The right-wing mayor of Venice has said that anybody who shouts 'Allahu Akhbar' in the city will be shot.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro reportedly set the order whilst speaking at a conference in Rimini, on Italy's Adriatic coast, this week following the Barcelona terror attack.
He said: "Anyone who shouts Allahu Akbar in St Mark's Square can expect to be gunned down by snipers within four paces.
Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of Venice, poses on a balcony in Venice; Credit: PA Images
"We need to increase our security when it comes to terrorism. We had four would be terrorists arrested in Venice a few months ago who wanted to blow up the Rialto bridge.
"They said they wanted to go and meet Allah so we will send them straight to Allah without having to throw them off the bridge, we will just shoot them."
The demand was allegedly met by a round of applause by the audience.
However, after the debate was over, the mayor of Florence, Don Nardella, burst into a room yelling 'Allahu Akbar' to the amusement of Brugnaro and other delegates.
Venice is a popular tourist destination for holidaymakers. Credit: PA Images
Nardella subsequently apologised for making the distasteful joke in the wake of the Barcelona attack.
He wrote an apology on his Facebook page, which read: "I'm sorry for certain remarks which were caught on video and published online.
"It was not my intention to offend anybody, least of all the Muslim community. I did not intend to joke about their religion, nor evoke the tragic events of recent days."
Don Nardella pictured with Prince Charles. Credit: PA Images
Allahu Akbar is an Arabic phrase which translates directly as 'Allah is greater' but is often mistranslated as 'God is great'.
It is one of the most commonly used phrases in Islam and is often recited by Muslims as a reminder of their belief that god is greater than any other deity or person. It is also often called out my Islamists prior to terror attacks.
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Source: The Telegraph
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