https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_of_Islam
The Sword of Islam (Template:Lang-ar) was a ceremonial melee weapon given in 1937 to Benito Mussolini, who was pronounced as the Protector of Islam (Template:Lang-ar).
History
In 1934, after the creation of Italian Libya, Mussolini adopted a policy for encouraging comparisons with Islam, calling the local population "Italian Muslims of the fourth shore of Italy", building or restoring mosques and Koranic schools, preparing service facilities for the pilgrims going to Mecca and even making a High School of Islamic Culture in Tripoli. Behind the apparent humanitarian intent, fascists and some sectors of the Islamic world were recognizing France and the United Kingdom as common enemies and Mussolini wanted to exploit this to his advantage.[1][2] These common interests were generated from the aversion to the agreements of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, dominated by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, which had neither fully satisfied the requests brought forth by Italy, nor the requests from this part of the Islamic world.[1]
In order to earn the favor of the Arabs and to seal himself the alliance, Mussolini, although a signatory of the Lateran Treaty with the Holy See, decided to be bestowed the title of Protector of Islam.[3] According to the interpretation of Mussolini, with the Italian government taking over the place of the Ottomans in Libya, such a title was up to him concerning law since, in some manner, he was heir of the authority of the caliph.[4] On March 20, 1937, in the outskirts of Tripoli, Mussolini recieved the Sword of Islam from Iusuf Kerisc, a leading Berber supporter of the Italian occupation against the Libyan resistance, during a lavish ceremony. After entering Tripoli among salutes of cannons and at the head of a rank of 2,600 cavalrymen, Mussolini reaffirmed his closeness to the Muslim population, guaranteeing "peace, justice, wellness and respect for the laws of the Prophet.[5]
In spite of the approval from the media of the regime, the ceremony provoked hilarity among the Italian people
Notes
- ^ a b "I rapporti tra il fascismo e il mondo arabo-islamico". Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ Randazzo 2008, p. 134
- ^ Ham 2007, p. 24
- ^ Lanna & Rossi 2003, p. 242
- ^ "La Spada dell'Islam" (PDF). Retrieved November 16, 2015.
Bibliography
- Antonini, Sandro (1999). De Ferrari (ed.). Catene al pensiero e anelli ai polsi. Genova. ISBN 97-88-871722-17-7. "Antonini".
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ___location missing publisher (link) - Cifarelli, Michele (2004). Rubbettino (ed.). Libertà vo' cercando... Diari 1934-1938. Soveria Mannelli. ISBN 978-88-49806-98-4.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ___location missing publisher (link) - Ham, Anthony (2007). EDT (ed.). Libia. Torino. ISBN 978-88-60401-52-6.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)CS1 maint: ___location missing publisher (link) - Lanna, Luciano; Rossi, Filippo (2003). Vallecchi (ed.). Fascisti immaginari. Firenze. ISBN 978-88-84270-57-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)CS1 maint: ___location missing publisher (link) - Randazzo, Antonella (2008). Arterigere (ed.). L'Africa del Duce. I crimini fascisti in Africa. Varese. ISBN 978-88-89666-27-2.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)CS1 maint: ___location missing publisher (link) - Romersa; Luigi (1994). "Benito e Rachele Mussolini nella tragedia". Storia Verità. No. 17.
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