Genoa: Moroccan upset his children were given to Muslim foster care

Genoa: Moroccan upset his children were given to Muslim foster care

Via El Punto Critico (Spanish) and Corriere della Sera (Italian):

A couple from Albenga (Genoa) says their children have been given to a Muslim family by social services against their will. Makhlou Khalid is a Moroccan married to an Italian, Valentina. They say their children (a 3 and 5 year olds) have been baptized and are Christian. The children were handed over to a Muslim couple: an Egyptian and Italian convert after Khalid applied for financial support for the children's grandparents and uncles, who were taking care of them. Khalid is concerned since he says converts are many times more fundamentalist, and he doesn't want his children to grow up like everyone else.

He claims discrimination, since the Italian courts assumed he was Muslim. He's been living in Italy for 25 years and says he's completely integrated.

The case is causing resentment in the Islamic community of Albenga. Makhlou's brothers say they are criticized, but that they feel Italian. Moroccan-Italian MP Souad Sbai got involved and filed for an investigation into the case, saying it was 'cultural rape'. The court's decision is not yet final.