Church and minarets coexist in other parts
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, condemns the decision by a clear majority of Swiss voters and 19 and one-half cantons to ban minaret building in Switzerland, and says he is “shocked”. The Swedish integration minister, Nyamko Sabuni, says the vote was “an abuse of the Swiss voting system”, while Tobias Billstroem, her colleague in charge of migration and asylum policy, says “there are certain things one does not put to a popular vote”. The French Minister of Immigration, Eric Besson, says that it is wrong to “stigmatize a religion, in this case Islam”.
In Switzerland itself the reaction ranges from incredulity to glee. The Swiss people expressed their fear, says Romandie News, a fear of Islamist terrorism and Muslim immigration, citing the French-language press.
The Tribune de Genève ascribes the vote to enough voters dissatisfied with the current economic crisis who wanted to punish the government. Others, including NZZ, note that the proposal’s opponents spent little time or money actually opposing the initiative, thus opening the campaign to be presented in very stark terms as a “clash of cultures”. German-language Blick says the vote was a slap in the face of the establishment by Swiss voters.
News story, GenevaLunch, 30 November 2009.
Filed under: Politics
Tags: anti-minaret vote, Bernard Kouchner, Eric Besson, France, minarets ban, Nyamko Sabuni, Sweden, Tobias Billstroem
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5 Responses to “Reactions to minaret ban rain down on Switzerland”
November 30th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
As Swiss who has worked in Saudi Arabia, and who has experienced that country’s bigotry and oppression, I challenge all those who are now up in arms over the decision by the Swiss (citizens of perhaps the only nation in the world with a direct democracy) to name all the countries (with the exception of Turkey and precious few other nations like Indonesia) in the Muslim, specifically in the Arab world, that tolerate the overt practice of other religions, let alone the building of Christian churches, Jewish Synagogues or Buddhist temples. Perhaps if all militant islamic extremists would stop terrorizing the world, the Swiss might even have welcomed Minarets as a welcome addition to their cultural diversity, rather than see them as a (admittedly irrational) threat to their national identity. I am by no means a Muslim hater, and I have met many decent and tolerant people in the Muslim world. Perhaps all decent Muslims should rise up and fight their own corrupt and bigot governments, as well as all the extremist terrorists who commit atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan and who continue to threaten the world. It is they who give Islam a bad name, and who provide the food that feeds the fear on which the Swiss SVP right wing nationalist party based its latest success.
November 30th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
More than 200 years ago russian troops with Alexander Suvorov fought for Swiss liberty. Well known swiss gratitude to russians for their heroism. Now russians can say: – Thank you, Swiss People, today You, first european nation started battle against islamic invasion. And this help us to follow your example.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Pete, let me ask you a question. You obviously are opposed to the religious intolerance displayed by the Muslim countries you write about. I certainly will not deny that there is discrimination against Christians and Jews in those countries. But why, then, is it right for Switzerland to pratice the same intolerance? If Islam and Muslim countries are inferior in your view, which is what I get from your post, then shouldn’t we try to be better than them? I just don’t understand why you would use Muslim countries’ intolerance as an excuse for our behavior. Intolerance is either OK or it’s not. If it’s wrong for them, then it’s wrong for us.
December 7th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Pete-
You say you lived in Saudi and use that as your example.
Have you been to the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan etc. They all have churches, places where christian can worship.
The Vatican is a also a country, do you see any houses of worship other than Churches? The answer is NO and that is because the Vatican is the authority on Catholicism.
Saudi Arabia is the CUSTODIAN of the two holy mosques, the birth of Islam. There are over a Billion muslims in the world and some with very extreme and deranged views waiting for the Saudi government to make any mistake. The Saudi government and people are only custodians of the holy places and not owners.
When the American troops were based in Saudi it was the best gift to the terrorist who justified their killings of innocent people on the basis that “Infidels” were on holy grounds. Pathetic but true. What do you think will happen if they allow churches there?
I would like to see the Vatican allowing synigoges and mosques before you and all the other ignorant people write without any consideration.
If its not an attack on Islam then why not ban all religious symbols ( jewish, christian and muslim). I would like to see your reaction when they start pulling their vast deposits from Swiss banks into other more tolerant neighbouring countries!
My advice why don’t you spend more time regulating your scandelous
banking system.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:45 am
I am writing in regard to the recent news of protests by Bern Muslims against minarets on their mosques.
When a person leaves their homeland, moves to another country, they should expect to acclimate themselves to the culture of that country, not demand from that country to acclimate themselves to the new immigrants.
If the Muslims of Europe and Great Britain, are so unhappy with the laws and culture of those countries, then why do they stay?
Why do they not return to the country of their birth?
While I approve and welcome legal immigrants to this country, I expect them to respect our laws and acclimate themselves to our way of life, but I do not expect or demand they give up their cultural traditions or religion.
We are a melting pot of nations and culture in this country, and yet those who come to this country for a better life, demand we print everything in their language, instead of learning the language of our country.
If I were to go to their country and make such demands, I would most likely be asked to leave at the best, and arrested and put in jail at the worst.
These immigrants want all the benefits of living in a free country but are not willing to adjust to the ways of our society.
This upsets me and makes me angry. These immigrants give the impression that they are entitled to do as they please and someone needs to explain to them they need to stop making demands and acclimate themselves into our society, and if they are that unhappy being in a new country, they might give serious consideration in returning to the land of their birth.
Kathy Mack
USA