Swiss risk Muslim backlash after voting to ban minarets

[I am a Ghost]

By Tony Paterson in Berne


Monday November 30 2009

THE SPECTRE of religious and racial intolerance was raised over Switzerland last night as a majority of voters backed a deeply controversial proposal to ban the building of minarets at mosques in a referendum which instilled fear among Muslims and shocked the Swiss government.

The result, which followed a series of unprecedented stone-throwing attacks on mosques, astounded political observers as it was the opposite of what opinion polls had been predicting for months ahead of the plebiscite initiated by the ultra- conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP.)

Surveys had suggested the proposed ban was favoured by only 35pc of the electorate. However, according to first results yesterday, support for the proposal appeared to have topped the 57pc mark. "It is a huge surprise," the country's French-language television station said.

Observers said the resounding "No" to minarets came after a vigorous campaign to mobilise voters by the SVP and the country's smaller but equally xenophobic Swiss Democratic Union. Posters supporting the ban showed a menacing-looking woman in a black Burka posing next to missile-like minarets on top of the Swiss flag.

Ulrich Schluer, a triumphant SVP MP, claimed that the referendum had helped to foster integration by encouraging debate on the issue.

Members of Switzerland's 400,000-strong Muslim community which accounts for around 5pc of the country's 7.5 million population, were shocked and clearly intimidated by the result. Tamir Hadjipolu, the president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, said that Swiss Muslims would live in fear if the ban went ahead.

"This will cause major problems because during the last two weeks of this campaign different mosques were attacked and we have never experienced this in 40 years of living in Switzerland."

Although it disapproved of the ban, the Swiss government was obliged by law to accept the result of the referendum. "The government respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," it said in a statement. None of the country's mosques, including the four that have minarets - which provide a vantage point from which the call to prayer is made -- broadcast the call to prayer in public. (© Independent News Service)

- Tony Paterson in Berne

Irish Independent

 

[I am a Ghost]

Muslim men who force their wives to wear the burkha are not welcome in France, says justice minister

By Ian Sparks
Last updated at 6:01 PM on 10th December 2009

Muslim men who force their wives to wear a burkha are not welcome in France, the country's justice minister has said.

Michelle Alliot-Marie said husbands making their wives wear a full body coverings did not 'share the nation's values'.

They would have their citizenship requests rejected, she said.

Her remarks come as a French government committee is considering whether to make it illegal to wear burkhas and niqabs on the streets of France.

The burkha is a full-body covering worn largely in Afghanistan with a mesh screen over the eyes, and the niqab is a full-body veil with slits for the eyes.

President Nicolas Sarkozy called them 'a sign of subservience and debasement that imprisoned women', saying they were not not welcome in France.

The country's immigration minister Eric Besson described them as 'an affront to national identity'.

Women's rights groups and left wing MPs went even further, describing them as a 'walking coffin'.

Mrs Alliot-Marie said today she would await the findings of the commission on the burkha, due later this month.

But she added: 'There are still a certain number of basics on which we must stand firm.

'The wearing of the niqab or burkha is a problem that affects our ability to live together, the values of the republic and in particular human dignity.

'For instance, someone who would be seeking French citizenship and whose wife wears the full veil is someone who would not appear to be sharing the values of our country.

'Therefore in a case like that one, we would reject his request.'

France - home to Europe's largest five million Muslim population - already passed a law in 2004 forbidding students and staff from wearing veils and other religious symbols in schools as part of a drive to defend secularism.

This month Switzerland voted to ban minarets on mosques across the country. Burkhas and niqabs are worn by an estimated 2,000 women in France.

In September a French mother was banned from wearing a 'burkini' swimsuit at her local swimming pool.

Carole, a 35-year-old Muslim convert, was told by the manager of pool in Emerainville, near Paris, that the garment was 'inappropriate' on hygiene grounds.

The woman said she bought her burkini for £40 during a holiday in Dubai, adding: 'I was told that it would allow me the pleasure of bathing without showing off my body, which is what Islam recommends.'

She is now taking her local council to court on the grounds that the ban was not a hygiene issue but a political issue.

In July, Al Qaeda terrorists vowed revenge on France if it banned the burkha.

Leaders of Al Qaeda's North African network wrote on an Islamic extremist website: 'French Muslims should react to this ban with the utmost hostility.

