ITALIAN TOWN BANS CRICKET
A mayor in a small Italian town has banned cricket and those found guilty of playing could be fined up to R2,000.
In Monfalcone, cricket seems to be a symbolic ban on the foreigners in the town.
Since the late 1990s, Bangladeshi Muslims have started to arrive on the Italian Adriatic coast to build cruise ships.
The sudden influx of tourists via cruise ships led to a sudden influx of labourers to build these cruise ships.
Currently, the town is made up of a population of just over 30,000 people. Nearly a third of this number is foreigners. Most of them Bangladeshi Muslims.
Because of this, mayor Anna Maria Cisint believes the town’s cultural essence is in danger.
Since being elected to office, Cisint has been on a mission to “protect” her town and defend Christian values.
“There’s a very strong process of Islamic fundamentalism here, a culture where women are treated very badly and oppressed by men.”
The mayor told the BBC she refuses to grant the Bangladeshis the privilege to play their national sport and claims they offer “nothing in return”.
“They’ve given nothing to this city, to our community. Zero. They are free to go and play cricket anywhere else… outside of Monflacone.”
Image credit: La Stampa