ABSTRACT
From a historical perspective, Islam’s presence in Italy is less a new phenomenon
than a ‘return’ to an earlier era.1 The Italian peninsula has been subject to Islamic
influence since the seventh century, first through acts of piracy from North Africa
and later through the Muslim conquest of Sicily and some other enclaves in south-
ern Italy.2 The Islamic presence in Italy continued throughout the Middle Ages
with the trade between Italy and North Africa; thus the language and culture of
Italy were also affected by the Islamic influence.
