We previously discussed today’s Vote in Switzerland on a ban on minarets for Mosques. Despite international criticism, the ban has passed. Just as we saw today (here) how Islamic extremists can justify blatant discrimination against other religions, the Swiss have shown that Christians are equally comfortable with such double standards.
The vote is a triumph for the country’s far right party. It is not a ban on new mosques but rather the minarets typical of such places of worship.
A surprising 57 percent approved the measure.
For the full story, click here.
Puzzling:
Why must it be an either or? As other people have mentioned not all Muslims are intent on forcing Sharia Law and Islam on other nations. But to the extent they try a nation does have a right to protect it’s political, legal and social traditions and institutions.
Political correctness cannot be condoned to the point of national suicide.
As a friend in college once said “I don’t take no sh . . . , I don’t want no sh . . . , and I don’t give no sh . . . “. In other words live and let live to the point where your rights are being violated. At that point you have a duty to protect yourself and/or your country.
The Swiss did the right thing and if nothing else it sends a message to individuals who may think they have divine right to change Swiss society.
It should be noted that the Swiss are not depriving Muslims of the right to practice their religion. Had that been the case I will assume the measure would not have passed as it would have been at odds with the Swiss Constitution.
As an engineer this actually seems more like a zoning ordinance. There are height limitations on Church spires in this country. For example in Chesterfield, VA there is a 50′ limitation on the height of a Church Steeple. That height can be changed if one goes through the proper channels.
“Instead critics in the West may now brand Islam as a highly radicalized political movement first, and a dark, oppressive cult-like religion second.”
Oh, you mean like the kind of Chistianity practiced by “The Family” and other members of the Religious Right in the GOP.
Takoma said:
“Can you point me to one single Christian church in Riyadh?”
Yes, everyone knows that governments in that part of the world are made up of intolerant bigots. But why would you think that the solution is for more enlightened nations to demean ourselves by getting down into the gutter with them or stooping to their level? Values like respect for individual choices, religious freedom, tolerance, and acceptance are precisely what separate us from the bigoted fanatics.
Berliner, you’re absolutely right. This is not so much about Christianity vs Islam as it is about the Swiss public suffering from Islamo-/xenophobia.
puzzling,
Actually I think a description of the present sentiment in Switzerland vis-a-vis Islam/Islamic countries without the terms “Hannibal Gaddafi”, “Muammar al-Gaddafi”, and “hostages”, can not be terrible insightful.
This was an interesting question for the Swiss because well established views on religious tolerance were easily trumped by fears that Islam represents a real and fundamental political threat to Swiss values and sensibilities.
In reviewing comments from the prior discussion, I think Byron best captured the prevailing sentiment in the country and predicted the outcome. I think this vote is very significant because it creates such a powerful precedent by a world leader perceived to be sophisticated, balanced and well reasoned in their actions. It speaks to the growing power that Islam must have in the country and the sharp conflict between the tenets of Islam and Swiss traditions. This gives ground cover to other actions against Islam that may follow in the rest of Europe – particularly France – and further to the Americas. If the Swiss are willing to contain this movement, then it must need containment, or so the reasoning will go.
My guess is that Swiss courts will overturn this vote. That future ruling will of course do nothing to mitigate the growing tensions across Europe about Islam.
What the Swiss have done here is given the West new permission to rebrand Islam. No longer must those in the West tolerate Islam on an equal footing with other world religions or be accused of outright hypocrisy on religious freedoms. Instead critics in the West may now brand Islam as a highly radicalized political movement first, and a dark, oppressive cult-like religion second. After all, it will be said, even the supremely tolerant Swiss did so. I see this as a milestone event that goes far beyond the direct but largely symbolic message sent by Swiss voters.
I’m disappointed. I gave the Swiss more credit than this.
By far the majority of Muslims in the world live in tolerant Islamic countries like Malaysia, India, and Indonesia.
The intolerant Islamic countries are those propped up by the West Saudi Arabia, Egypt etc..
So the Swiss have just given a kick in the teeth for over a billion secular Muslims worldwide whose feelings are now bound to be hurt –
If the Swiss really wanted to fight bad practices then they should not help the dictators of the world to hide and stash away the billions looted from the poor, that is profit from money stolen from the impoverished.
There are only four Minarets in Switzerland catering for 400,000 Muslims mostly European and Turkish who are secular and peace loving. Concentrate, you good and honest Swiss folk not on phoney issues like Minarets but big ones like passing a law banning your banks helping Tax evaders from every country in the world, including Great Britain.
AY,
You are right that these religious fanatics need money, but without the religous beliefs that governments should be controlled by their religion, money wouldn’t mean anything.
I don’t think it’s helpful to frame this as “Christians vs Muslims” — both big Christian denominations of Switzerland (Roman-Catholic [~42%] and Reformed [~33%]) were quite clear in their opposition of the minaret ban.
My guess is that the culprit was secular fear/xenophobia/racism and the view of Islam as a “primarily social-political phenomenon” (a claim often repeated by the supporters), not religious strife.
http://i46.tinypic.com/fu7ui9.jpg
Oops, I don’t know the html code for pictures here… but you get the idea
[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/fu7ui9.jpg[/IMG]
Dawud:
Can you point me to one single Christian church in Riyadh? And don’t come up with stuff like, “it’s a holy city” and “blah blah blah”… The picture below shows the main mosque of Rome. Show me a similar Christian church in Riyadh or Mecca.
yes, in some respects, its like a big advertisement board.
minerets are also used to call people to prayer but most of the ones in the west are not built for that as they are just a decorative tower on the side of the masjid, no one could climb up them as they are not wide enough and have no where at the top to stand.
Dawud,
Aren’t they all? Minerets, Spires, Steeples, Onion Domes, Cupolas whatever name you may call the highest point of a place for worship. Are they not all for show?
rafflaw,
With out money you would not see as much religion today.
the minerets in switzerland are for show only, they dont have the right and have never asked to be able to make the call to prayer so takoma, your argument falls flat.
Before we blame the Swiss for this ban, let’s not forget that there are no projects in Switzerland to build dozens of Christian churches complete with tall bells, spires and all. Muslims in Switzerland do, with financing from Saudi Arabia. There is a question of preserving centuries-old cityscapes here…
Secondly, according to the CNN piece we’re being referred to, minarets are “also serve as a spot where a religious leader can call the faithful to daily prayers.” The CNN piece doesn’t add that these calls to the faithful occur 5 times a day, including at 5 a.m. In modern muslim cities, these calls are broadcast at forbidding decibels through powerful PA systems. I’d like to see the denizens of a residential community in Maryland accept being subjected to this kind of daily sonic bombardments. Before casting the first stone at the Swiss, we better take a hard look around and inwardly…
Thirdly, those who’re screaming “discrimination” should show the world actual projects of Christian churches with long steeples in, say, Riyadh!…
Mike,
You are kidding aren’t you? Why would atheists want to only remove or ban Islamic minarets and not Christian steeples and crosses? Religion is the root of all evil these days. Money is not even close.
Mike:
“Why do you blame Switzerland’s Christians, rather than its atheists?”
Since Switzerland is about 80% Christian, and about 15% “without religion,” it is numerically impossible for the atheists to have passed the ban by themselves.
That would be my guess, anyway.
“[T]he Swiss have shown that Christians are equally comfortable with such double standards.”
Why do you blame Switzerland’s Christians, rather than its atheists?