On October 8th, 2024, Italy signed the decree for the deportation of Zulfiqar Khan, a 54-year-old imam based in Bologna. Khan, a Pakistani citizen who entered Italy in 1995, had his residence permit revoked at the same time as his expulsion.
The administrative decree highlighted that since autumn 2023, Khan’s behaviour had increasingly exhibited ideological fanaticism and a shift towards radical positions.His rhetoric was noted to have included strong anti-Western, antisemitic, homophobic, and anti-feminist sentiments. During one of his sermons, Khan reportedly encouraged Muslim believers to resist the State’s imposition of taxes, arguing that the resources should remain within the Muslim community. He also referred to homosexuality as a disease that needed to be cured and something Muslims had a right to fight in order to prevent what he believed could be catastrophic consequences, such as the extinction of the human race.
Khan’s social media activity, between November 2023 and April 2024, was said to have included videos in which he accused Americans, Germans, French, English, and Italians of supporting impure Zionists. He also invoked Allah to destroy the oppressors, particularly Western states that support Israel. Italian authorities also linked Khan to foreigners who were involved in Islamist extremist groups and suggested he could facilitate the infiltration of political-religious and paramilitary organisations in the Bologna area.
In May 2024, Khan allegedly made statements from the pulpit of a mosque praising Hamas and criticising Israel. He expressed admiration for Hamas, claiming they had demonstrated Israel’s inability to confront men and could only target children, women, and civilians. He also voiced his belief that Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but was defending its territory. He thanked Allah for revealing what he referred to as the truth about Israelis and Americans, labelling them as terrorists and murderers. Khan later stated that groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, and Yemen did not seek to harm civilians, and he invoked divine punishment on the Western states.
Khan’s antisemitic comments were also documented. In May 2021, during a public speech in Bologna’s main square, he cited the Gospel of John, claiming that part of the Jewish population was cruel and used intelligence to harm others. In May 2024, Khan publicly questioned the legitimacy of antisemitism, suggesting that the term was fabricated in the late 18th century. He also denied that Zionists were Semites and criticised efforts to introduce DNA testing for individuals living in Israel.
Khan’s views were further publicised during an appearance on the Italian TV show Dritto e Rovescio in November 2023, where he described Israelites as terrorists and deceivers, referencing the Bible to support his claims. In July 2024, videos were posted on the Iqraa Islamic Center’s Facebook page in which Khan attacked Italian-Egyptian journalist Magdi Cristiano Allam, who had converted from Islam to Christianity. Allam, who had been living under police protection due to threats from Islamist extremists, was criticised by Khan in these videos.
On several occasions, Khan challenged Italian government officials, asserting that the Italian Constitution provided him with the protection to say what he wished. He also claimed that the Quran guided his words, while the Constitution acted as an umbrella for his speech.
However, the Italian authorities took a firm stance with Khan’s deportation and the decision not to authorise pro-Palestinian demonstrations celebrating the October 7th massacre. This demonstrated that the country would not tolerate pro-Palestinian terrorism or extremism. While freedom of expression is protected, it was made clear that hate speech and support for terrorism would not be allowed. Minister Piantedosi’s decision to sign the deportation order on the anniversary of the October 7th massacre was seen as particularly significant.
Khan’s expulsion followed the sanctioning of another imam in Italy, Mohammad Hannoun, by the US Treasury Department. Hannoun, a Genoa-based Palestinian architect, was identified as a Hamas member involved in raising funds for the group. On the evening of October 8th, prosecutor Nicola Piacente suggested that a new investigation into Hannoun could be opened by the Genoa Public Prosecutor’s Office if relevant documentation from the United States became available.