Muslim politician says sorry for firing at Jesus depiction
A councilwoman from Zurich has sparked controversy after sharing a photo of herself aiming a firearm at an image depicting the Christ Child and the Virgin Mary. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A Zurich councilwoman has come under fire after posting a photo of herself using a representation of a religious image for target practice.
Sanija Ameti, a Muslim member of the Green Liberal Party of Switzerland, faced backlash over the weekend when she shared a photo on Instagram of herself handling a sport pistol alongside another image displaying the Virgin Mary and Christ Child, which had been peppered with pellet holes.
Local media reports indicate that the image was a reproduction of a painting by the medieval Italian artist Tommaso del Mazza, sourced from an illustrated catalogue.
Following the online uproar, Ameti removed the post and expressed her regret. She clarified that she had chosen a page from the catalogue because it was a suitable size and “visible enough” to function as a target.
“I didn’t pay attention to the content of the images,” she asserted. “That wasn’t right. I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart if I offended anyone.”
Speaking to the newspaper Blick, Ameti acknowledged that her actions were “absolutely stupid,” but mentioned that she “didn’t think anything of it” at the time.
Several conservative politicians have denounced Ameti's actions and called for her resignation from her official roles. Nicolas Rimoldi, founder of the Mass-Voll party, accused Ameti of “inciting hatred” against Christians and threatened legal action.
Ameti's family immigrated to Switzerland in the 1990s as refugees from war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a trained lawyer, she serves as a councilwoman in the canton of Zurich and is the co-president of Operation Libero, a movement dedicated to “fighting populism” and promoting “an open and progressive” society, according to its mission statement.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
Sanija Ameti, a Muslim member of the Green Liberal Party of Switzerland, faced backlash over the weekend when she shared a photo on Instagram of herself handling a sport pistol alongside another image displaying the Virgin Mary and Christ Child, which had been peppered with pellet holes.
Local media reports indicate that the image was a reproduction of a painting by the medieval Italian artist Tommaso del Mazza, sourced from an illustrated catalogue.
Following the online uproar, Ameti removed the post and expressed her regret. She clarified that she had chosen a page from the catalogue because it was a suitable size and “visible enough” to function as a target.
“I didn’t pay attention to the content of the images,” she asserted. “That wasn’t right. I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart if I offended anyone.”
Speaking to the newspaper Blick, Ameti acknowledged that her actions were “absolutely stupid,” but mentioned that she “didn’t think anything of it” at the time.
Several conservative politicians have denounced Ameti's actions and called for her resignation from her official roles. Nicolas Rimoldi, founder of the Mass-Voll party, accused Ameti of “inciting hatred” against Christians and threatened legal action.
Ameti's family immigrated to Switzerland in the 1990s as refugees from war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a trained lawyer, she serves as a councilwoman in the canton of Zurich and is the co-president of Operation Libero, a movement dedicated to “fighting populism” and promoting “an open and progressive” society, according to its mission statement.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
