Brescia, Italy – The 25-year-old imam Ali Kashif from Pakistan, who worked at two Islamic centers in northern Italy, was expelled from the country after shocking remarks on television. On the program “Fuori dal Coro” (Rete 4), he claimed that a girl after her first menstruation, even at the age of 9, is an adult and may be married off.
The case came to light at the end of January 2026. An undercover journalist visited two Islamic centers in Brescia: Associazione Culturale Centro Islamico Minhaj Ut Quran and Associazione Culturale Al Noor. Imam Kashif, unaware he was being recorded, openly defended “traditional” marriages with minors, citing his interpretation of Islam and the Quran.
The imam’s words outraged the public. “In our Islam, after 9 years a girl becomes an adult. She can be married” – he reportedly said. These remarks sparked a wave of outrage not only among Italians but also among part of the local Muslim community.
Swift Response from Authorities
The Questura of Brescia, led by Commissioner Paolo Sartori, deemed the man a “socially dangerous person” under Article 4(3) of the TUI (Consolidated Law on Immigration). Additionally, the imam did not have a valid residence permit.
In the first days of April 2026, Ali Kashif was escorted to Milano-Malpensa airport and flown back to Islamabad (with a stopover in Bangkok). The decision was made at the local level, although it enjoyed the backing of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government.
The case became a symbol of a broader debate in Italy on the limits of religious tolerance, child protection and the integration of immigrants from Muslim cultures. Many commentators stress that Italy this time showed a firm stance: the priority is the safety of minors, not “respect for foreign tradition”.
What do you think of such a reaction? Should more European countries apply similar, immediate deportations in cases of glorifying pedophilia under the guise of religion? Let us know in the comments.
