Strange Bedfellows

From AKI:
Italy's main Islamic group has said Muslims should feel free to take part in a demonstration Saturday in Rome sponsored by the country's main Catholic groups with the support of the Vatican in favour of traditional family values.

No official position, missionary or otherwise:
The Union of Islamic Communities in Italy ((UCOII) "has not taken an official position on the 'Family Day' rally scheduled on 12 May in Rome but we believe that each Muslim is free to participate," UCOII's spokesman, Ezzedin el-Zerfi, told Adnkronos International (AKI)."As a Muslim organization we are clearly in favour of values such as the family and for all religions marriage is based on the union between man and woman," el-Zerfi told AKI. "However, since we live in a secular and free society we believe everyone has the right to be safeguarded. (I'm not sure what el-Zerfi means when he says that. Like they safeguard them in Iran?)

"The 'Family Day' is being organized in response to planned legislation being discussed by the Italian parliament to grant legal rights to civil unions including homosexual couples - a bill openly opposed by the Vatican which has called on Catholic lawmakers not to vote for it.

Let's hope the Salafiyeen from Gaza don't get the memo. Remember them?

The bodyguard of a senior Fatah legislator was killed and seven people were injured May 6 when violence erupted during a protest by religious extremists at a school in the southern Gaza Strip's Rafah refugee camp. 'The attack at the U.N.-sponsored Al Amareya elementary school is the latest violence against Gaza institutions that extremists consider un-Islamic.