-Charlie Hebdo era, almost 60% (271/440) declare they are against punishing those who offend Islam and its Prophet.

Such opposition to of all forms of violence in the name of God emerges impetuously in the interviews, where almost 9 out of 10 subjects (181/200) dismantle the terrorists’ motifs.

First and foremost, interviewees stress jihadists’ scriptural and theological ignorance. Ahmed, for example, explains the importance of interpreting and conceptualising sacred texts, such as the Koran, which end up being ignored, misunderstood and exploited by terrorists:

“Why do you mean when you say that terrorists do not follow the Koran?”, I ask.

“Because you can’t take a verse, a whole Surah, or whatever you want to read, and go kill someone That’s not how the Koran works”.

“Forgive my ignorance, how does the Koran work?”.

“You must understand the historical period it was written in. At the time of Muhammad, peace be upon Him, we had to fight, first to survive, then to take back the Arab territories. That was what we call ‘The Medina period’. But, from there on, we entered the ‘Mecca period’. It is true, there have been so many wars, but it was the historical period that was so violent. Now, Islam has a house and you cannot kill the merciful name of Allah”.

“What about those who do kill saying they do read and follow the Koran literally?”.

“The Koran, as well as other verses from the Talmud and the Bible, says different things, which may seem contradictory. However, as it is for all things, we must understand the context, interpret, and adapt the challenges to today’s world. Jihad is not the war against unbelievers in flesh and blood... Jihad is the war against the sin that is in each of us ... this is the real war”.

Abdul and Umair also underline the end of the “Medina Period”, undermining terrorists’ doctrinal justifications: “When Islam was born, there were people who wanted to kill us and, at the time of Mohammed, in Medina, we had to survive; but now we haven’t been in that period for so many centuries and the Koran teaches us to love and fight against sin”, says Abdul. Along the same lines, Umair states that:” The time of fighting with the sword has ended ... now the struggle is within the soul, to be better believers ... it is no longer the Middle Ages, the Koran and the Prophet teach other things”.

Regardless of the “Medina Period”, jihadists still continue to break crucial scriptural tenets, argue Kafeel and Ghusun from Rome and Venice. As Kafeel explains, “one person cannot burn and kill plants, animals, houses, buildings ... in short, everything that terrorists do, that is, destroy and kill innocents, including women and children, is an insult to God, who instead even teaches you how to fight in the event that you are forced to go to war”. “Even during battle”, Ghusun articulates “if a Christian or a non-Muslim person surrenders and does not fight back, the Koran says you cannot kill him, but you must treat him well, you cannot torture him; therefore terrorists do not read the Koran, because they steal, rape, kill women and children and burn ... and last thing is especially forbidden, for only God can use fire!”.

Having elucidated this, dozens of respondents wish to remind jihadists of Islam’s peaceful nature. For Qirat, “Islam is a religion of peace; when we say goodbye, we say ‘Salam’, which means ‘Peace’, because a Muslim must always seek peace, otherwise he is not a Muslim”. “Islam teaches us to love not only people, but all of the earth too, including all plants and living beings “, reiterates Aida, to the point that “if you are a true Muslim, you cannot even kill one ant without insulting God “, points out Wafi. In reality, “there is a verse of the Koran which says that if you kill one person, you kill all of humanity ... therefore, you see, the Koran orders us to live in peace ... perhaps the terrorists have forgotten to read this part”, says Benazir.

The life of Prophet Muhammad is also mentioned as a tool of rejection of violence. Gazi recalls how the Prophet was “beaten, humiliated and abused, but He never asked Allah to kill people, for He actually prayed for them, for their health, and their prosperity”. “There was a lady who every day emptied her garbage bin on the Prophet’s house footsteps; one day the Prophet saw that there was no dirt in front of His house and so He worried, for He didn’t feel joy, and rushed to see the woman, asking her if she was well, showing her the kind of love that only God could give”, tells Said. Likewise, Saadat emphasises that “people have insulted our Prophet all the time but he has never felt hatred; so, you understand that terrorists do the opposite of what the most important person did for us”.

In this sense, dozens of interviewees restate this kind of rejection of violence in the name of God even when icons are disrespected. Though caricatures and cartoons can be offensive, most individuals feel violence is never the answer. “I don’t like those who draw ugly caricatures and offend my religion ... but, one, we live in a free society; two, killing or hurting to people to prove they are wrong is a contradiction and is not even Islamic”, proudly says Ish. “I can tell you that you are wrong and that it’s not nice to insult another religion, but if you still decide to write dirty jokes, be my guest, you have every right to do so”, reiterates Fadi. As Yar does:” We are all free to do what we want; one is free to write what he wants, just like I am free to say that what they write is wrong and offensive, but it must all end there, as do quarrels over football or politics”.