'We will seek dreadful revenge on France by all means at our disposal, for the honour of our daughters and sisters.'

 

[Dave]

By Tony Paterson in Berne


Monday November 30 2009

THE SPECTRE of religious and racial intolerance was raised over Switzerland last night as a majority of voters backed a deeply controversial proposal to ban the building of minarets at mosques in a referendum which instilled fear among Muslims and shocked the Swiss government.

The result, which followed a series of unprecedented stone-throwing attacks on mosques, astounded political observers as it was the opposite of what opinion polls had been predicting for months ahead of the plebiscite initiated by the ultra- conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP.)

Surveys had suggested the proposed ban was favoured by only 35pc of the electorate. However, according to first results yesterday, support for the proposal appeared to have topped the 57pc mark. "It is a huge surprise," the country's French-language television station said.

Observers said the resounding "No" to minarets came after a vigorous campaign to mobilise voters by the SVP and the country's smaller but equally xenophobic Swiss Democratic Union. Posters supporting the ban showed a menacing-looking woman in a black Burka posing next to missile-like minarets on top of the Swiss flag.

Ulrich Schluer, a triumphant SVP MP, claimed that the referendum had helped to foster integration by encouraging debate on the issue.

Members of Switzerland's 400,000-strong Muslim community which accounts for around 5pc of the country's 7.5 million population, were shocked and clearly intimidated by the result. Tamir Hadjipolu, the president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, said that Swiss Muslims would live in fear if the ban went ahead.

"This will cause major problems because during the last two weeks of this campaign different mosques were attacked and we have never experienced this in 40 years of living in Switzerland."

Although it disapproved of the ban, the Swiss government was obliged by law to accept the result of the referendum. "The government respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," it said in a statement. None of the country's mosques, including the four that have minarets - which provide a vantage point from which the call to prayer is made -- broadcast the call to prayer in public. (© Independent News Service)

- Tony Paterson in Berne

Irish Independent

Is this about architecture and the look of the minarets, or is it about the call to prayer being issued publicly five times a day? Are they trying to protect the look and image and keep it "Swiss" or is it an annoyance to hear the public broadcast?

edit: burkini

 

[I am a Ghost]

Is this about architecture and the look of the minarets, or is it about the call to prayer being issued publicly five times a day? Are they trying to protect the look and image and keep it "Swiss" or is it an annoyance to hear the public broadcast?

edit: burkini

I would assume that, for whatever reasons, people and politicians are reacting to what they perceive as the Islamification of Europe.

 

[Je Suis Julie]

I grew up in Dearborn MI, which now has the largest Arabic population outside of the Middle East. I remember intense local fights when the mosques wanted to install loud speakers to broadcast the call to prayer. We didn't live near a mosque, so I never heard the call.

I recently read one man's memories of this. He used to oppose the call to prayer but now he loves the sound. He finds it soothing background music - like church bells.

 

[Anker Ignis Fatuus Von K.]

If anyone would ask me about my opinion on the Islam, the minarets would be the last thing I'd complain about.

 

[I am a Ghost]

I grew up in Dearborn MI, which now has the largest Arabic population outside of the Middle East. I remember intense local fights when the mosques wanted to install loud speakers to broadcast the call to prayer. We didn't live near a mosque, so I never heard the call.

I recently read one man's memories of this. He used to oppose the call to prayer but now he loves the sound. He finds it soothing background music - like church bells.

Maybe not at 5 am, Julie!

If anyone would ask me about my opinion on the Islam, the minarets would be the last thing I'd complain about.

Indeed.

 

[Je Suis Julie]

Maybe not at 5 am, Julie!

Lol, I used to live near the flight path to Detroit Metro. Given the choice between a huge 747 rumbling overhead at 5 am and some singing, I'll take the latter

Ideally though, I'd take silence, except for birds chirping, etc. Humans make way too much noise.

 

[I am a Ghost]

Lol, I used to live near the flight path to Detroit Metro. Given the choice between a huge 747 rumbling overhead at 5 am and some singing, I'll take the latter

Can't argue with that.

Ideally though, I'd take silence, except for birds chirping, etc. Humans make way too much noise.

I'd love that, or also the sound of plashing waves.

I hate to hear humanity stir...

