Mosques in Monfalcone, the mayor identifies temporary sites but the community still protests –

The controversy regarding the sites for the worship of Islamic centers in the area of ​​the Municipality of Monfalcone does not subside. After the indications of the Council of State, the mayor of Monfalcone, Anna Maria Cisint, identified the temporary sites but it was not enough for the communities. For this reason, the municipal administration calls on the Islamic community to respect the law and what has been established by the Council of State. “The discussion table has started and the sites have also been identified: the Municipality of Monfalcone fulfills all the indications of the Council of State – we read in a note from the Municipality of Monfalcone – The Municipal Administration of Monfalcone – with the seriousness that the distinguishes – after the formal activation in all respects of the discussion table provided for in the decision of the Council of State, believing that it must be carried out in epistolary form precisely because the cross-examination requires the necessary certainty and clarity in the interlocution of the respective positions, following the reconnaissance and investigation by the competent offices, has identified the sites, which will have temporary and provisional value “pending the hearing on the merits”, in compliance with the time frame (7 days) indicated by the provision. The Municipality of Monfalcone notes that, despite the pronouncements of the Council of State which clearly reiterated that individual freedom of worship is considered an “inviolable right”, but when it becomes collective it must be exercised within the “primary and secondary regulatory framework”, that is, it must respect the rules of law and be practiced in compliance with legality, the two Islamic Centers continued to use the premises located in via Duca d’Aosta 28 and in via Don Fanin for worship purposes, in clear violation of the provisions. For this reason, the body calls the two associations to comply with the collegial ordinance adopted by the Council of State which effectively confirmed the ordinances of the Municipality which had intervened to guarantee the application of urban planning regulations, and those of safety and security, in the two centres. public safety, as such places cannot be transformed into mosques”.

The Municipality of Monfalcone specifies that the two sites identified meet all the required needs. “With regards to the identification of temporary alternative sites where to practice worship, it is not true that those indicated are “located in completely secluded and peripheral points which are almost unattainable for the members – continues the note – They respond fully meet the criteria of being dignified sites, located in nearby places and in easily accessible places as specified below. Climb to the Rock Playground Area. This is an area in the city center adjacent to the car park at the base of the climb to the Rocca and located near Piazza della Repubblica, where the town hall of Monfalcone is located. The area is 500 meters from the square and 800 meters from the two centers and can be reached on foot in a few minutes. It is therefore not true that this site is unattainable for members of cultural centres. In the area there is a large car park equipped with public lighting and on the adjacent lawn area there is a concrete paved platform (which can easily be equipped with floodlights for evening lighting). It is equipped with playground equipment regularly frequented by the families of the members themselves. It is, therefore, a site in the city centre, easily accessible and absolutely dignified and well-kept and where it is also possible to install gazebos and easily removable tensile structures for use of the area in case of rain, as well as chemical toilets .
Roman Spa Area. This is an area intended for parking in the spa area of ​​via Timavo, consisting of a large area paved with self-locking tiles, equipped with public lighting, on which also in this case it is possible to install gazebos, temporary tensile structures and bathrooms chemists. The site can be easily reached from the centre, it is well served by an urban bus line (journey time 16 minutes with frequency every 15 minutes) and can also be reached by bicycle in essentially the same time. Therefore it is an easily accessible, accessible, dignified and well-kept site. Consequently, the temporary sites identified fully meet the necessary requirements as they are accessible and dignified, located in non-district areas, easily reachable even by public transport and are suitable for the provision of covers for protection in case of rain. Based on the accurate reconnaissance and verification of the competent offices, none of the public aggregation structures in the area can fulfill the requests of the Islamic Cultural Centers, as they are constantly used by sports associations, schools, other organizations or by the Municipality itself, and are therefore not available. The only building currently not used on a continuous basis and which is identified as a temporary alternative site, is made up of the structure called “Bocciodromo” located in via C. Cosulich, currently managed by the AR Fincantieri company and for which, naturally, it will be necessary to hire all legal and insurance obligations and those relating to the safety and maintenance of the integrity of the playing field terrain. In the face of that “loyal collaboration”, which should be complied with in a biunivocal manner and which is instead demanded by the Islamic Centers but in fact has been violated with the repeated failure to comply with the decisions of the Council of State, the Municipality of Monfalcone, although considered the fact that in a secular state it is not up to the public institution to take responsibility for allocating public spaces to the cult activities of the different confessions and without prejudice to the fact that the body must consider the other relevant public interests and safeguard the rights of users and the various social activities , intended to identify, with all due checks, a plurality of sites that fully respond to the fact of being dignified, located in nearby and easily accessible places, which were – consequently – communicated to the two centers involved. In fact, there is a solid provision which establishes that those structures cannot be used as places of worship and therefore it is remembered that that provision must also be complied with by the two associations”.