Italy: School’s decision to close on Eid al-Fitr sparks widespread anger among politicians

A school in Italy has decided to close on the upcoming Eid al-Fitr and allow its Muslim students to celebrate the religious occasion with their families.

This decision sparked widespread anger among ministers and politicians in the country, who described it as an “assault on Italian values”.

The administration of ‘Iqbal Masih’ school decided to suspend classes on April 10, coinciding with the celebrations of Eid al-Fitr, in order to enable Muslim students to celebrate the holiday with their families.

The school is located in the province of Biella near Milan and hosts around 40% Muslim students.

However, this decision angered many ministers and political figures in the country, who considered it a violation of Italian values and identity. Matteo Salvini, the Deputy Prime Minister, described the move as “unacceptable and contrary to the values and identity of our country,” while Daniela Santanchè, the Minister of Tourism, emphasized that “we must not stray from our values – Western values.”

On the other hand, Mario Delpini, the Archbishop of Milan, defended the school’s decision, stating that it is a “reasonable measure” because “religion is one of the most important things in life.”

In a related context, education inspectors expressed their objection to this decision, considering it “contrary to the rules,” while Giuseppe Valditara, the Minister of Education, called for the school not to be closed, pointing out that the performance of the students there does not justify this decision.

Meanwhile, a group of teachers at the school expressed their support for the decision, affirming that it is not related to politics and reflects the school’s stance on tolerance and cultural diversity.