Italian school’s Eid Al-Fitr closure draws ire of right-wing politicians

London: Senior Italian politicians have condemned a school in the north of the country for planning to close to mark the end of Ramadan.

Iqbal Masih school in Pioltello, near Milan, has a student body that is 40 percent Muslim and, anticipating that many would not turn up on April 10, which marks Eid Al-Fitr, announced it would not open that day.

This has prompted criticism from numerous right wing politicians in Italy, including senior figures in the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, a member of the right-wing populist Lega party, branded the decision “unacceptable,” saying it is “against the values, identity and traditions of our country.”

A banner hung outside the school states: “Italian school — never Muslim — closure is forbidden.”

The typeface used for the banner is thought to be popular among several far-right Italian organizations.

Salvini’s sentiments were echoed by a number of his colleagues. Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa raised the prospect of other schools closing to mark other religious occasions, citing Hinduism as an example.

Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche said: “We must not turn away from our values — the values of the West.”

The school is in an area with sizeable Egyptian, Moroccan, Pakistani and Indian communities. It is named after a Christian child-laborer who was murdered aged 12 in Pakistan in 1995.

The school’s 200 teaching staff signed an open letter defending the practicality and fairness of the decision to close, and complaining about the “wave of hatred generated by the press, social media and politicians.”

The school started the academic year a day early, giving it leeway to close on April 10 — a practice often used by schools across Italy to shut in order to celebrate the feast days of local saints.

Its closure has been supported by Milan’s Archbishop Mario Delpini, who said: “One of the most important things in life is religion.”