Angry Bengali Muslims living in Venice are threatening to stage a strike after local authorities denied a permit to build a controversial mosque in the historic Italian city’s mainland borough of Mestre. Islamists say the action is unfair and defies their rights to freedom of worship wherever followers gather even if they are in the minority.
There is currently no official, permanent purpose-built mosque in the historic island city center – nor elsewhere on the nearby coastal shore – something dismayed and disappointed followers of Islam are determined to rectify.
For years, the Bangladeshi community in Venice has pushed for the construction of a 20 million euro mosque project in Mestre. The group intends to build the mosque a purchased land once occupied by a sawmill in Via Giustizia — a commercial zone that, Italian outlets detailed, does not have the required zoning designations for places of worship.
The years-long Bengali Muslims’ plans found a new roadblock this week after the Mayor of Venice, Simone Venturini, rejected the mosque’s construction permit request.
Speaking with Rai News on Tuesday, Mayor Venturini affirmed no permit shall be issued by his office for the construction of the mosque in Venice until the Bengali community “demonstrates progress in the integration of women, in learning Italian, and in participating in the life of the local community.”
Venturini’s decision drew the anger of the Bangladeshi community, who are now threatening to stage a strike in response and demand that the mosque is allowed to be built by invoking the Italian constitution’s freedom of worship.
FLASHBACK: A Muslim prays inside the Catholic church of Santa Maria della Misericordia in Venice after it was provisionally transformed into a mosque for the Biennale festivities on May 10, 2015. Swiss artist Christian Buchel rented out the church for his art project titled The Mosque: The First Mosque in the Historic City of Venice. The church was returned to Christian followers at the conclusion of the festival. (Baris Seckin/Anadolu Agency/Getty)
Corriere della Sera reports that Prince Howlander, described by the newspaper as one of the Bengali community’s most outspoken voices, threatened to “block everything” in Venice and take upon the streets in protest unless their demands for the mosque are met. According to Corriere, there are about 20,000 practitioners of Islam currently living in Venice. Howlander is the head of “Youths for Humanity,” a local Bengali community organization.
“We’re also backed by a team of lawyers. The [Venice] administration can’t keep avoiding giving answers, this issue has been going on for at least fifteen years. If they don’t allow us to build our mosque, we’re ready to take to the streets,” Howlander reportedly said.
“And if we go on strike, Fincantieri [shipbuilding company] in Venice, Mestre, and Marghera will come to a standstill, along with the entire tourism industry, including kitchens, restaurants, and hotels. Want to see?” He threatened.
Speaking with Corriere, Mayor Venturini emphasized that there is currently no conditions in Venice for the construction of the mosque. He stressed that it is not a matter of restricting freedom of worship, and explained that the demand for zoning amendments for new places of worship — as required for the mosque’s plans — is “not a right to be exercised, but rather a discretionary power of the city council,” with rules and principles that must be respected.
“I believe that today, in Mestre, we don’t need a large mosque, it doesn’t make sense to propose grandiose projects,” Venturini stressed.
The Mayor reportedly pointed out that although the mosque’s current plans are a scaled-down version of what was previously presented before past administrations, “What remains is an imposing, multi-story project, a ziggurat.”
“It certainly won’t find fertile ground in this administration,” Venturini affirmed. “But that’s not even the point: any discussion surrounding any project must be based on a process of integration that I currently struggle to see as fully accomplished by the Bengali community, unlike other communities.”
Venturini provided some examples of what he described as the lack of integration of the Bengali Muslims in Venice, such as the “proliferation of women wearing full-face veils, with only their eyes visible,” and the lack of willingness on learning Italian and finding work — which he stressed to be “ideal” for the integration of Bengali women.
“The littering in neighborhoods with a predominantly Bangladeshi population must stop, just as the appearance of many businesses needs to be improved,” the mayor said.
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