The Italian government signed a decree to deport 54-year-old Zulfiqar Khan, an imam based in Bologna, originally from Pakistan.
Khan, who had resided in Italy since 1995, had his residence permit revoked due to increasing radicalism since autumn 2023, which saw him promoting anti-Western, antisemitic, homophobic, and anti-feminist rhetoric.
Authorities linked him to Islamist extremist groups and accused him of advocating hate speech, inciting violence, and encouraging resistance against the Italian State’s tax laws.
Khan’s sermons and social media posts between November 2023 and May 2024 included praise for Hamas, denial of its terrorist status, and antisemitic comments, with calls for divine punishment on Western states supporting Israel.
His expulsion coincided with US sanctions on another imam in Italy, Mohammad Hannoun, a Hamas-affiliated fundraiser, reinforcing Italy’s hardline stance against terrorism and extremism following the October 7th massacre.
