Posted on 12/01/2009 9:08:23 PM PST by Steelfish
EDITORIAL Swiss Ban On Minarets Is Pure Discrimination Sunday's referendum is a reminder that cultural anxieties can be inflamed even in the most tolerant country.
December 2, 2009
Integrating Islamic immigrants has proved to be a multifaceted challenge for European nations unaccustomed to religious and cultural diversity. But there's nothing complicated about the decision of voters in Switzerland to prohibit further construction of minarets. It's religious discrimination pure and simple.
Sunday's referendum, in which 57.5% of voters approved the ban on minarets -- a traditional feature of mosques -- is a reminder that cultural anxieties can be inflamed even in the most tolerant country.
(It also demonstrates the fact, well known to Californians, that direct democracy can burden a society with measures that wouldn't have survived the deliberateness of the legislative process.) One of the referendum's architects called the minaret "a political symbol against integration . . . a symbol to try to introduce Sharia [Islamic] law parallel to Swiss rights."
It would be just as accurate to say that the Christian cross is a symbol of the Spanish Inquisition or the violence committed by Crusaders against Muslims. It's also perverse to complain that Muslims are unwilling to embrace the larger society and then make acceptance of second-class status the price of their assimilation.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Gotta love that way of life. If democracy means something they don’t like, it’s discrimination. If discrimination means something they like, it’s democracy.
Guess they don't like the dhimmi shoe when it's on the other foot eh.
The ban is not religious discrimination, it is a reasonable restriction on a violent cult, preventing it from erecting unsightly monuments to its deadly creed.
We should demand the same in the USA.
*Integrating Islamic immigrants has proved to be a multifaceted challenge for European nations unaccustomed to religious and cultural diversity.*
F*ck you, LA Times. Try being “diverse” in the Islamic sh*t holes these “immigrants” came from.
Actually under the circumstances- where certain Third World cultures obstinately and deliberately refuse to assimilate, and an influx of large numbers changes the religious traditions of that nation, a strong argument can be made why discrimination is mandatory.
No matter what we do for or to the muslims, at the end of the day, we are still infidels.
Flying airliners into skyscrapers is “pure discrimination”.
The damned muslims are the worst discriminators on the planet and they aren’t going to change!
The ban is NOT on mosques. Build all the mosques you want.
The ban in on MINARETS: Gigantic towers out of which pre-recorded prayers are obnoxiously blasted at a million decibals at all hours.
Minarets are a nightmare to people living within ear range.
Wonder how they feel about the ban on churches in Saudi Arabia?
The old response: “Discrimination? Us? Oh no, we love multiculturalism, diversity is our strength, please let us throw a couple of million dollars into a fireplace called ‘diversity training’ to show you that we aren’t as bad as you say we are.”
The old response: “Yeah it’s discriminatory. And...?”
Get used to it, LAT and you other guilt-blackmailers. We’re tired of your crap.
I never understood the great love affair with diversity. Unity is something to believe in as well as survival, but diversity? Other cultures need to assimilate into the host country or that country should have the right to deport their sorry posteriors elsewhere. That is a countrys sovereign right.
As if the LA Times is credible.
excuse me, the second response is the NEW response of course.
I hate these anti-intellectual liberals.
Never happen in this “understanding and benevolent” country. That is their scam. Nose under the tent mentality.
The LA Times doesn’t like Swiss architecture?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.