Italy: Shia Muslims to commemorate Fiat heir

Italy's Shia Muslim community will remember Edoardo Agnelli, the late heir to the Fiat car empire, in a special ceremony to be held in Rome in November.


The Imam Mahdi Association will honour Agnelli, who was reputedly a Muslim convert, during an event to be held on 15 and 16 November. Hojjatulislam Reza Ramezani, director of the Islamic Centre of Vienna, will attend.


Forty-six year old Agnelli died on 15 November 2000. Despite his wealth and social status, he was said to have had a troubled life.


The Italian courts found Agnelli committed suicide, after his body was found at the foot of a viaduct near the Agnelli family's home city of Turin in northern Italy. His car was parked nearby on the roadside above the viaduct.


Many Shias close to the Iranian government question the circumstances surrounding Agnelli's death and consider him to be a Muslim martyr because they claim he converted to Islam before his death.


Source: AKI (English)

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