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By Juliana Freitag

BOLOGNA ( ChurchMilitant.com ) - A saint statue in the city of Bologna, Italy was the target of Muslim vandalism over the weekend.

Sunday morning citizens awoke to Muslim graffiti spray painted on the statue of St. Petronius, patron saint of the city, reading "Allah Akbar" ("God is the greatest" in Arabic). The statue dates back to 1683 and is situated in the heart of Bologna, between the two iconic towers that provide the main scenery for the city's postcards (one of the towers, the Garisenda, was mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the "Divine Comedy").

"Allah Akbar" is spray painted on the pedestal of the statue of St. Petronius, patron of the city of Bologna, Italy. The investigators are still reviewing the surveillance videos, and the recently re-elected mayor, Virginio Merola, has declared, "I hope this was just a foolish stunt. Bologna is a city where different cultures and religions have co-existed for centuries in dialogue, and such a gesture isn't welcome." The Democratic Party mayor is warm towards the Muslim community, and Bologna, traditionally known as "Red Bologna" for its communist sympathies, is one of North Italy's main hubs for the sheltering of Middle-Eastern refugees. Two years ago the average flow of one of its leading shelters consisted of more than 100 refugees a week. And in 2015, the city set aside nearly 2 million euros for the construction of new buildings, with controversy surrounding the University of Bologna's decision to fund the college education of asylum seekers.

The point here is the damage to a monument of historical and artistic value ... . Regardless of being Muslim, the author is a cretin. ... This event shouldn't be politicized. Let's wait for the investigation's outcome. We can't fall into the trap that puts us against each other. The Muslim community has never politicized what has been written against us, and one of the nicest phrases I can remember is "Death to Muslims," so I invite you all to do the same, and continue in the route towards dialogue.

Valentina Colombo, professor of History of Islamic countries at the European University of Rome, is expressing doubts about the allegedly Muslim origin of the graffiti, arguing that "a real Muslim would have written in Arabic."

"[A] person acquainted with Islam wouldn't miss the right spelling, which is 'Allah(u) Akbar,'" he argued. "It might have been a kid's dare. Or it might be that the purpose was to polarize the city. We shouldn't fall for this trap."

The archdiocese of Bologna, led by His Excellency Msgr. Matteo Maria Zuppi — whose close relationship with the Bolognese Muslims has been reported by Church Militant — released a short statement condemning the act of vandalism.

"The Archdiocese of Bologna firmly condemns whoever has stained the pedestal of the statue of St. Petronius," the statement read, "a civil and religious symbol of the city. To use the name of God to offend others is blasphemy."

"The authorities have the duty to identify the responsible party," it continued. "We ask all citizens to avoid conflict and allow reasons for cooperation to prevail in order to co-exist peacefully."

Lucia Borgonzoni, Merola's opponent in the last mayoral elections, expressed doubts on Facebook about authorities' ability to find the culprit. And Galeazzo Bignami, regional leader of center-right party Forza Italia, was harsher

"If we continue to show ourselves as extremely tolerant, welcoming, permissive, if we continue to say they are all unfortunate and desperate refugees, if we continue to allow them all to come indiscriminately, this is what will continue to happen — they start by writing blasphemies on our statues, and we will likely end up like guests in our own home."

The graffiti on the saint's pedestal has resulted in mounting tension in the city, putting citizens on alert. This is especially the case ever since the terrorist attacks in Paris last fall, after which the Basilica of St. Petronius, not far from the damaged statue, has been under constant surveillance because of artwork inside its walls — a famous fresco of Giovanni da Modena that depicts Mohammed in Hell, a painting that has been the special target of Al-Qaida's hatred.

Juliana Freitag is ChurchMilitant.com's Italian correspondent.

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