Italian Kindergarten's Mosque Visit Sparks Outrage, Investigations

A group of young children from a Catholic kindergarten in Ponte della Priula, Italy, visited a local mosque, where they participated in an activity led by an imam that included kneeling in prayer towards Mecca. The school described the visit as an opportunity for interfaith understanding and noted that parents had given consent for the trip, though it's unclear if they knew the specific activities planned. Images of the children participating in Islamic prayer were posted online, sparking significant controversy and criticism from conservative politicians and some members of the public, who described the episode as religious indoctrination and inappropriate for such young children. School officials defended the visit as a gesture of inclusion, particularly since a quarter of the school's students are Muslim, while some political figures called for investigations into whether educational guidelines were followed. The incident reignited debate in Italy over religious education, cultural integration, and the role of schools in teaching about different faiths. Authorities are investigating whether the visit complied with regulations regarding school equality and parental notification.