00.00.05 The Pope kneeling in front of a pagan temple.

00.00.09 A paradox, yet there is no scandal.

00.00.12 In ancient times, all gods could find their home in the Roman Pantheon, until they were cast out by Christians in the early Middle Ages.

00.00.21 The Pantheon has been a church since then, but nowadays it doesn’t cause that much agitation.

00.00.33 Ofena, not far east of Rome, could be considered a godforsaken place.

00.00.38 But the opposite is actually the case these days.

00.00.41 In front of the primary school stands a large cross, for protection against a Muslim opponent of the crucifix.

00.00.49 Ever since the scandal, students have been led by a carabiniere into the classroom every day.

00.00.55 Journalists stay outside, merely undermining the idea that Jesus Christ is still present inside.

00.01.02 Where he has always been, after all.

00.01.04 (Italian)

00.01.13 This man is a provocateur who insulted us Catholics, the pope, and the church.

00.01.18 We don't need a man like that here.

00.01.25 When I was on holiday in Egypt, I walked of my own accord in socks over the dirty carpet of a mosque.

00.01.30 If things don’t suit Smith here, he should go to Iraq or Afghanistan. Maybe there he'll have an encounter with a bomb.

00.01.44 The man who is a nuisance to the village lives on St Peter’s Street - Adel Smith, President of the Muslim Union of Italy.

00.01.57 Either there is a cross, or you add an Islamic symbol, or add the symbols representing all other religions.

00.02.05 The cross by itself is a violation of the secular constitution of our country.

00.02.10 Either the law is respected, or it is changed.

00.02.19 But there is no other way the Catholics would rather be privileged.

00.02.22 This would be a grave violation of the rights of all citizens who are not, or no longer are Catholic.

00.02.48 Friday prayers in the largest mosque in Europe.

00.02.52 The mosque stands in the middle of the eternal city.

00.02.54 Thousands of Muslims pay homage to their god Allah, peacefully and undisturbed.

00.03.00 Nobody wants to share the missionary passion of Adel Smith here.

00.03.11 Adel Smith's initiative was an unnecessary provocation.

00.03.14 The presence of the cross in classrooms does not bother us, because the crucifix is the symbol of one of the three great monotheistic religions, as well as a symbol of the civilisation and culture of Italy.

00.03.26 He is a lone fighter, to whom unfortunately the courts and the media pay much attention.

00.03.32 But I hope that all the agitation will be forgotten after two, three days.

00.03.46 This gentleman and others represent a religious mafia that only turns our religion into a business.

00.03.54 I, on the other hand, try to spread our religion, and its true representative is the Muslim Union of Italy, of which I am president.

00.04.16 The fundamentalists have also become active in the Christian camp, at the very least their political brigade, the Lega Nord.

00.04.27 The Lega, who wants to give a crucifix at government expense to each and every Italian family in response to Adel Smith, believes that Padania, as well as the whole Western world, must remain Christian.

00.04.41 Umberto Bossi, "Messiah of the North", is particularly pleased about such initiatives.

00.04.56 Personally, I believe that our religion should not refrain from distinguishing between good and evil.

00.05.03 Otherwise grey areas arise, such as the pedophilia in America.

00.05.09 It takes courage to separate right from wrong.

00.05.13 Whoever does that will summon opponents to our plans, I know that.

00.05.26 In the Vatican, as well as the secular government headquarters, there is zealous championing of the cross in schools.

00.05.33 But they would rather do without Lega Nord’s support

00.05.43 I would hang the cross that Adel Smith wants to get rid of.

00.05.47 His reference to the secular constitution is just a front.

00.05.54 But I would take down the cross that Umberto Bossi wants to affix everywhere, because that is a crusade that abuses the crucifix as a shield against others.

00.06.07 And that would be the opposite of western Catholic tradition.

00.06.26 A cross with open arms, thus also compatible with the readings of the Koran.

00.06.32 Or does belief in neutral constitution remain the supreme commandment of the hour?

00.06.38 Gradually even Italy will have to adjust to the colourful times of relative truth.

00.06.48 This is not going so badly in Ofena's only bar.

00.06.54 The crucifix controversy has made some of their visitors quite thoughtful.

00.07.04 The cross perhaps shouldn't hang in public buildings.

00.07.09 If you really consider yourself a Christian, you can hang the cross on your own door.

00.07.15 Then all the world can see you are a Christian.

00.07.29 Adel Smith does not seem to wish for such gentleness.

00.07.33 No matter what the courts decide, he's maintaining his position.

00.07.39 Meanwhile, Western everyday life continues undogmatically, but multicultural challenges are emerging, especially when genuine and false prophets are likely to speak out more frequently.

00.07.54 A pantheon for the third millennium is not yet built.