In truth, for 23 respondents, those who offend Islam can actually be punished, but only through legal means. For instance, a Palestinian activist residing in Rome shows no hesitation as he affirms that whoever offends Muhammad “must [...] be immediately sued”. In a similar manner, several second-generation students in Lombardy explain how:

“Muhammad cannot be touched, for He is too sacred for us. We agree with freedom of thought, but one’s freedom ends when another person’s freedom begins. We respect all the prophets, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and even the Virgin Mary, because, if you don’t, you can’t be a true Muslim. Therefore, since we respect this, why can’t people respect our Prophet and our sacred truth? This is when we can sue, if that happens”. All of this, however, must be done peacefully, as Turkish workers clarify: “No one must be punished physically, but legally”. “Even if you insult the Prophet, I cannot kill you… I can sue you, but, for Allah, I cannot use violence in His name and whoever does so is not a Muslim”, two waiters in Milan repeat. For Arif, a Shiite, “if you insult Muhammad, I can rebuke you verbally... for us, that is already a form of great punishment ... no need for violence, as you see”.

On that note, others invite terrorists to live by the Koran’s peaceful teachings wherever they are. A Moroccan seller from Brescia shares this with me:

“You know, we came here many years ago. It wasn’t always easy. At first, we missed home and people didn’t treat us well. But we didn’t get discouraged, we stayed strong and tried to do what the Koran says. The Koran tells us that us Muslims must be like a tree wherever we are, whether we live in a Muslim Arab country or in a Christian country; we must be planted, grow and bear fruit. If people do not love us, then it means that we are not making Allah happy. Us Muslims can’t hurt others and we can’t behave badly either... we have to be like a tree and show that there is something good at the base. Now I ask you: do trees misbehave? Do they shoot at you when you’re in a bar with your friends? So, what’s behind terrorism? Good or evil?”.

At this point, it does not really surprise me that a few interviewees show anger and resentment towards jihadists. According to Jawad, Al Qaeda, ISIS and “all those who kill in the name of God are Islam’s shame, just as Mafia is a pile of shit for most Italians”. “Al Qaeda and ISIS? They are bastards, dogs, sacks of shit”, proclaim Jundub and Ejaz. Lamis’ comments are also eloquent:

“It makes me laugh when they tell us that we support these people. Guys, haven’t you understood that yet? We wholeheartedly hate these sons of bitches. They are crazy and bastards, and they make us live bad…they say they defend Islam, but they don’t know Islam. They should go fuck themselves! We are the first victims of this so-called ‘Islamic’ terrorism, remember!”.

This is a good exhortation. As a terrorism scholar, I often forget about it. Terrorism does not strike Westerners only, for it affects all of us.

In reality, jihadist terrorism kills more Muslims than non-Muslims, precisely because the latter are considered apostates - “if you do not agree with the vision of Islam I believe in, I’ll kill you”, so to speak. And while this happens in the deafening silence of Western media, such criminal actions obscure entire communities, nullify years of hard work and integration, betray those values that younger generations try to internalise daily, creating labels and marginalisation.

In this regard, Rabi’s testimony, from Catania, is touching. It shows what terrorism can take away from so young peoples’ lives.

It’s one of those ridiculously hot days in Sicily - when you can hardly breathe. Reminding myself to be in Catania, I decide to go for a cold granita. Finally, I find a kiosk that sells them. After I buy one I end up setting next to this big muscular, longhaired guy. As we start chatting, Rabi asks why on Earth I find myself sitting there on such a warm day. As I begin to explain the reasons for my visit, Rabi starts sharing his inner pain with disarming genuineness:

“I hate ISIS. Nobody can think good things about this madness. Nobody can tell me what terrorism is,” he says resolutely.

“How so?”.

“Because I know it. I know what terrorism means. Two of my best friends left Tunisia and died in Syria, deceived by ISIS”.

“Did you get to talk to them before they left?”.

“I ...” Rabi stops with tears in his eyes. “Yes, I did, but that didn’t help and now they are dead”.

“May I ask you, how are you feeling?”

“I feel so much pain… you can’t die at age twenty-five for something criminal, which goes against everything they taught us as children and everything...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introductory Note
• Introduction
• Racism Made in Italy?
• A Matter of Integration
• Focus on Women, Second Generations, and Converts
• Radicalisation and Terrorism
• The Journey and the Meeting of Two Worlds
• Italian Muslims and Italian Non-Muslims
• Are We the Next France?