Remarks infuriate Vatican: Qadhafi advises Europeans to embrace Islam
Wednesday, 01 Sep, 2010
ROME, Aug 31: Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi has caused anger in Italy after calling for Europeans to convert to Islam, and demanding billions of euros to stop migration leading to a “black Europe
MR Qadhafi returned home on Tuesday after a three-day visit to mark the anniversary of the 2008 signing of a friendship treaty designed to heal bitterness left over from Italy’s 1911-1943 colonisation of Libya.
But he left behind some bad feeling, managing to irk Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s allies and the country’s staunchly Catholic community with his comments on religion.
“Islam should become the religion of all of Europe,” he was quoted in the Italian press as telling 500 young women paid to attend a lecture that he delivered in Rome on Monday.
“Islam is the last religion and if we are to have a single faith then it has to be in Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),” he said at another lecture.
A Vatican official called the remarks disrespectful to the pope and the Catholic country.
“To speak of the European continent converting to Islam makes no sense because it is the people alone who decide consciously to be Christian, Muslim or to follow other religions,” said Archbishop Robert Sarah, the secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
Avvenire, the newspaper of Italys bishops’ conference, said the lectures amounted to an “Islamisation propaganda session”.
The Libyan colonel’s calls also caused discomfort within the coalition of Mr Berlusconi, a close ally of the Libyan leader.
“Qadhafi can go invite people to Islam in his own country,” said Luca Zaia, governor of Venices Veneto region and member of the anti-immigrant Northern League, a junior partner in the coalition.
A prominent member of Mr Berlusconi’s party, Maurizio Lupi, asked whether it was necessary to “offer our country as a stage for (Qadhafi’s) shows.” ‘BLACK EUROPE’: In another controversial remark, the colonel said the EU should pay Libya “at least five billion euros a year”, or 6.3 billion dollars, to stop clandestine immigration and avoid a “black Europe.
“Tomorrow, Europe might no longer be European and even black as there are millions (of Africans) who want to come in,” Mr Qadhafi said.
“We don’t know what will happen, what will be the reaction of the white and Christian Europeans faced with this influx of starving and ignorant Africans,” he said.
In Brussels the EU Commission spokesman on immigration issues said the EU was trying to improve dialogue with Libyan authorities.
“We cannot comment on statements by Mr Qadhafi,” spokesman Matthew Newman said.
The EU “is making all efforts to improve dialogue with Libyan authorities, especially with regard to the prevention of irregular migration flows from Africa, he said.
Mr Qadhafi, who came to power after the overthrow of the monarchy 41 years ago, arrived in Italy on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of the treaty signed with Mr Berlusconi that drew a line under the countries’ bitter colonial-era relationship.
Ties between Rome and Triploi have deepened since the signing of the friendship accord, with Italy now the third largest European investor in the North African country.
Italy has said it will invest five billion dollars and build a 1,700 kilometre highway in Libya to compensate for its three decades of colonisation.
The two countries also reached an agreement that allows the Italian navy to intercept illegal migrants at sea and return them to Libya, triggering sharp criticism from the UN refugee agency and human rights groups.
Silvio Berlusconi credited good relations between Italy and Libya “for countering with success the trafficking of illegal migrants from Africa to Europe controlled by criminal organisations”.
He did not reply to the concerns of human rights groups.
Berlusconi and Qadhafi met privately for 30 minutes on Monday during which the latter confirmed the policy of opening Libya to Italian investment.
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