Njengamanye amazwe amaningi namuhla, i-Italy iyalihlonipha ilungelo lezakhamuzi zayo lokwenqaba ukusebenza ebusosheni ngenxa kanembeza. Kodwa kwakungenjalo ekuqaleni. I-Italy yaqala ukuhlonipha leli lungelo labantu elibalulekile ngemva kobunzima obukhulu oFakazi BakaJehova okwadingeka badlule kubo.

Ukubuthelwa ebusosheni kwaqhubeka amashumi eminyaka e-Italy ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II. Ngo-1946, ngemva nje kokuphela kwempi, kwakunoFakazi abangu-120 kuphela kulo lonke lelo zwe. Kodwa lapho landa inani labantu abanikela ukuphila kwabo kuJehova, landa nenani lezinsizwa ezingoFakazi ezazenqaba ngenxa kanembeza ukungena ebusosheni okwakuphoqwa umthetho. Babenqaba ngenxa yeziyalezo zeBhayibheli ezikhuthaza ukungathathi hlangothi, ukungabi nabudlova nokuthanda umakhelwane.

Inhlolovo yamuva eyenziwe yihhovisi legatsha lase-Italy ithole ukuthi kusenabazalwane okungenani abangu-14 180 abasaphila abagwetshwa ukuba badonse ejele ngenxa yokwenqaba ukufakwa ebusosheni. Laba bafowethu bagwetshwa ingqikithi yeminyaka engu-9 732 bedonsa ejele, ikakhulu ukusuka ngasekupheleni kwawo-1960 kuya ngasekupheleni kwawo-1990.

USergio Albesano, isazimlando semizamo yokumelana nempi saseTurin, e-Italy, sathi oFakazi BakaJehova babeyingxenye “enkulu kakhulu yentsha eyaboshwa ngenxa yokwenqaba ukusebenza ebusosheni.” Wanezela wathi ngenxa yokuqiniseka kwazo okungantengantengi, lezi zinsizwa “zasiza ekwenzeni le nkinga iqashelwe umphakathi.”

OwayenguNdunankulu uGiulio Andreotti, ngesikhathi ewungqongqoshe wezokuvikela e-Italy ngawo-1960, wanquma ukuhlangana mathupha nabanye oFakazi ababeboshiwe ukuze aqonde izizathu zokwenqaba kwabo ukuba amasosha. Kamuva wabhala: “Kwangihlaba umxhwele ukubona indlela inkolo enothonya ngayo kubo nokungazihlanganisi kwabo nanoma yimiphi imibono yezepolitiki; akuzange nje kuvele kuqondane ukuthi bazifake ebunzimeni bokudonsa unyaka wonke ejele, njengoba babeqhubeka nokwenqaba ukuba amasosha.”

Umthetho wokuqala owawuvumela ukwenqaba komuntu ukusebenza ebusosheni waphasiswa ngo-1972. Ngeshwa, nakuba lo mthetho wawunikeza umuntu ithuba lokukhetha ukwenza umsebenzi ohlukile kahulumeni, lowo msebenzi wawuqondiswa uphiko lwezempi, okuyinto eyayingamukeleki kubafowethu.

Ekugcineni, ngoJulayi 8, 1998, uhulumeni wase-Italy waphasisa umthetho omusha onemisebenzi engakhethwa umuntu owenqaba ubusosha engekho ngaphansi kophiko lwezempi, ngakho yamukeleka koFakazi BakaJehova. Ngo-Agasti 2004, i-Italy yaphasisa umthetho omusha wokuthi akukho muntu okufanele atshelwe ukuthi akaye ebusosheni, okuwumthetho owaqala ukusebenza ngoJanuwari 2005.

Phakathi kochwepheshe abaningi abancoma oFakazi BakaJehova ngalezi zinguquko ezenzekile kwezomthetho e-Italy kubalwa uSergio Lariccia, ummeli noprofesa wezomthetho osethathe umhlalaphansi waseSapienza University eRome. Wathi: “Ngesikhathi abefundisi basebusosheni bethi ukwenqaba ukuba yisosha ‘kuwukwedelela izwe lenkaba yakho, akuhlobene nakancane nomyalo wokuthi amaKristu kufanele athandane futhi kuwubugwala,’ ukuma koFakazi BakaJehova baqine kwaba neqhaza ekuletheni ushintsho emthethweni nasemphakathini wase-Italy.”

Okwenziwa abafowethu akugcinanga nje ngokuba nesandla kwezomthetho e-Italy. Onogada abaningana basejele baba oFakazi Bakajehova ngemva kokuqaphela ukuziphatha kweziboshwa ezingoFakazi. Omunye wabo, uGiuseppe Serra, uyakhumbula: “Isibonelo soFakazi abasebasha sangithinta . . . sangenza ngaqala ukufunda iBhayibheli.” Waba uFakazi ngo-1972. (Bheka ibhokisi ngezansi.)

Siyajabula ngezibonelo ezibonisa isibindi ezabekwa izizukulwane ezihlukahlukene zabafowethu nemindeni yabo e-Italy, kanye nabanye abaningi kubafowethu emhlabeni jikelele, abawuhlonipha kakhulu umyalo othi bangabe ‘besayifunda impi.’—Isaya 2:4.