Almost four years ago a row exploded over the display of religious symbols in state-run institutions. An Italian convert to Islam brought the state to court, demanding that a crucifix prominently displayed in his daughter’s classroom be taken down. The case was decided, initially, in his favour, provoking tempered headlines in right-wing outlets worldwide along the lines of “Adel Smith tries to make Christianity illegal in Italy”^[1]

This week a state run obstetric hospital in Milan will replace crucifixes throughout the hospital, for a less controversial symbol, out of sensitivity to the cultural and religious backgrounds of their patients – up to 30% of which are non-Italians.

This enlightened move will, no-doubt, stir up the usual racist clap-trap about how, if they’re in our country, immigrants should accept the predominant culture. Clap-trap apart from anything else because, in theory, the Italian Republic is a secular state – for Italians, as well as immigrants.

Before we get too busy clapping the move on the part of the Hospital’s administration, though, we need to zoom in and find out what’s replacing the crucifix.

You guessed it? Everybody’s favourite cross-cultural mommy figure – the Madonna. Hospital administrators explained: “Our wards have become multi-ethnic and to avoid problems or forms of discrimination, we’ve decided to put in place of the crucifix the image of the Madonna, which is also favourably seen by Muslim women”.

And if you’d rather not be surrounded by fundamentalist imagery of any kind? Tough, it would seem. The blank wall, while the most obvioius solution, is not an option.

For the theologically inclined, surely an image of the only woman in history to, supposedly, have given birth painlessly, reminding women in Labour that, thanks to the sin of Eve, “in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”^[2] is, at best, inappropriate for the walls of an obstetrics ward.

[1] Jihadwatch
[2] Genesis [3:16]