They’re replacing them with images of the Virgin Mary, which is a half-measure: Muslims disapprove of images in general, but they respect Mary. Still, Milan Muslim leader Abdelhamid Shaari says that “a white wall would have been even better.”
“Milan hospital replaces crucifix with Mary to please Muslims,” from Deutsche Presse Agentur, with thanks to Morgaan Sinclair:
Milan – Milan’s leading obstetric hospital was replacing its crucifixes with images of the Virgin Mary to avoid offending a growing number of Muslim patients, reports said Wednesday.
‘Our wards have become multiethnic. We want to respect all religions and avoid any form of discrimination. That is why we have decided to replace the crucifix with the image of the Madonna, which is also appreciated by Muslim women,’ daily La Repubblica quoted Mangiagalli’s medical director, Basilio Tiso, as saying Wednesday.
Some 7,000 women give birth at the Mangiagalli each year. Of these, about 30 per cent are foreign immigrants, many of whom are not Catholic.
The head of Milan’s Viale Jenner Islamic centre, Abdelhamid Shaari, welcomed the move, saying Mary was a figure that was also revered by Muslims.
‘This is certainly a sign of respect for our religion that we greatly appreciate. But a white wall would have been even better. Italy is a secular state and children are angels in any religion,’ Shaari told La Repubblica….