ROME: As Roman Catholic bishops from all over Italy send messages of good wishes to Muslims for Ramadan, the imam of the city of Florence has said he will lead a special prayer on Sunday night “especially for a ceasefire and peace in Gaza.”
The former president of the Union of Islamic Communities of Italy, Izzedin Elzir originally comes from the Palestinian city of Hebron and has been living in Italy since 1991.
“We demand the release of both hostages and political prisoners detained in Israel,” he said. “Only Allah knows whether or not we will reach a ceasefire soon, but even though it is difficult, we have faith in humanity. Those who value human life must not cease working for peace and justice.
“Ramadan is a time of meditation, peace and spirituality. In this time, we certainly cannot forget the situation in Gaza and Palestine and all the victims of the world. We remember them all in our prayers.”
The mayor of Florence and representatives of the city’s archdiocese have been invited to the prayer.
Meanwhile, several Italian bishops have shared the call for “justice and peace, starting from the Holy Land,” expressed on Saturday by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the archbishop of Bologna who presides over the Episcopal Conference of Italy.
And Piero Magro, delegate for inter-religious dialogue of the archbishop of Palermo, held a common prayer on Saturday with Badri El-Madan, the imam of the Sicilian capital. They prayed together for peace in Palestine and the world.
“We do this in Palermo, a city where Muslims and Catholics have always lived together in peace and work together,” they said.
Muslim communities nationwide are organizing charitable activities to mark Ramadan. A donation of baby food and pediatric medications for needy families has been organized by the Misericordia Islamic Cultural Center in Fabriano in the Marche region. All items will be donated to the local center for families in need.
“We could not be more grateful for this initiative by the Islamic center in Fabriano,” said Maria Teresa Valentini, a representative of the city council. “This is another sign of the great role played in Fabriano by the Muslim community.”
