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Tag: Italy

  • Kissing Couple Attacked Outside Rome Mosque, A Malaysian Man Was Arrested

    Kissing Couple Attacked Outside Rome Mosque, A Malaysian Man Was Arrested

    A 24-year-old Malaysian national was arrested Sunday night for allegedly attacking a couple who were walking hand-in-hand and kissing near an Islamic centre in Rome’s Esquilino quarter.

    The man reportedly told them “you can’t kiss in front of the mosque” before pushing the young woman and punching and kicking the young man. The assailant also allegedly attacked police who came to the scene.

    A Carabiniere, member of the Italian paramilitary police, was slightly hurt.

    The Malaysian man is reportedly a resident in Rome. He has since been arrested for charges of assault and and for resisting a public official. The Roman police also confirmed that they are investigating the man for “the extent of radicalisation.”

     

    Source: ansa/worldofbuzz

  • Artmani Italia Closed Down Without Warning, Customers Furious

    Artmani Italia Closed Down Without Warning, Customers Furious

    Ms Teo, an associate director of a recruitment agency, was hoping that a two-seater leather sofa she bought would be the centrepiece of her new home, after she moves in soon after Chinese New Year.

    But she is now missing a sofa, and is $3,000 poorer. She had paid furniture company Artmani Italia in two instalments – one last July and the other two weeks ago – and the firm promised to deliver the sofa to her flat in Boon Keng in early February.

    But Artmani Italia is believed to have shut down, leaving Ms Teo and about 50 others in the lurch. These customers, part of a WhatsApp group, are owed around $65,000 worth of furniture, and they have lodged police reports.

    When The Straits Times visited Artmani Italia’s premises in an industrial building off Hougang yesterday, the firm’s showroom doors were locked.

    At another two units listed under the firm’s name, letters from the landlord were pasted on the front doors, stating that no one was allowed access to the units with effect from Jan 18, unless authorised to do so.

    Others who work in the building saw movers loading furniture from the showroom onto a lorry.

     

    Attempts to reach the company were unsuccessful.

     

    One possible avenue for redress for the likes of Ms Teo is to file a claim with the Small Claims Tribunals. For now, she has bought another sofa from another company, with delivery expected in March.

    She still finds it hard to believe that she and her husband could have lost money like this.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Mashizan Masjum – The Broadcast Journalist Turned Celebrity Shoe-Maker

    Mashizan Masjum – The Broadcast Journalist Turned Celebrity Shoe-Maker

    He went for a four-month shoemaking course in Florence, Italy, three years ago.

    And Mr Mashizan Masjum has since seen his shoes worn by the likes of TV host Jeannie Mai and Beyonce’s sister, singer Solange Knowles.

    Tomorrow, the 43-year-old will take his shoe brand Mashizan to Singapore Fashion Week for its closing event. It will be the brand’s very first fashion show.

    Mr Mashizan spent almost 20 years working as a broadcast journalist and documentary producer in Singapore and New York before launching his brand last November. He has released two full collections to date.

    His wedges, ankle boots and pumps range from $600 to $1,000 and are sold at Robinsons The Heeren and Julie Nicole at Capitol Piazza.

    It’s a dream come true for Mr Mashizan, who has been passionate about women’s shoes since his secondary school days.

    “I always think of women’s shoes as a work of art. Even women’s clothes are so beautiful,” he told The New Paper.

    “I remember how while I was still studying shoemaking, I was interviewed by a friend and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if a celebrity would wear my shoes in the future?’

    “I guess it all worked out.”

    His move into fashion and Florence, where he is now based, is not the first time Mr Mashizan has taken himself out of his comfort zone.

    In 2005, after working as a broadcast journalist in Singapore for nine years, he moved to New York City without any job offers. It took him six months to find one.

    While he loved producing documentaries for outlets like National Geographic and History Channel, his mind was still on shoes.

    So he took a sabbatical in 2013 to study shoemaking under the tutelage of Angelo Imperatice, former head designer at luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo.

    ITALY

    “I’ve always been fascinated with Italian styles and designs, and I think Italians take great care of their artisanal heritage. That’s why I chose Italy,” said Mr Mashizan.

    He was to return to work on documentaries in New York but slowly started prototyping his own designs instead.

    “It was a gradual change, as I still wasn’t sure if it was the right path for me,” he said.

