Islam in Italy

Islam was almost entirely absent in Italy from the time of the country's unification in 1861 until the 1970s , when the first trickle of North African immigrants began arriving. These North Africans, mostly of Berber or Arab origin, came mainly from heavily Islamic Morocco , though they have been followed in more recent years by Tunisians , Albanians and to a lesser extent, Libyans , Egyptians , Pakistanis , Middle Eastern Arabs and Kurds . Some estimate the number of Italian converts to be around 30,000. As a result, the issue of Islam in contemporary Italy is inextricably linked with immigration, and more specifically illegal immigration . Weekly reports of boatloads of illegal immigrants or clandestini dominate news programmes. While it is unclear how many of these illegal immigrants are Muslim, it is known that at least 40% of all immigrants to enter Italy today are Muslim. Italy has not had great success in intercepting many of the thousands of clandestini who land on Italian beaches, mainly because of the sheer length of the Italian coastline: some 8,000 km in total. To some Italians, there is a sense that this constant wave of arrivals has placed the nation under siege---the foreign customs and practices of these new immigrants is alien to many who have lived their entire lives in an almost homogenous Italo- Catholic environment. The number of Muslims in Italy today probably surpasses the one-million mark, though only 30,000 or so Italian citizens are Muslim. They consist mostly of foreigners who have received Italian citizenship and native Italians who have converted to Islam; a famous Italian convert to Islam is Italy's former ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Conflicts have arisen over the education of children (particularly girls) when italian women marry Muslim men. It is not uncommon for an Italian woman to go to an Arab country to re-claim a young child brought by the father against the mother's wishes and end up stuck in the Italian Embassy in that Arab country for months if not years. This too has tarnished the image of Muslims in Italy.

The Mosque of Rome , the biggest mosque in Western world. Islam is a major Abrahamic religion practiced by a minority of people in Italy. According to 2011 estimates. only 2% of the population adhere to this faith. Muslim presence in Italy dates back to the 9th century, when Sicily came under control of the Abbasid Caliphate . There was large Muslim presence in Italy from 827 (the first occupation of Mazara ) until 1300 (the destruction of the last Muslim settlement of Lucera ). Thereafter, until the 20th century, Islam was relatively small in Italy. The Mosque of Segrate in Milan . During the 20th century, the first Somali immigrants from Italian Somaliland began to arrive. In the year 827, Mazara was occupied by the Arabs, who made the city an important commercial harbour. That period was probably the most prosperous in the history of Mazara.

The Mosque of Rome , the biggest mosque in the Western world. Muslim presence in Italy dates back to the 9th century, when Sicily came under control of the Abbasid Caliphate . There was a large Muslim presence in Italy from 827 (the first occupation of Mazara ) until the 12th century. The Norman conquest of Sicily led to a gradual decline of Islam, due to the conversions and emigration of Muslims toward Northern Africa. A small Muslim community however survived at least until 1300 (the destruction of the Muslim settlement of Lucera ). Thereafter, until the 20th century, Islam was virtually non-existent in Italy. The Mosque of Segrate in Milan . During the 20th century, the first Somali immigrants from Somalia began to arrive. In more recent years, there has been migration from Pakistan , Balkans , Bangladesh , India , Morocco , Egypt , and Tunisia . In the year 827, Mazara was occupied by the Arabs, who made the city an important commercial harbour. That period was probably the most prosperous in the history of Mazara.

Islam in Europe by percentage of country population The Mosque of Rome , the biggest mosque in the Western world Islam is a minority religion in Italy . Muslim presence in Italy dates back to the 9th century, when Sicily came under control of the Aghlabid Dynasty . There was a large Muslim presence in Italy from 827 (the first occupation of Mazara ) until the 12th century. The Norman conquest of Sicily led to a gradual decline of Islam, due to the conversions and emigration of Muslims toward Northern Africa. A small Muslim community however survived at least until 1300 (the destruction of the Muslim settlement of Lucera ). During the 20th century, the first Somali immigrants from Italian Somaliland began to arrive. In more recent years, there has been migration from Pakistan , the Balkans , Bangladesh , India , Morocco , Egypt , and Tunisia . There are also some converts to Islam in Italy (most notably on the island of Sicily). In the year 827, Mazara was occupied by the Arabs, who made the city an important commercial harbour. That period was probably the most prosperous in the history of Mazara. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Islam in Europe by percentage of country population The Mosque of Rome , the biggest mosque in the Western world Islam is a minority religion in Italy . Muslim presence in Italy dates back to the 9th century, when Sicily came under control of the Aghlabid Dynasty . There was a large Muslim presence in Italy from 827 (the first occupation of Mazara ) until the 12th century. The Norman conquest of Sicily led to a gradual decline of Islam, due to the conversions and emigration of Muslims toward Northern Africa. A small Muslim community however survived at least until 1300 (the Muslim settlement of Lucera ). By the 1900s, with the Italian colonisation of Libya , Somalia , Eritrea and Albania , a new wave of Muslim migrants, mainly from these countries, entered Italy and remained the most dominant Muslim groups until the end of the 20th century, and often Islamic prayers were conducted in either Arabic, Amharic, Somali or Albanian. In more recent years, there has been migration from Pakistan, the Balkans (mainly Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina), Bangladesh, India, Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia. In the year 827, Mazara was occupied by the Arabs, who made the city an important commercial harbour. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).