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.

It will be interesting to see the Swiss reaction to the worldwide outcry.

The Swiss make a hell of a lot of money from Arab nations, if they pull some of their business then that will really hurt the Swiss economy. Just at the time when they were congratulating themselves at having come out of the credit crunch crisis better than other EU nations.

There are always loads of Saudis in Geneva in summer. In fact they are talking about moving the traditional Fête de Genève next year from the first August week as it will clash with Ramadam. They really don't want to miss out on the millions that the Saudi visitors bring.

Because it looks nice and it gives the building its identity (not a stupid question BTW) this is precisely what the Swiss did not want, a building with an obvious Muslim identity!

I can say fairly, that not many mosques I have been to have got minarets here in the UK, in fact, I would struggle to think about a single on as mosques arround here seem to be diddused churches converted into mosques or just very plain buildings. (might be different in diffent parts of the UK) It is not a problem as such as what we want is a place where we can worship and we do have it. What is worrying, is that this addition to the Constitution singles out a religious building of one paricular religion compared to other religious buildings.

If the minaret was really the issue, there should have been a change in building laws, not the Constitution.

Alex yes I thought I was a student for a moment there and got carried away

MmeLindt that's hopefully the way the reaction will go, like the SA boycott. Hopefully no violence.

There was an incident in the summer, where a visiting tourist was badly beaten.

It was a big story because it was widely reported on Al-Arabyi TV.

local paper reported this

"According to Switzerland Tourism, the number of overnight stays in Switzerland by Middle East visitors rose by 62 per cent ? or 10.2 per cent annually ? to 403,590 between 2003 and 2008.

But this figure slowed dramatically to only 0.2 per cent for the first six months of this year compared with 2008, although this does not include the busiest summer months.

Despite being the top destination for visitors from the Gulf states by far, with 138,376 overnight stays, Geneva's lucrative 34.8 per cent market share is under pressure.

Holidaymakers from the Middle East were conspicuous by their absence at this year's Fêtes de Genève festival, which was attended by two million people and ended on Sunday.

According to officials and local businesses, the number of Arab visitors during the festival was considerably lower than the past two years, most probably due to different factors: the impact of the economic crisis, worries about swine flu and the attractiveness of other destinations such as Lebanon."

KEY FACTS

The tourism sector generates employment equivalent to 138,000 full-time jobs in Switzerland. (2005 data)

Tourism is the fourth-largest export industry, generating revenues of SFr15.6 billion ($14.7 billion).

Geneva is the top destination for visitors from the Gulf states, with 138,376 overnight stays, or a 34.8 per cent market share.

But Arab tourists are starting to discover other Swiss destinations. Geneva's market share decreased by 2.5% from summer 2007 to summer 2008, while Zürich's market share increased by 20.5% over the same period and Interlaken's market share by 81.9%.

because basically people will accept anything for money

ibid: oil, oppressive Arab regimes: China, trade: the US, everything.

Well yes if you aren't going to use the bells it would be rather a waste of time building a bell tower

Spires are not always bell towers - they are just part of the traditional architecture

MmeLindt, @ your "everything is sooo slooow" comment! there was a French stant up comedian years ago that made a joke about Swiss people saying > Always made me laugh!

about the project of changing the Fetes de Geneve dates! No doubt it is going to make Muslims even more popular over there! Who comes up with ideas like these???.

Riven, I emptied mine years ago!(not that there was much on it to make a difference to them though)

Stuffit - yes, it takes me back to my student debating days too! (Unfortunately long since ended!) And I agree with you about the money - it's what I was trying to say before.

"Spires are not always bell towers - they are just part of the traditional architecture"

Can you imagine the outcry if there was a national vote to ban spires? It's insane

Riven, I am a Swiss citizen but I live in the North West of England now. My family still lives there but they are not Muslims so have nothing to fear. I have not been hassled so far when I go there but I have not been since I started wearing a scarf so I will see how it goes then but I admit it does scare me a lot!

Riven - do you really think you would be badly hassled in France? There are plenty of muslims living there, some of whom wear headscarves every day with no problems at all.

I will let you know how it went next time I go but I am pretty sure it is either going to be really fine or really bad.

Switzerland has more sense with regards to many issues!

Good on them!

Riven
Going by the places in France that I have visited, I don't actually think that anyone would take notice of another headscarf wearer. We go to the town over the border on Sunday mornings, to the market and there are always quite a few women wearing headscarfs. Same in Geneva, it is not unusual.

Sure to be different in a small village in the country, but then the same applies in UK. Go to a wee town in the north of Scotland.

I remember seeing a black man in Aviemore when I lived there and realising that it was the first time since I moved there 6 months earlier that I had seen a black person.

anyone know when women in Switzerland got the vote?

The last few years I think...certainly they are very predjudiced in many ways.

Miggsie
it was 1971

I told you they are slooooooooooooooooooooooow

Reality
That is what it is like during Fête de Genève in August. Very very chic women wearing headscarves and positively clunking with all the jewelery.

One thing I noticed in Geneva though (was working there for a while a couple of months back) is that you don't really see the full on black burqas that are rather common in London. I also didn't see any young girls in headscarves (which I see constantly, particularly in my building - Girls as young as five). Instead, you see lots of VERY colourful headscarves and more "regular" clothing.