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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 Switzerlands 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
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)
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
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!)
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.)
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!!!)
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
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
To: Red_Devil 232
Its not a cult. Its a false religion. Cults dont hang around for thousands of years.
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)
To: GonzoII
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)
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 !"~~)
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" />)
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!)
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" />)
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?)
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