    Mr Mashizan brings his experience as a documentary producer into his design work.

    “I love stringing ideas together, it allows me to tell the story of how a shoe is designed,” he said.

    Solange Knowles PHOTO: REUTERS
     

    But with no business or fashion background, the big jump to starting a shoe business was daunting.

    “I had to learn everything from scratch, I even learnt from my friends how to do business proposals,” said Mr Mashizan.

    “The toughest part was finding the right factory to produce my shoes.

    “Compared to big brands like Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, my brand is still very small and new, so why would a factory choose to produce mine?”

    Fortunately for him, he found a production manager in Florence who guided him through the industry.

    Mr Mashizan’s family and friends were very entertained and enthusiastic by his mid-career switch, and were all supportive, telling him to go for it.

    As he looked back on his success, Mr Mashizan cited Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling as an affirmation to him.

    He said: “Success is hard to gauge.

    “I’m definitely not there yet, but it’s the satisfaction I get from empowering women to feel great and strong that keeps me going.

    “Don’t dwell on the negativity and always have it in your head that everything is possible if you believe in yourself.”

    “I remember how while I was still studying shoemaking, I was interviewed by a friend and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if a celebrity would wear my shoes in the future?’ I guess it all worked out.”

    – Mr Mashizan Masjum

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Orang Islam Di Itali Adakan Bantahan Bagi Kebebasan Bersolat

    Orang Islam Di Itali Adakan Bantahan Bagi Kebebasan Bersolat

    Beberapa ratus Muslim menunaikan solat di luar bangunan Colosseum di Rome sebagai bantahan terhadap apa yang menurut mereka adalah sekatan tidak adil terhadap kebebasan mengamalkan agama Islam di Itali.

    Para penganjur berkata mereka mengadakan bantahan itu semalam (21 Okt) menyusuli penutupan lima masjid sementara di negara itu atas sebab-sebab pentadbiran.

    Ramai rakyat Muslim Itali mengesyaki pihak berkuasa tempatan memberi respons terhadap rasa curiga terhadap orang Islam akibat serangan pelampau baru-baru ini di Eropah, dengan menutup tempat-tempat ibadah disebabkan masalah-masalah yang mudah dihuraikan, seperti jumlah tandas di sesebuah premis tertentu.

    “Kami merasakan orang ramai menuding jari ke arah kami,” kata Francesco Tieri, seorang warga Itali yang memeluk agama Islam yang merupakan penyelaras bagi beberapa kumpulan Islam.

    “Tiada keinginan politik untuk mengiktiraf bahawa kami ada di sini dan kami masyarakat yang aman. Kami terpaksa menyewa tempat untuk solat – yang bagi kami adalah seperti bernafas, jika kami tidak boleh lakukannya, kami akan mati,” katanya lagi.

    Menurut perangkaan rasmi, lebih 800,000 orang Islam tinggal di Itali secara sah dan para pegawai menganggarkan lagi 100,000 tinggal di negara itu secara tetap tanpa dokumen rasmi.

    Ini bermakna masyarakat Islam mungkin membentuk lebih 1.5 peratus penduduk di Itali dan Islam merupakan agama kedua yang paling ramai dianuti di negara yang kebanyakan penduduknya beragama Roman Katolik itu.

    Islam bagaimanapun tidak diiktiraf sebagai agama rasmi di Itali, tidak seperti agama Yahudi atau Mormon, dan ramai orang Islam dari utara Afrika dan Asia Selatan rasa didiskriminasi dari segi kaum dan agama.

    Rome menempatkan masjid terbesar di dunia Barat, namun saranan-saranan untuk membina masjid-masjid bercorak tradisional di tempat lain kerap dibantah majlis-majlis tempatan yang boleh menyekat izin bagi merancang pembinaan atas pelbagai sebab teknikal daripada saranan saiz kemudahan meletak kereta, dan keharmonian seni bina dengan sesuatu kejiranan tertentu.

    Parti-parti berhaluan kanan menyeru agar mengharamkan mana-mana masjid yang dibina dengan dana dari penderma di luar Itali.

    Anggota Parlimen Barbara Saltamartini dari Liga Utara yang anti-imigresen, menyifatkan bantahan itu sebagai “provokasi tidak boleh diterima” yang tidak sepatutnya dibenarkan diadakan di Rome sama sekali.

    Source: Berita MediaCorp