Swiss to vote on mosque minarets ban – Guardian — Racist? Stupid IMHO. Some of the most beautiful architecture on the planet is Islamic. How can there not be a Christian vs. Muslim aspect to this?
UPDATE : Swiss vote yes on the referendum
The Swiss are to decide this weekend whether to ban minarets on mosques, in what is in effect the first direct vote in a European country on Islam and the practices of Muslims.
The controversial referendum on Sunday, accompanied by a prohibition campaign denounced as racist and in violation of human rights, is the latest tussle in Europe over the limits of multiculturalism and immigrant lifestyles.
Pushed by anti-immigrant rightwing populists, it has triggered months of debate in a country that uses direct democracy for single-issue politics. The referendum has turned into much more than a vote on architecture and urban planning.
“The minaret has got nothing to do with religion. It’s a symbol of political power, a prelude to the introduction of sharia law,” argued Ulrich Schlüer, of the rightwing Swiss People’s party, an architect of the campaign.
[…]
The rightwing anti-immigrant lobby has led the campaign, but it has been joined by some secularist leftists and liberals fiercely critical of Islam. Julia Onken, a prominent feminist and psychologist and bestselling author of self-help books, last week called on women to vote for the ban. “Mosques are male houses, minarets are male power symbols,” she declared. “The building of minarets is also a visible signal of the state’s acceptance of the oppression of women.”There are about 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland, 5% of the population. Most are immigrants from the Balkan regions of Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and are not practising Muslims.
30. Rick Cain: “Tell ya what, once the Saudis allow christian churches in Mecca, then we can talk about religious tolerance.”
Try even a cross hanging around your neck anywhere in KSA. But then, isn’t your statement much like: once the Saudis stop beheadings, then we can talk about our own capital punishment? What exactly is the connection to our own policies?
RBG
I believe this is correct, from my recollection of a newspaper item in Arab News (or similar).
In Saudi Arabia there are now so many mosques that it is now becoming somewhat problematic. You see, it is understood that those who finance and build mosques benefit personally from a portion of the goodwill and prayers said within.
The solution that Muslim leaders have come up with is to direct that builders of mosques should do so in other countries.
RBG
Tsk tsk tsk. So much hatred for Muslims and Islams. Shame. And then the western media asks why the Muslims hate us.
Bigots, racists, and hatred seldom need a reason and never allow honest facts to sway them. If you don’t believe me then just read the hate filled posts above.
#50 deowll
For some reason you seem to think that this is a european situation. Obviously the same thing is happening in the USA, to an even greater extent. The ‘successful’ societies seem to reproduce less and live to an older age, while at the same time attracting immigrants. Everything and everyone gets replaced sooner or later, get over it. What really matters are the values that the individual or the society represent. Racists and xenophobes represent fear and ignorance.
What else is there to say? majority rules… A government has to protect the freedom from religion as well as the freedom of religion.
Bern isn’t telling the Muslims they cannot practice their religion, just they can’t build a minaret. If that impedes on their religious expression, get elected to public office and change it.
Somewhere there is a world where there is no racism, no bigotry. And all people marry not according to their race or bigotries.
RBG
yes, the moo-slims are INTOLERANT people
And you are so tolerant…
#70 questionit
Projecting intolerance much?
#69 & 70: yes, i am promoting intolerance. why should we tolerate the practices of a people so rude as to shout out to its people that they must come hither to the mosque to pray, their heads bowed to mecca?
why must the women cover their entire body and face, leaving only their eyes (usually the prettiest part of a woman’s face, btw) to see? is it because the men cannot trust themselves not to haul off one of the women to rape her? maybe, since they have so many wives and babies.
i feel that is intolerable is that the men are allowed to marry four women. most often, these women cook and slave and have numerous babies all for and of this man. if he no longer wants her, he can text message her on a cell phone (but it must be done 3 times): “i divorce you.” would YOU tolerate such injustice? what happens to those women? who supports all their babies? who would then marry one of them, “despoiled” from having had the SEX ACT with their husbands and bearing the fruit of same? they are left out in the lurch.
i have had personal interaction with these moo-slim men and women in chicago and i find that it is THEY that are intolerant of all that represents anything outside of their chosen symbolism and manner of living of any type.
and they are exceptionally cheap and rude. they want to get your items for sale at far lower than wholesale and nag you to death to lower your already sale priced goods (but i admonish you, raise your price when they are slapping you in the face in front of your other customers), at the top of their lungs in your store. better yet, do not touch the money they offer to you because it is tainted with their mightier than thou righteousness attitudes.
are you aware that the most likely thing to cause WWIII would be that the mosque standing on the original temple(s) grounds in jerusalem was to be torn down, bombed, or otherwise destroyed by people? do you call that tolerance? oh!
why we should tolerate their minarets, a symbol of male supremacy, all due to the beauty of one type of architecture–of THEIR architecture? what about architecture of the jewish people, the hindus, the buddhists, the christians, the pagans, the ancient peoples’ pyramids and/or other religious architecture that they built? and what about the non architectural, sectoral endeavors of the atheists (who handle money gladly even though it says “in god we trust” but yet, are “offended” to the extent that they can demand that certain monuments in DC that have even latin wording praising god be altered so that it no longer does, like one aluminum tile atop the washington monument)?
yes, i tout intolerance of these moo-slims that stand to destroy our way of life. our forefathers fought so hard to give us a country whereby we have the right to worship as we like, to build as we like, to say what we want to–verbally, and in print.
and i will be “offended” if my freedom to be intolerant of these people that are out to destroy us is removed from me. i will be so INTOLERANT that i will ask the idiot red commie liberals at the ACLU to file suit on my behalf to regain my right not to tolerate these people and their demands in my own neighborhood.
why should i tolerate them? why should you? if you continue such conduct, they will deem you mentally and spiritually weak, and then they will lead you sheep into the MOO-SLIM faith.
it’s my right to choose not to tolerate them and their male-pride minarets!
73 questionit
“why should we tolerate the practices of a people so rude as to shout out to its people that they must come hither to the mosque to pray, their heads bowed to mecca?”
As opposed to ringing a gigantic Christian bell to come hither and bow, huh?
As opposed to having Christian women cover certain parts of their anatomy, huh?
As opposed to some Christian Mormons with their multiple wives. Or some Christians who support gay marriages. Or Christian women who cook and slave and have numerous babies all for and of this man, huh?
As opposed to your Christian warmth & generosity, huh?
As opposed to the Christian method of getting the lowest price by impersonal auction, huh?
As opposed to the Christian White House or US Capitol building being torn down or bombed and starting WWIII, huh?
As opposed to “male pride” Washington Monument or Christian church spires, huh?
As opposed to our forefathers fighting so hard to give us a country whereby we have the right to say what you want but still obey the laws of the majority, huh?
RBG
If islam is go great, why don’t muslims go to their home nations and fix all their botched governments. Can any of you hoestly tell me one islamic nation with progressive attitudes and equal rights for women?
Oh yeah, that was Saddam’s Iraq…its gone now and it had its own problems anyway.
75. Rick Cain
Turkey. 98% Muslim.
“In the 1930s, Turkey became one of the first countries in the world to give full political rights to women, including the right to elect (in 1930) and to be elected (in 1934), to every political office.
Article 10 of the Turkish Constitution bans any discrimination, state or private, on the grounds of sex.”
But you argue for why there needs to be more Muslims outside Islamic countries like there are more Jews outside of Israel.
RBG
Swiss have done a great job. Now they should start deporting muslims who refuse to respect European culture of free thought and humanism.