ABSTRACT
The largest Muslim communities in Italy are Albanian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Egyptian and Bangladeshi. Other significant Muslim communities come from Senegal, Pakistan, Nigeria and Algeria. The diversity of origins among these groups demonstrates the variety of ways Islam is practiced and defined in Italy. The dynamic between the Muslim immigrants' own cultural and religious heritage and their new social and cultural context in Italy has led to various adapted forms of Islam in Europe. A state–religion agreement between Italy and the Jewish community referenced it and further consecrated and stabilized the right to practice ritual slaughter. A more interesting legal battle in Italy is waged by forces attempting to limit the use of the Muslim veil by taking advantage of pre-existing legal provisions that had purposes other than enhancing secularism and opposing gender discrimination. There are other Islamic practices that may be deemed acceptable by virtue of their similarity to practices of other denominations that have already been made legal.
