On 5th May 2018 the “Imam Mahdi” Islamic Centre of Rome officially began its religious and cultural activities. The Opening ceremony started in the early afternoon with a conference on the “Role and Responsibility of Islamic Centers in Italy”. After a brief introduction by Salman Di Cola, one of the founders and an active member of its Central Committee, who spoke on the history and the activities of the Association since 2005, four honorable guests each delivered speeches to an audience who positively interacted with the speakers.

The first speaker, journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, pointed to the fact that Islam and Italian culture are not as distant as they may seem.

Shaykh Ibrahim Iungo, Sunni scholar and Islamic teacher, followed, underlining the importance of mosques and religious places for prayer where the name of God is mentioned. Shaykh Iungo thanked the Islamic Association for the opportunity and prayed that we all may persevere to walk together in God’s path.

The ceremony was followed by a talk by Father Haddad, a Syrian Catholic Priest. He praised the founders of new Islamic Centre and stressed the necessity of tolerance and respect amongst all faiths. Father Haddad has already cooperated with “Imam Mahdi” Islamic Association in various conferences in churches and other public gatherings.

Finally, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma, president of “Imam Mahdi” Association, concluded by saying that a place of worship should be the essence and the center of social life so that people may live with more blessings and a bigger aim in their daily routines.

Source: IRIC