ROME – The Euro-Gulf Information Centre (EGIC) recently hosted the presentation of Fabrizio Ciocca’s book “Musulmani in Italia. Impatti Urbani e sociali delle comunità islamiche di Roma”, which analyses the impact of Islamic communities in Italy.

 The event took place on Monday at their headquarters in Via Gregoriana, and attracted a range of people from all walks of life.

 The president of the EGIC, Mitchell Belfer, started off the presentation, outlining how the 21^st century is “a time to look at each other in the eyes and walk forward together to avoid history repeating itself.”

 He also added that since we live in more politically dangerous times, we have to be more culturally and socially mindful. Their association, for instance, spreads awareness through research and discussion groups.

 After a brief introduction, the author Fabrizio Ciocca took the floor and started presenting his book.

 It was evident how much research he’d done, as he related a list of statistics that effectively analysed the impact and significance of the presence of Islamic communities in Rome.

 He said, for instance, that the Muslim population is destined to grow in the forthcoming years due to regular immigration, high fertility rate and family reunification.

 He also mentioned that the Lombard region contains a quarter of Italy’s Muslims; Rome, in fact, is the city with the highest number.

 What's more, according to research conducted in 2017, two thirds of Italians have a negative view of Muslims. Compared to the European average, there’s also a greater distortion in the perception of Muslim presence by Italians; 5 percent higher than in reality.

 Ciocca’s research ultimately aims to provide his reader with a “compass” on a complex theme, which includes social, urban, religious and identity aspects.

 After his presentation, a stimulating debate took place with the audience, which focused on the relation between Islamic communities and the state. The strong emotional impact the topic generated amongst those gathered was compelling and indicative of the worldwide reaction the subject receives.

 Fabrizio’s novel, published by Meltemi, went on sale on May 17 and is also available on Amazon.

 Mr. Ciocca was born in Rome and studied Political Sociology at La Sapienza. He obtained a master’s degree in Urban Multi-ethnic Systems at Link Campus University and attended several training courses on geopolitics, globalisation and human rights.

 A scholar of migratory phenomena, he is also the author of several articles and essays on Islamic communities in Italy, including "La Presenza Musulmana in Italia: criticità e potenzialità" (Muslim presence in Italy: criticality and potential).

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