Swiss vote to ban minarets in referendum

[mateykatie]

Switzerland has voted to ban the construction of mosque minarets in a national referendum. 57% supported the ban.

Here is the BBC story.

Women voted for the ban more than men according to the Times.

This seems pretty horrible to me. I always thought the Swiss were tolerant but obviously not.

Well exactly Riven

Let's face it, most people are basically scared, selfish and desperate to protect what they've got - when political parties pander to these base drives with this sort of propaganda then this is what we get. If we had the same system as the Swiss for voting on anything that can whip up enough signatures then we would probably have single women in workhouses, no Disability Allowances and certainly no civil partnerships. That doesn't make those decisions right.

"Many people were concerned that the minaret would affect the skyline"

look at the photo on the BBC news article - tell me just HOW does that minaret affect the skyline anymore than the spire in the background

• or how about the Zurich skyline

hardly void of pointy bits on top of buildings is it??

"And you are utterly offensive. Climb off your morally self-righteous high horse."

I think I'm entitled to be offended by the opinion that "Europe is turning brown"

And as in the past the poster I directed it at has said that there's nothing wrong with racist people, they're just normal people I fail to see how she can be offended.

"Morningpaper, I cannot comment on whether or not the erection of Minarets will promote Sharia Law. The point I was exemplifying was that this concern was what motivated many to support the ban. Not racism, as is being touted by many."

But it's nonsense, isn't it? It's an incoherent argument that is pasted on top of racist feelings in order to justify them.

"I suspect people would be far less vocal on the issue though."

you think so - obviously haven't been around on MN long then as I recall dicussions - while not solely about Saudi certaily branched off to talking about it.

And with a large number of MNers having lived (or even still living) there I'm sure a good debate would get going.

Oh, FFS, to all the posters here who say it was not racist: how complicated this is:
If voters in UK would decide tomorrow that no synagogues should be allowed, you still would think that it's not racist? That it's just the aesthetic appearance of synagogues people were against?
I think it's appalling that in 21st century, in a European country, such a consensus could be reached.

I disagree with morningpaper that this is pure racism. I don't think it is as simple as that.

Quite apart from the fact that Islam is a religion and not a race, I think this is also about people sensing change to what they have always known and so instinctively protecting themselves. Resistance to change is nothing new. Another poster put up to a link about resistance to the Catholic church, or women being given the vote.

Whether or not minarets should be built in Switzerland is not for me to say, but I don't think this vote means that they will never be allowed, just that people are not ready for this change yet.

"Whether or not minarets should be built in Switzerland is not for me to say, but I don't think this vote means that they will never be allowed, just that people are not ready for this change yet."

WHAT change????

Race/religion is an interesting issue though as I think (irrc) Sikh's and Jews (I think) are classed as a race as well as a religion.

disclaimer I know that it's 2 of the major world religions which are classed as a race as well as religion I could have got them totally wrong I just know it's not Islam and Christiniaty

The Muslims in Switzerland are still free to pray and attend mosques. No vote has been taken to stop them from all religious expression. I expect that in some years the building restrictions will also change.

the change in their surroundings and what they perceive as their wider community

so since when was giving the public a free vote on building regulations a "normal" thing to do?

Well,alexpolismum, I think forbidding the erection of houses of worship of a minority religion is pretty fucking oppressive.
'Whether or not minarets should be built in Switzerland is not for me to say'- why, does it seem such a problematic issue to you, that it needs a serious reflection?

what change in their surroundings???

the Jews are classed as a race, but I don't think the Sikhs are. I could be wrong, though!

(and incidentally Riven, gurdwaras are for Sikhs, not Hindus)

I don't think the anger about people who don't want things to change is justified. It is easily dressed up as racism and obviously for some of the people who voted this will be the motivation. But the horror at people who just want things to stay the way they are in their country is completely overdone.

Things do change, of course, and most people accept change with grace. People in Britain have by and large accepted change with grace. I think there should be more understanding of those who say no: to say it's morally dangerous to want things to stay the way they are is just as bad as saying it's morally dangerous for things to change.

Muslims are allowed to practise their faith there and to have mosques. However it's plain there is a very high level of xenophobia there and a lot of racism too. If they voted to stop people practising or deport them then fair enough (I'm sure a lot of Swiss want this to happen). But lambasting people for not wanting minarets -- that seems over the top.

There are dreadful things happening, worse things to campaign about, and this is just a side issue.

winnybella - why should I, a person who has never even visited Switzerland, have a say in what the Swiss can and cannot allow to be built there?

They are not forbidding the erection of houses of worship, they are forbidding the erection of minarets. Ergo, a mosque could be built without a minaret.

Ok, TheShriekingHarpy, let me rephrase that: if the voters in the UK decided that any distinguishing characteristics of houses of worship of a minority religion should be banned, would you think it's not racist or xenophobic?
Your argument about referendums being rare in the UK is neither here nor there.