words by Elizabeth Ganley-Roper
The anti-racist group and advisor to the United Nations, Gherush92, has declared that Dante Alighieri鈥檚 infamous Divine Comedy should be banned from Italian schools. Claiming that the work is racist, homophobic, anti-Islamist and anti-Semitic, the group鈥檚 president, Valentina Sereni, says the work doesn鈥檛 belong in today鈥檚 classrooms.
In an interview with the news agency Adnkronos, Sereni stated: 鈥淭he Divine Comedy is the pillar of Italian literature and a cornerstone of Italian literature and the educational formation of the country鈥檚 students鈥 Students are taught the work鈥檚 offensive and discriminatory language without any filter鈥.
The epic poem, written by Dante between 1308 and his death in 1321, traces his journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. Made up of 100 cantos, the anti-racist group found half a dozen particularly offensive.
According to Sereni, "The Prophet Mohammed was subjected to a horrific punishment 鈥 his body was split from end to end so that his entrails dangled out, an image that offends Islamic culture鈥. In addition, homosexuals are considered 鈥渁gainst nature鈥 and punished to burn in Hell.
Although Sereni claims the group doesn鈥檛 鈥渁dvocate censorship or the burning of books鈥, they have called for the book to be removed from school curricula, or at least accompanied by critical commentary.
It seems that Gherush92 is fighting an uphill battle. The Divine Comedy is one of 天美传媒鈥檚 most deep-rooted symbols and many have come to the defence of Dante鈥檚 work.
Literature professor at La Sapienza University in Rome, Giulio Ferroni, stated, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the umpteenth delirium of the politically correct鈥.
Aurelio Mancuso, the head of the civil rights group Equality Italia, responded, 鈥淭he only thing I can say without breaking into laughter is to keep your hands off of the Divine Comedy鈥.
