Religious freedom underlies peaceful
co-existence, President Sergio Mattarella said amid a row over a
northern school that has closed for Eid al-Fitr, the day Muslims
celebrate the end of their Ramadan fast.
"The Constitution remains us that all religious confessions are
free before the law, in that they do not contrast with the
Italian juridical system," he said.
"Religious freedom is one of the foundations of co-existence,
recognised by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
"The promotion of mutual respect between faiths and cultures, an
element of our community's social cohesion, urges the exercise
of a share responsibility for the common good."
The president wished "all women and men who profess the Islamic
faith in Italy all the best for a happy and serene Eid al-Fitr".
The head of the school at Pioltello near Milan, 40% of shose
pupils are Muslim, has recived death threats from rightwingers
on the Web,
The government is mulling moves to ban school closures for Eid.
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