Italian lawmaker sorry for slamming former hostage who embraced Islam
rome — A right-wing lawmaker apologised on Thursday for calling a young Italian woman who converted to Islam while held hostage in Somalia, a militant.
Alessandro Pagano of the antimigrant League party said in a Facebook post that he had intended to criticise the government, not Silvia Romano, with his remarks in the lower house of parliament.
Pagano drew outrage and a reprimand from fellow lawmakers and the Vatican on Wednesday after he referred to Romano while complaining about the government’s refusal to reopen churches during the coronavirus lockdown.
Pagano alleged there is a
“strong anti-religious bent” in Italy’s coalition government, “and yet when a neo-terrorist comes back ...” It was a reference to the decision by the Italian premier and foreign minister to greet Romano at Rome’s Ciampino airport on Sunday, and apparent willingness to pay ransom to her captors.
Romano, 24, was freed after 18 months as a hostage of Somalia’s Al Shabab extremists. She returned to Italy wearing the green hijab, and told prosecutors she had freely converted during her ordeal.
Her return, however, has unleashed waves of hate speech on social media, criticising her conversion, her decision to work as a volunteer in Kenya and the ransom paid for her freedom.
Pagano said his remarks were directed at the government, saying the ransom payment and high-profile welcome for Romano was a propaganda victory for Al Shabab. —