Sword of Islam (Mussolini)

[1] In order to earn the favour of the Arabs and to seal himself the alliance, Mussolini, although a signatory of the Lateran Treaty with the Holy See, decided to have bestowed on him the title of Protector of Islam.

[4] On 18 March 1937, in the outskirts of Tripoli, Mussolini received the Sword of Islam from Iusuf Kerisc, a leading Berber supporter of the Italian occupation against the Libyan resistance, during a lavish ceremony.

[5][6][7] After entering Tripoli among salutes of cannons and at the head of a rank of 2,600 cavalrymen, Mussolini reaffirmed his closeness to the Muslim population, guaranteeing "peace, justice, wellness and respect for the laws of the Prophet".

Its base read: "To Benito Mussolini, peacemaker of the people, redeemer of the land of Libya, the mindful population and exhibitions where the Sword of Islam flashed consecrate in the sign of the Lictor a loyalty that challenges the destiny.

"[12] The sword, decorated in arabesque, equipped with a double-edged straight blade and with a hilt and solid gold friezes, had been achieved from the art firm Picchiani e Barlacchi di Firenze on the order of Mussolini himself.

The uncensored photograph Mussolini on horseback
Mussolini on horseback with the Sword of Islam
The Sword of Islam
The Italian empire before WWII is shown in red. Pink areas were annexed/occupied for various periods between 1940 and 1943. Italian concessions and forts in China are not shown.