Antonio Tajani, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, is known for his creative statements during public appearances. But at the Giornata dell'Africa 2026, held at the headquarters of Treccani Encyclopedia in RomeThis week, it seems to have surpassed itself—by far.
Wanting to demonstrate the historical ties between Europe and the African continent, Tajani resorted to a compelling argument: his own surname. “Tajani, Tijani: Tijani was a prophet of Islam very well known in Africa, not only in the north, but also in central Africa, in Morocco,” he said into the microphone. “Many Muslim faithful go to Al-Tijani's tomb. And that means that someone who came from there arrived here. The ties between our continents are so strong and ancient that we cannot deny them.”
The Italian internet didn't even wait for the speech to end.
The problem with the theory
Ahmad al-Tijani, the figure evoked by the minister, is not exactly a prophet of Islam. He is an Algerian Sufi scholar and mystic who lived between 1735 and 1815 and founded the Tijaniyya, one of the most widespread Islamic brotherhoods in the world. Calling the founder of a Sufi order a "prophet" would be enough to generate debate in any context.
But the biggest problem lies in the etymology. On social media, and not only there, the version that circulates is different: the last name Tajani It has Italian origins, deriving from Taiano or Ottaviano, common regional variants in southern ItalyNothing to do with North Africa, Morocco, or any Islamic brotherhood.
In other words: the minister who signed the Tajani DecreeBy restricting the citizenship of millions of Italian descendants worldwide on the grounds that they lacked an "effective link" to Italy, the country has publicly and enthusiastically discovered that perhaps that very effective link lies in Morocco.
The reaction on social media
The Italian internet reacted accordingly. Among the comments circulating on X were “Il Grande Tony al-Taj Hani”, the Great Tony al-Taj Hani, an Arabization of the minister's name that makes it sound like a desert sheikh, and “Piacere, Mohammed Esposito”, Pleasure, Mohammed Esposito, a combination of an Arabic first name and one of the most typical surnames of Naples.
The most curious one was this: “Berluscallah è grande e Al-Tajani è il suo profeta!”, Berluscallah is great and Al-Tajani is his prophet. The fusion of Berlusconi with Allah transforms the former prime minister into the god of a new Mediterranean religion, and Tajani, faithful to his role as eternal vice-president, remains only the prophet.
As long as Tajani is in charge, humor is guaranteed.
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