“They have tried to hang me on an isolated word, taken out of context from my whole speech … I did not say anything against the Islamic civilization”

His response to widespread condemnation of the above comments, in "In quotes: Berlusconi in his own words" at BBC News (2 May 2006) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3041288.stm
2001
Context: They have tried to hang me on an isolated word, taken out of context from my whole speech … I did not say anything against the Islamic civilization... It's the work of some people in the Italian leftist press who wanted to tarnish my image and destroy my long-standing relations with Arabs and Muslims.

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Silvio Berlusconi 49
Italian politician 1936

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