Colosseum and Constantine Arch: Symbols of Christian Martyrdom and the Constantine Wende. Now Muslims want to hold their Friday prayers there. The occasion is this year's sacrificial festival. Islamic superposition of Christianity and repression?
(Rome) On the 31st of August, the Islamic Sacrificial Festival begins in 2017, which will last until the 4th of September. The Muslim community of Rome wants to celebrate the feast at the famous Coliseum. The ruins are not only one of the best-known landmarks of the city, and also the expression of the highly developed architecture of the ancient Romans, but above all the symbol of early Christian martyrdom.
Occupation of the Milan cathedral for the Friday prayer
"Islamization takes place through the occupation of the area - in Milan, the Friday prayer was held in the Cathedral square in front of the famous cathedral - but also the taking over of localities - the more famous, the better", according to the Italian daily La Verità. The Coliseum is particularly important. In the past, the Islamists have shown particular historical knowledge and, above all, attention for places of symbolic significance. The Coliseum has already been shown several times in pictures and in propagandavideos of the Islamic State (IS) - specifically in connection with the conquest of Rome.
Takeover of famous Christian places
The city on the Tiber is particularly hated by the Islamists. They consider Rome, not Washington, London, Berlin or Paris, as the capital of the world, because the Eternal City is the seat of the Pope. He is seen by the jihadists as the head of Christianity.
This coming Friday, the Muslims of Rome will hold their Friday prayer at the sacrificial festival "Eid al Adha" at the Coliseum. A corresponding application for a "religious event" was submitted to the Roman city administration. It is said that they want to condemn "the assassinations of Barcelona." Islamic critics have doubts and see in it a "pretext" to increase the chance for granting.
IS propaganda with burning Coliseum
The application was presented this year by the community of Bengali Muslims, represented by the Dhuumcatu Association. According to their request, they wants to occupy the entire exterior of the Coliseum, the Via San Gregorio and the area around the Constantine Arch, for her Friday prayers. This space has so far been connected annually with the Pope's Way of the Cross on Good Friday, transmitted by TV broadcasters all over the world. Islamic critics regard the proposal as a conscious attempt to "seize" a famous historical object, but also a deeply Christian symbol. It is about a "fight of the pictures" and about the "power of the pictures".
Politics and religion flow into Islam
In October 2016 500 Muslims had already gathered in the vicinity of the Coliseum for "prayer". In reality, it was a protest against the closure of numerous illegal mosques in the Italian capital. At the same time, they asked the new Mayoress Virginia Raggi (five-star movement), to include the city's Islamic places of prayer in the city map. Even then, the images of the prayer protest have triggered mixed reactions. The incident showed above all how seamlessly politics and religion in Islam flow into one another. The daily La Verità recalled the prediction of Muhammad:
"After to Constantinople, Rome will be subjected to Islam."
One does not have to go so far, say others. It is enough to look at the current propaganda videos of the Islamic State (IS) to recognize the importance of the coliseum for jihad. They show the coliseum under the black flag of the IS or in flames. "There is reason for concern," said Italian journalist Sarina Biraghi.
The spokesman of the Great Mosque of Rome, Omar Camiletti, hastened to comment:
"There are symbolic risks. Rome is our city. Damaging the image of Rome would also affect us, which is why we disapprove of such rallies."
Really, these words do not soothe.
Permission is still pending due to security concerns - historical-religious allusions
The requested authorization for the Friday prayer on 1 September by the competent Quaestor, the highest state official in Rome, is still lacking because of security concerns. He is responsible for security and must also examine the permit in the light of the latest attacks and IS threats against Pope Francis.
The Bengali-Muslim Association Dhuumcatu establishes the application on their Facebook page with the words:
"At this festival, the Muslims commemirate the sacrifice brought by the Prophet Abraham peace be with him. It will also be an opportunity for us to express our indignation at the assassinations such as those of Barcelona. These criminals should know that they can never regard themselves as Muslims who endanger others."
Coliseum in flames, in front IS flags
But then it is said with historical and religious allusions that all the Romans are invited to sacrifice, because this "Islamic prayer" on the ancient triumphal road of Rome under the triumphal arch which Constantine dedicated to the victory over Maxentius in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, will show what Islam really is in practice. "
The context of the Islamic Friday prayer with a historical turning point for Christianity and European history is "not clear," says La Verità.
"Who knows how the Muslims would react to a Christian procession in or near the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca or on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem or some other symbolic location? But do not worry, there is no danger of such a Christian zeal - not even to protest against terrorism, much less the Islamic. "
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Wikicommons / MiL
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG