Daniel Pipes: Swiss Minarets and European Islam

Daniel Pipes ^ | December 07 2009 | Daniel Pipes

[knighthawk]

What importance has the recent Swiss referendum to ban the building of minarets (spires next to mosques from which the call to prayer is issued)?

Some may see the 57.5 to 42.5 percent decision endorsing a constitutional amendment as nearly meaningless. The political establishment being overwhelmingly opposed to the amendment, the ban will probably never go into effect. Only 53.4 percent of the electorate voted, so a mere 31 percent of the whole population endorses the ban. The ban does not address Islamist aspirations, much less Muslim terrorism. It has no impact on the practice of Islam. It prevents neither the building of new mosques nor requires that Switzerland's four existing minarets be demolished.

It's also possible to dismiss the vote as the quirky result of Switzerland's unique direct democracy, a tradition that goes back to 1291 and exists nowhere else in Europe. Josef Joffe, the distinguished German analyst, sees the vote as a populist backlash against the series of humiliations the Swiss have endured in recent years culminating in the seizure of two businessmen in Libya and the Swiss president's mortifying apology to win their release.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[GraceG]

Can I start a Religion where someone goes to the top of a tower and bellows like an enraged bull several times a day?

[junta]

If our elite will not address the issue of dhiminitude then they won’t be the elite very long for they will no longer be useful. A muslim is about dhiminitude or he is not a muslim.

[Prodigal Son]

The French, Germans and Spanish would all vote to ban minarets. The UK probably would not. Although, in the UK they seldom get to vote on things like that. The Swiss vote on everything. Nice to know there is still at least one free country in the world.

[dennisw]

There is no Islamic scripture saying a mosque must have minarets. Minarets are just another way to dominate. The evil Islamic triumphalism at work always at work

[Right Wing Assault]

Only 53.4 percent of the electorate voted, so a mere 31 percent of the whole population endorses the ban.

No, it means that a MINIMUM of 31% endorses the ban. 31% voted for the ban but there could be a lot more that agree with the ban.

[ransomnote]

I attended a public zotting of a troll yesterday - he had posted a thread proclaiming that the Swiss were wrong to ban minarets etc.
Another freeper rebuked the zotted poster’s assertion that the minaret is a benign architectural structure by saying that minarets are actually a signal of Islamic triumph among Muslims. That where minarets are used to indicate that the area has been conquered and is safe for Muslims.

[marron]

Whether you ban minarets or not is almost beside the point. It is rather meaningless if you don’t address the bigger point.

You must not give residence visas to immigrants who don’t want to be Swiss. You don’t give citizenship to residents who aren’t fully assimilated, but you don’t give residence visas in the first place to people who aren’t going to assimilate.

Similarly, in the case of Holland, residence visas should be reserved for those people who want to be Dutch. Being Dutch means something, and if you want to live in Holland it should be because you admire Dutch culture and want to be part of it.

A country that depends upon commerce will always have people coming and going, there will always have to be tourist and business visas for short term visitors. But permanent residence should means something; you are admitting someone into your family.

When my country wakes up to this, it will be not a day too soon.

[dennisw]

I attended a public zotting of a troll yesterday - he had posted a thread proclaiming that the Swiss were wrong to ban minarets etc.
Another freeper rebuked the zotted poster’s assertion that the minaret is a benign architectural structure by saying that minarets are actually a signal of Islamic triumph among Muslims. That where minarets are used to indicate that the area has been conquered and is safe for Muslims.

Muslims also build huge mosques in Europe to send a message.
More Muslims will move to an area that a dominating Mosque is built

Churches often have steeples and spires to reach to heaven but also to send a message on dominance
But that's OK because Europe is Christian turf

[Beamreach]

Marron, you put it so well. but i will take it a bit further. Muslims come with the idea to make a muslim country out of what ever country they infect. They come with the idea of either Jihad or the idea that we will out breed our host country. Our msn has done a good job of keeping jihad incidents in the U.S. under wraps, by just not reporting,or not telling the whole truth, or ignoring them.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[GOPJ]

Only 53.4 percent of the electorate voted, so a mere 31 percent of the whole population endorses the ban.

That is sooooooo wrong. What if all the people who stayed home FAVORED the ban? They figured the ban would pass without their vote and they were right!