Italy's Congo-born minister calls on reflection after racist comment

Italy's Congo-born Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge on Monday called on "reflection on the role of those who hold public office in Italy" after she fell victim to a distasteful comment by Deputy Senate Speaker Roberto Calderoli. Calderoli, a prominent member of anti-immigration Northern League party, said while speaking at a festival near his home city of Bergamo in northern Italy at the weekend that when he saw Kyenge's pictures he could not help but think of her "resemblance to an orangutan." "I do not call for Calderoli's resignation. This is not a point that concerns me. But I put another question, a reflection on the role of those who hold public office in Italy," Kyenge said commenting on the words. The Northern League member phoned the minister to apologize, claiming that the comment was born from his "love for animals" and not meant to be offensive. But authorities from the entire political spectrum called unjustifiable what they defined as a racist insult and expressed support of Kyenge. President Giorgio Napolitano called himself "shocked and outraged" by the comment which showed "trends towards barbarization of civil society," while Prime Minister Enrico Letta said that the episode was "unacceptable" and "beyond every limit." According to Northern League leaders, Calderoli's words were fueled by "wrong policies proposed by Kyenge that contribute to the uncontrollable influx of immigration" into Italy, after the minister said last week that she was open to assessing whether to wipe the criminal status of illegal immigration. In her view, determining whether a person is illegal "must be established after verifying the facts, not before," and citizenship in the European Union (EU) should begin from an integration process. For example, at least five years residency could be enough to ask for Italian citizenship, she said. Kyenge has been subject to several attacks by Northern League members since she became Italy's first black government minister in April. Last month, a Northern League councilor posted an invitation to "rape" her on a Facebook page, while another party's member of European Parliament said that the minister would seek to "impose her tribal traditions from the Congo" on Italy. The Mediterranean country has been a destination or a gate into Western Europe for tens of thousands of illegal migrants, mostly from Africa, especially since North Africa and the Middle East fell into political uncertainties. Thousands have died while attempting to make a dangerous crossing to reach Lampedusa, a tiny island in southern Italy, in overcrowded and frequently unseaworthy boats.