Italy: Arrested imam ran "terrorism school" in mosque

A Moroccan imam <a href="http://www.b92.net/eng/news/globe-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=07&dd=21&nav_category=117&nav_id=42569" class="text-link" target= "_blank">arrested</a> in Italy Saturday is suspected of running a "terrorism school" in his mosque.

Izvor: AP

Monday, 23.07.2007.

11:30

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Italy: Arrested imam ran "terrorism school" in mosque

The imam was arrested in a dawn raid along with two assistants who worked in the mosque at Ponte Felcino, near the central Italian city of Perugia. The police seized films and Internet files they said were used for combat training.

At the house of the imam, identified as Korchi El Mustapha, the police said they found "dozens of bottles" inside three barrels containing a variety of chemicals "with which, when combined and mixed with other easily available products, it would be possible to make improvised explosives."

The arrests shocked Italy which, unlike Britain and Spain, has not experienced attacks by Islamic extremists.

The police, who searched 23 addresses in the area, said the mosque was being used to recruit and train international terrorists.

The imam of Perugia, Abdel Qader, told the Rome daily Il Messaggero that he condemned anyone who preached violence and that the 10,000 Muslims living peacefully in the city were "a concrete example of successful cohabitation."

Qader said he had met the arrested imam and had no reason to suspect him of militancy, but did not know him well. "Perhaps sometimes he polemicized about international affairs, but you know how words can fly," he said.

Qader said he hoped there would not be a backlash against Muslims, though this has already started in some quarters.

Roberto Calderoli, an opposition member of Italy's upper house for the anti-immigration Northern League, said all Italy's mosques should be closed and allowed to reopen only after they had been checked for illegal activity.

"As we don't know where's the baby and where's the bath water, the only thing to do is to close all the mosques and reopen them only after accurate inquiries and checks," he said.

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