 

[Jezebel]

Other religions such as Christianity aren't accepted in most islamic countries.
And "not accepted" is an understatement really, hence people with different religions are often persecuted in islamic countries and labelled as "people with no faith/with the wrong faith".
Even relatively "liberal" countries such as Turkey which has a lot of Western influence try to cover the fact that Christians aren't liked. They aren't many churches in Turkey and they do not educate any bishops.
Catholics and Protestants basically have no rights and are not allouwed to own or rent buildings or to take court action.
The orthodox minority of Armenians is oppressed. And I am talking about a country that wants to belong to the EU...of course there are islamic countries where you are immediatly killed when you want to convert to a different religion other than Islam.
So much about the reality in said countries.

Now I am living in an area with a lot of immigrants...I'd say immigrants with arabic background (Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran) is the majority here.
The few Germans here are Atheists so the religious majority is the Islam.
There is a mosque in my street and I do not mind people who have their religion and practice it - as long as they don't enforce it on others.
It's fine to have a mosque for the muslims, but we have several mosques here several meetings for only muslims...in the main street there is one store with arabic letters next to the other and arabic music from everywhere. In the end you have to ask yourself where you are and you feel foreign in your own countrey.

I went to school and from 28 children there were only five Germans...the rest had such arabic background and I am tired of hearing sentences like: "People who eat pork are disgusting pigs. They are ugly like pigs".
Or when it's summer and one is wearing a short skirt to hear the muslim guys curse at you and hear things like "Non-muslim girls have no honour...a girl who wears a short skirt is sinful". "People who drink alcohol are disgusting and all go to hell. Allah is the true faith everyone else is faithless and can go to hell".
And I am not the only one who hears such sentences and no this isn't an extremist minority...many are like that.
We all accept the fact that they need mosques and that the girls wear their headscarves and burkas and we accept that they do not eat pork and do not drink alcohol - but why do they have to discriminate *us* for having a different life and that while they are living here in a Christian country?

I think it's right to be open about this and criticize it. Sad thing is only few people dare saying something against this because the Muslims always draw the racist/nazi card and like the role of the victim of the evil Western countries.

 

[I am a Ghost]

Other religions such as Christianity aren't accepted in most islamic countries.
And "not accepted" is an understatement really, hence people with different religions are often persecuted in islamic countries and labelled as "people with no faith/with the wrong faith".
Even relatively "liberal" countries such as Turkey which has a lot of Western influence try to cover the fact that Christians aren't liked. They aren't many churches in Turkey and they do not educate any bishops.
Catholics and Protestants basically have no rights and are not allouwed to own or rent buildings or to take court action.
The orthodox minority of Armenians is oppressed. And I am talking about a country that wants to belong to the EU...of course there are islamic countries where you are immediatly killed when you want to convert to a different religion other than Islam.
So much about the reality in said countries.

Now I am living in an area with a lot of immigrants...I'd say immigrants with arabic background (Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran) is the majority here.
The few Germans here are Atheists so the religious majority is the Islam.
There is a mosque in my street and I do not mind people who have their religion and practice it - as long as they don't enforce it on others.
It's fine to have a mosque for the muslims, but we have several mosques here several meetings for only muslims...in the main street there is one store with arabic letters next to the other and arabic music from everywhere. In the end you have to ask yourself where you are and you feel foreign in your own countrey.

I went to school and from 28 children there were only five Germans...the rest had such arabic background and I am tired of hearing sentences like: "People who eat pork are disgusting pigs. They are ugly like pigs".
Or when it's summer and one is wearing a short skirt to hear the muslim guys curse at you and hear things like "Non-muslim girls have no honour...a girl who wears a short skirt is sinful". "People who drink alcohol are disgusting and all go to hell. Allah is the true faith everyone else is faithless and can go to hell".
And I am not the only one who hears such sentences and no this isn't an extremist minority...many are like that.
We all accept the fact that they need mosques and that the girls wear their headscarves and burkas and we accept that they do not eat pork and do not drink alcohol - but why do they have to discriminate *us* for having a different life and that while they are living here in a Christian country?

I think it's right to be open about this and criticize it. Sad thing is only few people dare saying something against this because the Muslims always draw the racist/nazi card and like the role of the victim of the evil Western countries.

It is right to be open about it and you made a very interesting post from personal experience and knowledge.

Thanks for sharing.