Offline

The far too many cases of abuses by security forces in Italy are a very serious threat to democracy in this country, even if only some citizens seem to realize it. The cases of Stefano Cucchi, Marcello Lonzi, Aldo Bianzino, Niki April Gatti, Manuel Eliantonio, Federico Aldrovandi and Riccardo Rasman, came to light thanks to the courageous struggle of families to seek the truth despite the guilty silence of the information.

La sentenza della corte europea sui diritti dell’uomo, che impone all’Italia di togliere (finalmente) i crocifissi dalle aule delle scuole pubbliche è stata accolta con prevedibile astio da parte non solo della Chiesa, desiderosa di mantenere i propri privilegi e il proprio dominio culturale sugli italiani, ma anche dai politici, sia quelli reazionari, come la Mussolini, sia quelli fintoprogressisti, come Bersani.

The principle that in public schools should not be exposed religious symbols is a fundamental norm of almost all modern states. Exceptions are only Italy and other countries where the Vatican has always exercised great influence, such as Spain, where the same issue has caused controversy between the church and the secular government of Zapatero. It's absolutely normal that the European Court in Strasbourg consider the crucifix in the classroom a violation of religious freedom.

Every so often seems that Italy can wake up from its heavy slumber. These days the story of Stefano Cucchi led to a general awareness on a basic principle in a state of law: that a person should not die in jail without reason. Images of the murder of Camorra in Naples have shown to all the mundane simplicity with which mafia kills in the street in broad daylight.

Among the silence of the press and taking advantage of the ignorance of most of the population Western governments are doing something that will one day be seen by our descendants in the same way we now see the slave trade. A shame without justification. Western governments imprison thousands of people who haven't committed any crime. Hundreds of others are left to die at sea and in deserts.

In a region with many problems, the first of which is its leadership, the demonstration of Amantea is a breath of fresh air. Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday to demand truth and justice on the "ships of poisons", laden with toxic and radioactive waste, sunk by mafia off the coast of Calabria. The scandal in fact is not only about a region of the South, though the usual italian hypocrisy encourages this thinking.

If you try to explain to a foreigner what are the recommendations in Italy often he doesn't understand. Because in English the word means to mention someone, and it's completely normal. It's when a person is suggested for a job because someone deem him worthy and capable. In Italian the meaning of the word is just the opposite. It's when is mentioned for a job someone who is neither worthy nor capable, only well-connected.

Today in Rome the greatest italian anti-racist demonstration up to now led 200,000 people to the streets, from Piazza della Repubblica to the stage in Piazza Bocca della Verità. A demonstration to say no to the Security decree that criminalizes immigrants, no to rejections of refugees, illegal under any rule of international law, not to the Centers for Identification and Expulsion where innocent people can be kept in jail for up to six months.

Italy is a country where basic human rights are not guaranteed. The last example, if the rejections of the migrants weren't enough, was given yesterday in Parliament when it was rejected the law against homophobia. It is not a communist to say this. It is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, that denounce it.