ROME, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A mysterious group calling itself "The New Crusaders" has threatened to blow up Rome's main mosque.
The national secretary of Italy's Muslims Union, Massimo Zucchi, warned Thursday that Rome's mosque might be the target of a future terror attack. He said the Italian Muslims Union had received an e-mail from a group calling itself "The New Crusaders" threatening to "blow up Rome's mosque within six months".
The e-mail also contained "insults against the Prophet Mohammad, the Islamic religion and God himself," Zucchi said.
The threat said the terror attack would take place on a Friday, which is the day when Muslims gather to pray together. Zucchi called on local authorities "to weigh the opportunity to take all necessary security measures," AGI said.
So far, Italy has been relatively free both from Islamist terrorist attacks and any popular anti-Muslim backlash. But the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has stepped up security precautions nationwide and warned that Italy could face attacks soon.
