Religious freedom underlies co-existence says Mattarella

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 10 - Religious freedom underlies peaceful co-existence, President Sergio Mattarella said amid a row over a northern school that has closed for Eid al-Fitr, the day Muslims celebrate the end of their Ramadan fast.
    "The Constitution remains us that all religious confessions are free before the law, in that they do not contrast with the Italian juridical system," he said.
    "Religious freedom is one of the foundations of co-existence, recognised by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
    "The promotion of mutual respect between faiths and cultures, an element of our community's social cohesion, urges the exercise of a share responsibility for the common good." The president wished "all women and men who profess the Islamic faith in Italy all the best for a happy and serene Eid al-Fitr".
    The head of the school at Pioltello near Milan, 40% of shose pupils are Muslim, has recived death threats from rightwingers on the Web, The government is mulling moves to ban school closures for Eid.
    (ANSA).