Muslim students of the Polytechnic of Milan: “The University will stop for the Ramadan holidays”

No university lessons and exams on the day of the end of Ramadan and for the Eid al-Adha holiday. This is the request that the Muslim Student Association of the Polytechnic of Milan aims to bring to the table of the largest Italian technical university. The Iqbal Masih institute in Pioltello and the University for Foreigners in Siena – which will be closed on April 10 – mark a path for many young Muslims. «Virtuous examples of inclusion and respect» indicated not only with the desire to start a reflection with their own academic community. «We want to try to network, because the Muslim component is now large and integrated in many universities. And it would be nice to work together to arrive at an important step for our community starting from the next academic year.”

Hanae, of Moroccan origins, is one of the leaders of the Muslim Students Association of the Milanese university. She started the drumbeat of messages to involve not only all those universities where there are already recognized Muslim associations, but also those with a large number of students who have not yet organized themselves to have representation. A work that moves between the universities of Brescia and Pavia, Padua and Parma and many others. «We are still at the beginning and everything is still in progress, but I would like to organize a meeting between now and the next few weeks to try to give a single voice to as many realities as possible», explains Hanae.

While the interruption of lessons would be seen as an important symbolic gesture, exams are the issue most felt among university students. «You can make up the lessons, but many times I have had exams at the end of Ramadan – says Mariam, a Pharmacy student at the University now close to graduating – and it is so sad not to be able to celebrate with your family, or at the risk of feeling guilty for leaving something important behind.”

Mariam is part of the Arab University Students group. The same one that includes Hagar, also a Pharmacy student but at the University of Pavia. «Last year for me the end of Ramadan coincided with an important test. Just as we respect Christian holidays, it would be nice if even just one day of our celebration was respected.”

Requests, however, already rejected by the League: «The appeal of the Muslims of the Polytechnic, as far as we are concerned, is inadmissible», is the comment of the Northern League MEP Silvia Sardone.

«Even the young Jews of Italy are fighting their subtle and non-violent battle – these are the words that come from Anna Tognetti, of the Ugei – A battle of democracy and civil rights that takes place in the classrooms and in the streets when we have to hide our habits because we don’t feel safe inside our universities.”