The Italian government has unveiled a 'charter of values' intended to promote better understanding between the nation and its growing immigrant population, especially Muslims.
Interior Minister Giuliano Amato put his seal of approval on the document, drawn up by a ministry-tasked committee after months of consultations.
Unveiled within hours of a government bill aimed at easing restrictions on foreigners, the charter forms part of an ongoing drive by the Italian state to promote the integration of immigrants, especially those from Muslim countries.
The document has no binding legal value. Instead it is a collection of principles, intended to act as a point of reference for foreigners settling in the traditionally Catholic Italy.
It is also meant to encourage a better grasp of problems facing immigrants and suggest ways to tackle cultural misunderstandings.
Amato, who has said his ministry will be guided by the document in its dealings with religious communities, described the charter as a "snapshot of Italian principles and values as enshrined in the country's constitution".
The president of the committee that drafted the charter, Professor Carlo Cardia, said it reiterated the principle that immigrants who settle in Italy should enjoy all the rights provided by the national system but should also have the same duties "without any uncertainties or grey areas".
The document is divided into seven sections. The first and last tackle identity in Italian society and Italy's international commitments.
The central part of the charter covers equal rights and duties for new Italian citizens, the centrality of the family, state secularity, religious freedom, and social rights such as work, health, home and schooling.
According to Cardia, the document places emphasis on "equality between men and women".
This extends into marriage, "where both partners have equal rights and responsibilities", he said.
"Marriage is a monogamous structure, and we want to avoid women facing the humiliation of polygamy," Cardia added.
The charter also addresses the question of religious attire, which has been the subject of considerable debate in Italy.
"There are no restrictions on clothing in Italy provided these decisions are made freely," said Cardia. "However, face coverings are not acceptable as they prevent socialization with others".
Although ostensibly addressed to all faiths, the main target is Italy's Islamic community, which has grown rapidly in recent years with immigration from North Africa and Asia.
Amato expressed the hope that the document would help "consolidate an Italian Islam, encouraging less divisive forms than we see at the moment and helping pave the way for an understanding between the Italian state and Islam".
The charter has received a generally warm welcome from religious representatives.
The President of Italian Islamic Religious Community (COREIS), Yahya Pallavicini, said the document would encourage "a pluralistic and democratic vision of Islam, a credible dialogue partner for the Italian state".
Souad Sbai, who heads the Moroccan Community of Italy, said although the document was just a "first step", it was "good to have something down on paper for immigrants".
One of Italy's largest Muslim organizations, the UCOII, praised the document, describing it as "non discriminatory - a charter for equality".
MUSLIM ORGANIZATION VOICES RESERVATION OVER VEIL REFERENCE.
But the UCOII, which has come under fire in the past for its more traditional approach to Islam, also expressed strong reservations about the references to headcoverings.
"These are not humiliating for the women who wear them," said UCOII President Mohamed Nour Dachan.
Responding to Dachan's remark, an MP in the centre-right Forza Italia party, said the UCOII should be officially condemned for its criticisms.
"The UCOII doesn't have the courage to accept a document that bans polygamy and the prohibition on the headcovering," said Isabella Bertolini, the party's deputy whip in the House. "At this point Amato should make signing the document obligatory for members of the Islamic Council, or risk automatic exclusion".
The Islamic Council, which helped draft the document, was set up in 2005 to advise the government on issues relating to the Muslim population.
Italy, like other European countries, has seen heated debate over the issue of Islamic women's dress.
In 2004, an Italian woman was fined for going out with her burqa under a Fascist-era law that bans people from wearing garments impeding their identification.
Earlier this year, an MP from the rightwing National Alliance said she planned to present a bill banning the wearing of veils until the age of 18.
Daniela Santanche, who received a death threat after stating that the Koran does not require women to wear veils, said the move was part of her "battle in favour of Muslim women".
A nursery school teacher in northern Italy was refused a job for wearing a headscarf but there has so far been no issue over student attire, as in the UK and France - possibly because Italy has a much smaller Muslim population.
The most recent figures on immigrants in Italy, presented by the Welfare Ministry earlier this month, indicate that a third of Italy's foreign population, around 1.009 million, are Muslim.
Christians make up around half of all immigrants, divided fairly equally between Catholics and Orthodox.
