“Signal of weakness” –

Luca De Lellis

March 30, 2024

But aren’t we losing our identity by chasing ethnic and cultural pluralism, particularly religious, at all costs? It is the legitimate question that those slightly more conservative Italians linked to an increasingly less rooted Catholic-Christian tradition ask themselves, when faced with the case of the closure decided by the school board of the state comprehensive of Pioltello, in the province of Milan, to celebrate the end of the Ramadan period is scheduled for April 9th. The decision was then repeated also by the University for Foreigners of Siena under the rector Tomaso Montanari who signed a deed which states that the choice is dictated by a “visible sign of solidarity with the Palestinian population of Gaza, largely Muslim, subjected to an incessant, unprecedented massacre.” As well as the usual “intention to promote civil and peaceful coexistence that arises from mutual recognition and respect”.

Matteo Salvini expressed himself frankly regarding the case of the Pioltello school, labeling it as “a sign of surrender and retreat”, because “it is true that we need to explain to children of every ethnicity and religion how beautiful it is to know each other”, but in the end of the accounts “we are in Italy”, and “I don’t think that in any Islamic country they close for Easter or Christmas”. Vittorio Feltri’s comment is even more forceful. In his column La Stanza in which he responds to the reflections of his readers, while recognizing “due respect for what is different and non-discrimination of any kind”, he asserted that “respect does not imply” some of the phenomena we are witnessing in contemporary society. Phenomena within which the editorial director of Il Giornale sees “a kind of weakness on our part, deriving from a political correctness that is destroying the roots of our society”. But what are the new trends criticized by Feltri? First of all, “the renunciation of one’s own traditions in order not to offend in some way those who cultivate other customs”. But then also “a submissive adaptation to the culture of others”. In short, “that of Western society is an unconditional surrender towards the Islamic world”, also given “the cultural colonization of those people on our territory despite being guests”. In all of this, the director is keen to remind us, “the condition of women in Afghanistan – but also in many other Muslim countries, ndr – It’s getting harder”. His point is clear: we must not forget who they are and what practices they implement in their culture. Respect and absence of discrimination yes, cultural subjugation also no.