Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why are the Swiss upset by Minarets?
speroforum.com ^ | Wednesday, December 09, 2009 | Michael Cook

Posted on 12/12/2009 11:23:03 AM PST by GonzoII

Last month the Swiss voted in a referendum to ban minarets, the prayer towers attached to some mosques. To the astonishment of the media, the churches and the politicians, it was approved by a clear overall majority of 57.5 percent of the vote, with 22 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons backing it. If it survives a legal challenge in the European Court of Human Rights, a paragraph will be added to Article 72 of the Federal Constitution: "The building of minarets is forbidden."

The news was swiftly condemned around the world, not only by Muslims, but even by Swiss Catholic bishops, who said before the vote that "minarets, like the bell towers of churches, are a sign of the public presence of a religion".

The ban is absurd – if it were only about minarets. Islam is certainly growing in Switzerland, but Muslims only represent about 4 percent of the population. Most of them come from Kosovo and Turkey and many are very secular and hardly attend mosques. In fact, in all of Switzerland, there are only an estimated 150 mosques and four minarets.

The Swiss right-wing, anti-immigration parties promoted the ban with a video which depicted the peace of cowbells being disrupted by call to prayers by a muezzin and posters of a burqa-clad woman standing on the Swiss flag with minarets pointing upward like missiles. But this is a fantasy. What does happen is that some cranks have succeeded in restricting the pealing of the church bells which are so characteristic of life in Switzerland.

What the ban really represents is the first European referendum on the growth of Islam in Europe. And it seems that Europeans are scared. Now the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, sniffing a vote-catcher, has become the first European leader to openly express sympathy...

(Excerpt) Read more at speroforum.com ...


TOPICS: Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: eurabia; islam; minaret; switzerland
"If the millions of Muslims who live there saw a vibrant, self-confident Christianity in the virtuous lives of their Christian neighbours, many of them would be attracted to the Christian faith. This is already happening, although Christian pastors are not keen to trumpet it."
1 posted on 12/12/2009 11:23:03 AM PST by GonzoII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: GonzoII

Why does Switzerland choose to subject itself to the whim of foreign “courts?”


2 posted on 12/12/2009 11:24:45 AM PST by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII
Most of them come from Kosovo and Turkey and many are very secular and hardly attend mosques.

Then a ban on minarets shouldn't matter to them.

3 posted on 12/12/2009 11:25:35 AM PST by stevem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII

Lets see, is it because minarets represent an evil cult?


4 posted on 12/12/2009 11:27:18 AM PST by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII

Because if you build birdhouses, birds come. Also that annoying call to prayer thing,,, bells are how God meant it to be done.


5 posted on 12/12/2009 11:35:52 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs earn thi title of "man's best friend", Muslims hate dogs,,add that up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII

Because minarets represent the destruction of European culture and Christianity and the Swiss will have NONE OF IT!

When will America awaken to this clear and present threat?


6 posted on 12/12/2009 11:37:16 AM PST by Dick Bachert (THE 2010 ELECTIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN OUR LIFETIMES! BE THERE!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII
Unless the Swiss rouse themselves from their secular torpor and offer their immigrants the spiritual richness of their 1700-year-old Christian heritage, they will continue to live in fear of being overwhelmed by forces they cannot understand.
7 posted on 12/12/2009 11:38:19 AM PST by marron
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII
Literally everything I've read about this is heavy with two messages. One being about the immorality of tolerating the intolerant, and the other an expression of statist contempt for the will of the people.

Those minarets are not some inoffensive bit of architecture. They're eyesores from which that obnoxious muezzin bellowing is imposed on the entire area five times a day.

8 posted on 12/12/2009 11:39:54 AM PST by VR-21
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red_Devil 232

Its not a cult. Its a false religion. Cults dont hang around for thousands of years.


9 posted on 12/12/2009 11:47:14 AM PST by Soothesayer9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII
Because of what those minarets symbolize? Death, murder, honor killings ... just asking ....
10 posted on 12/12/2009 1:05:47 PM PST by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII

Read the KORAN

http://jgrantswankjr.blogspot.com/2009/12/koran.html

Read TRUTH RE MOHAMMED: RAPE, MURDER, MOLESTATION, BEHEADING

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4733940-truth-re-mohammed-rape-murder-molestation-beheading


11 posted on 12/12/2009 1:45:01 PM PST by freedomyes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII
The Swiss right-wing, anti-immigration parties promoted the ban with a video which depicted the peace of cowbells being disrupted by call to prayers by a muezzin and posters of a burqa-clad woman standing on the Swiss flag with minarets pointing upward like missiles. But this is a fantasy

The author fails to explain why exactly this ia a "fantasy." It is the avowed goal of Muslim activists all over the world.

12 posted on 12/12/2009 1:53:56 PM PST by denydenydeny (The Left sees taxpayers the way Dr Frankenstein saw the local cemetery; raw material for experiments)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GonzoII
"but Muslims only represent about 4 percent of the population"

Only ? That's 4 percent too many.

13 posted on 12/12/2009 5:20:29 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Soothesayer9; Red_Devil 232
A cult is based around a charismatic persona. The muslims have that persona in the family of Mohammed (the Shias with their imams, the Boris with their Syedna, the Ismailis with the Aga Khan, etc) or in Mohammed's politico-religious followers (the Sunnis with their Caliphs), so yes it is a cult

I would rather call Islam a civilisational virus -- a virus that attacks healthy civilisations like Coptic Egypt, Christian North Africa, Christian Syria, Christian Iraq, Zoroastrian Iran, Azerbaijan, Central Asia and Hindu western India (i.e. Pakistan) and destroys those civilisations
14 posted on 12/12/2009 10:10:22 PM PST by Cronos (Nuke Mecca NOW!!!<img src="http://shiitehappens.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/bomb_mecca450.jpg" />)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Cronos

You should never capitalize islam or mohammed.


15 posted on 12/13/2009 7:45:28 AM PST by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Red_Devil 232

you’re right — izlamm and mahound don’t deserve that respect.


16 posted on 12/13/2009 11:35:53 PM PST by Cronos (Nuke Mecca NOW!!!<img src="http://shiitehappens.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/bomb_mecca450.jpg" />)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Cronos
I would rather call Islam a civilisational virus -- a virus that attacks healthy civilisations like Coptic Egypt, Christian North Africa, Christian Syria, Christian Iraq, Zoroastrian Iran, Azerbaijan, Central Asia and Hindu western India (i.e. Pakistan) and destroys those civilisations.

Interesting point... I believe you are correct in this...

17 posted on 12/14/2009 5:40:38 AM PST by GOPJ (Journalists as BaghdadBobLite - Global Warming Scientists as ElmerGantry - what's happening?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson