US, Italy Had ‘Aggressively Monitored’ Muslims In Italy, WikiLeaks Cables Say: Report

Italy's Muslim populationhas been reportedly aggressively monitored, WikiLeaks cables dated from 2005 reveal. The documents were classified by then-U.S. Ambassador to Italy Ronald Spogli.The documents were based on a private informal lunch at the U.S. ambassadors residence and also involved the then-Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu and Italy's Chief ofPolice Giovanni De Gennaro.

According to the documents, in the years before 2005, about 200 Muslims were expelled fromItaly on suspicion of extremism, Sputnik News reported. Pisanu was reportedly quoted in the document as saying that Italy's Muslim community was different from that in France and other European countries because they were much smaller, more diffuse and mostly economic migrants in the former.

"Muslims comprise approximately two percent ofthe [Italian] population. The majority are moderates; only five percent ofMuslims inItaly attend mosque; and many are itinerant workers The Italian Government closely monitors this community and expels those who preach violence," according to the cable dated Sept. 26, 2005.

The government was, however, concerned about at least three percent of Muslims, whom it deemed "prone to extremism," according to WikiLeaks cables.

Still, there will always be some prone toextremism, butthe minister estimated these counted forno more thanthree percent ofthe community inItaly. The [Muslim] advisory council was designed toreach outto the other 97 percent. The three percent were aggressively monitored mosques, schools, bakeries, butcher shops, meeting places," according to a document fromDec. 7, 2005,Sputnik News reported.

"This meant that perhaps 2,000 had been identified and put underwatch."

The report comes at a time when Islamophobia in Europe is on the rise, following deadly attacks in Paris that killed 17 people.

The U.S. had also been conducting a "Muslim Outreach" program inItaly led byMilan's Consulate General. The mission of the program was utilizing a combination ofour U.S. Speakers and Exchange programs together withEmbassy resources topromote our agenda,"a 2007 cable read,accordingto Sputnik News.

The U.S. has also been reportedly conducting such programs across other European countries.

" the two overarching goals ofU.S. engagement withEurope's Muslims: countering the widespread conviction that the U.S. is somehow at war withIslam, and initiating a constructive dialogue aboutMuslim integration inEuropean societies aimed atsharing America's best practices withregard toproviding equal opportunity todisadvantaged, racially distinct minorities," a 2007 document quoted Farah Pandith,U.S. senior advisor tothe assistant secretary ofstate forEuropean and Eurasian affairs, assaying, Sputnik News reported.

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US, Italy Had 'Aggressively Monitored' Muslims In Italy, WikiLeaks Cables Say: Report