Thousands of Muslims gathered in protest outside Rome’s Colosseum Friday after Italian authorities shut down a number of so-called “garage mosques” to avoid young people becoming radicalized.
The Muslim community of Rome chose the iconic Colosseum, a worldwide symbol of Christian persecution and martyrdom, to stage their demonstration against the alleged shutting down by police of illegal places of Muslim worship in the city.
An imam led the group in chanting “Allahu Akbar,” which means in Arabic “God is great,” as they prostrated themselves on the ground.
Many Roman citizens were visibly disturbed by the protest, noting that in its propaganda videos, the Islamic State has repeatedly employed images of the Colosseum when threatening to conquer Rome and the “Crusaders.”
Two months ago, Italian police set up a high-security perimeter around the Colosseum, after the Islamic State issued a new threat to “conquer” Rome in its latest video.
New entrance gates have also been installed around the Colosseum to enable better surveillance and control by law enforcement, according to Rome’s police chief Nicolò D’Angelo.
A Bangladeshi Islamic group called Dhuumcatu reportedly organized the demonstration, saying that police had closed three makeshift mosques in Rome in the last few months.
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