*GENOA: Chants of “Allahu akbar” rang out Saturday at a solemn Catholicstate funeral in the Italian city of Genoa for the victims of a bridgecollapse, who included two Albanian Muslims.*

They were among at least 38 people to have died in Tuesday’s tragedy.

An imam was invited to the ceremony, a particularly poignant move in astaunchly Catholic country, where the far-right is now in power and whichhas seen a rise in the number of attacks against foreigners and Muslims.

He led several minutes of silent prayers — punctuated by four resonantchants of “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) — in the presence of Italy’s topdignitaries including President Sergio Mattarella and premier GiuseppeConte.

The ceremony was also attended by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini whosefar-right League party is in a ruling coalition with the anti-establishmentFive Star Movement.

“The Muslim communities of Genoa, Liguria and the whole of Italy pray thatpeace will be with you all,” the imam said in front of thousands ofmourners gathered inside the flower-filled exhibition hall where 19 coffinswere lined up.

“We are close to you all,” he added as loud applause erupted inside themakeshift chapel.

“Genoa will be able to pick itself back up again. Our Genoa, which inArabic means ‘the beautiful’.”

The number of dead is expected to rise as rescuers pulled more bodies froma car shortly before the state funeral began. – APP/AFP