Article. Picture of Campaign Poster tl;dr version: Switzerland put a ban on new minarets (basically a Muslim church). No new minarets can be built, but the 4 already built won't be affected. The Muslim population (6% of Switzerland's population) is offended. Even other citizens are outraged. Switzerland defends decision by saying the Muslim power is growing and might turn Switzerland into an Islamic nation, "The minaret is a sign of political power and demand, comparable with whole-body covering by the burqa, tolerance of forced marriage and genital mutilation of girls." I guess neutrality doesn't mean unbiased. The campaign poster seemed extremely wrong to me.
Yeah, there's something very wrong in Europe when it comes to Islam. They seem to forget that, yes, from a Western perspective, the place of women in Islam is subordinate, but that's just how the culture and the religion are, and secular authorities have no right to infringe on a person's right to practice their religion if it's not hurting anyone. And Switzerland's gone too far by banning the construction of new minarets. What's that going to solve, honestly?
It's going to solve the problem of Switerzerland turning into an Islamic nation. Which is pretty much the government telling the whole Islam community, "You're revolting."
This is just...ridiculous. It's not as if the country is overspilling with minarets in the first place, there's only 4 ._. Last time I checked, there wasn't a huge Islamic threat to Switzerland.
There are 4 minarets and the Swiss are not removing them. As wrong as some of the campaigning may have been, I am not so sure I feel that I have a right to judge the Swiss on this decision. The biggest reason is because whether people like it or not, in Europe especially, the Muslim spread has caused a lot of strife. Europeans have been catering laws to accept things of Muslim culture instead of Muslims trying to fit in with the democratic societies that they move to. They constantly rally to get things changed to raise up Islam and this hurts other people's freedoms and compromises other people's values. If you move to a country, shouldn't you try to -fit in to it- rather than mold it to fit your desires at the cost of other people's freedoms? Crimes against women have been on the rise ever since Muslim people have been migrating like crazy to Europe and the U.S. etc in recent years. Not just the Muslim women in their own countries who go through genital mutilation, subordinate issues etc. I am talking about European women mainly who have been suckered into things by some Muslim men because they feel that any woman who is not a Muslim woman is automatically loose and promiscuous and not worth a thing. There has been a steady increase in violence to women since the migrations have taken place and there are several news articles, especially in Switzerland but also several other European countries where the assailants declared outright that the women were filth so they did nothing wrong. I am not saying ALL Muslim men are like this, because they certainly are not. I am not saying ALL Muslims want to move to Europe and America and pervert the countries to become Islamic, because some ideally find it refreshing to have a plethora of different ideals floating around. However, there are some that do these things and it is weighing heavy on especially European countries right now. They feel pressured as these activists lobby, harm women, force people to make laws based on basic desires to have a freedom of religion, or lack of religion country. Freedom of religion is being -abused- by some people. It does not mean -freedom of religion at other people's expenses-. So, in the end, because I have read a lot on this topic of how bad actually integration is going, and that I feel countries that stand for democracy and equality should not be compromised in such a fashion, nor should the protection and rights of women be challenged... I would say I think the Swiss have a right to vote as they will, though I am not sure I would have voted that way. If I had to choose between the rights of women and just treatment versus the rights of some religion, women are -people-. Religion is a belief some people have. A person to me will always win. Where a religion wins is when people are not being hurt by it, and then no one has a reason to say 'no minarets'.
Precautionary measures say hi. I can see their point of view. They're trying to impede further islamisation (word?) of their country at a relatively early stage. This is a step towards an immigration halt before it gets out of hand. Whether that fear is justified I'll leave somewhere in the middle, but like Repliku said integration isn't looking very hopeful. Last time we checked. Actually, they have that right when the precepts of their religion collide with the nation's laws. Sex equality would be a perfect example, thank you for providing us with such a striking example.
There was really no point in that. I guess it isn't too bad of an idea to be precautionary of Switzerland becoming an "Islamic Nation", but banning minarets isn't really going to stop people from being Muslim, will it?
I read this in The Sun today (my dad buys the papers in the ohusehold, I swear!) and it was some MP comparing how the UK needed to take a page out of the Switz book. We should be sticking ot traditional, honourable valuables that have supported us over the years. Complete bull coming from a dying generation of xenophobic paranoids... Where I live in West London, yes I will agree that there has been a great number of Islamics migrating here, areas already consist of single ethnic groups. Accusing a foreign 'enemy' is what we Europeans have been doing for centuries. Yet we've moaned about immigration for years, after WW2 when many Africans immigrated, during the 80's when people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc, started to also immigrate and most recently because of the EU reform, an influx of eastern Europeans. But what I hate is that people blame these immigrants because they are looking for work, housing and a decent life in 'their' country. Yet little blame is ever put on the governemnt for allowing the immigration of a great number of people, instead politicians talk of how these foreigners are upsetting their way of life. It's a **** up... I don't promote or demote immigration, I just want people to be realistic and realise we've got more disgusting arseholes in 'our' country then any keen person looking to start a new life...
I hear what you are saying... but again, if something is compromising the way of life of a country by morals etc.. it does become questionable that it should be entertained. In this circumstance, people aren't so much complaining about jobs being lost etc. It's about a value of rights of citizens of the country, whether they are immigrating or have had blood lines in the country for years. Islamic people that try to force their way of treatment of women on our women is a problem and we don't really have to force our countries to step back to how they are. Most European countries and the U.S. and Canada have been fighting for equality for some time. Why should we be forced to change backwards just because of 'respect for religion'? We get on Christians who have this stupid view that women should dress a certain way etc. I don't think we should ignore mistreatment of anyone and religion is -not an excuse- for abuse; especially to the citizens of a country, if some immigrants are just going to continue to allow it themselves. I really have never minded immigrants coming to this country, so long as they are actually legal. The only time I get annoyed is if they are illegal but it's not just because they shouldn't be here... it's also because corporations are making easy money and if these people get hurt, it's tax payer money that takes care of them etc... not the people that let them come in and work for half wages. In other words, we all get screwed, including the illegal immigrant, because things weren't done right. I have nothing against Muslims as a people, or anyone really, and can even respect how some are great contributors to society etc. I do have something against however, forcing cultural ideals on others just because you want to move to their neck of the woods. There is nothing wrong with bringing the positive things, as it can enlighten and broaden a culture and system.. I'm just not seeing why the more -serious- zealot sorts of Islamic followers are moving to countries that are not Islam, and doing some of the heinous things they are. Some say some reasons and they are actually not very pleasant to hear.
I just see it as away of stopping the unstoppable that is Globalisation. It's happening, and it's going to happen in greater magnitudes in years to come. When we say we want to exile a race of people, or dictate over a religion, etc, it's going to be a notch in future history that no one is going to feel proud of. Why not just accept the fact and let life flow? I guess when old morals start to die out it may just not matter in years to come. OR even we all accept an older way of life and become completely dependent on ourselves (though for the UK this is near impossible since we rely on to many raw materials and goods from foreign countries.)
