On 24 June 2024, the Carabinieri of the Calcinate Carabinieri station released a fifty-year-old from Bergamo accused of setting fire to the entrance to the Pakistani Islamic center in Montello. A week earlier the person, now reported, would have acted with a distorted face attempting to damage the mosque using ethyl alcohol and petrol. Fortunately, the flames, which were discovered by the center manager, damaged the doormat and the umbrella stand located outside near the entrance.
The soldiers of the Carabinieri Station of Calcinate assisted by the Operational Section of Bergamo, who intervened immediately, also found the presence of the writing “Montello no more mosques dead mayor”, painted with red paint near the Islamic place of worship. The episode immediately aroused great concern and alarm in the local community and among believers who were confident of a prompt and timely response from the police.
The Carabinieri’s investigations, conducted with the aid of video surveillance systems and testimonies collected on site, made it possible to identify and collect evidence against a fifty-year-old worker from Bergamo, held responsible for the intimidating act.
The man, suspected of having found the jerry can and clothes worn for the occasion in his home, is accused of having damaged the mosque and has been released on bail. The Provincial Command of the Carabinieri of Bergamo thanks the citizens of Montello for their collaboration, reiterating their constant commitment to protecting safety and combating all forms of violence and intolerance. Social cohesion and mutual respect are values to be protected to ensure peaceful and harmonious coexistence within each community.
