Comments on: Swiss Islamophobia Betrays Enlightenment Ideals

By: Verity

Verity — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:13:35 +0000

"Among the nearly 60 Muslim-majority states in the world, only one, Saudi Arabia, forbids the building of churches."

It's not just the building of churches. Bibles and crosses are confiscated at the border. Prosthelyzing is illegal. Christians are not allowed in person into Mecca and Medina. In sum, the holiest lands of Islam are discriminatory and bigoted and it's justification comes from the Quran and Sunnah. On top of that, it is the duty of every muslim to partake in the haj once in their lifetime, which means they travel to these prejudiced lands to affirm their prejudiced beliefs.

As for your other assertion of tolerance in Muslim majority countries, that's like saying the South was tolerant after the passage of civil rights. There is overt discrimination and prejudice in Muslim countries with significant minorities, such as Egypt and it's Copts. In other countries the non-Mulslim minority is so small as to be insignificant(Iran,Turkey) or many have fled because of Muslim majority violence directed at them( see Lebanon).

By: F.G.S.A

F.G.S.A — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:13:55 +0000

Since when, may i know, was the Swiss Confederation or any other European state founded on the values of the "Englightenment" except by force and imposition. Swiss democracy predates the "Enlightenment" as the antiquity of practices such as the Landsgemeinde attests. People should come to terms with the fact that democracy has sometimes nothing to do with "human rights"- and "human rights" have never been the yardstick for the excellency of a State. Rights are useless, meaningless without Force to protect. Human rights do nothing but foster human weaknesses instead of properly treating them and finding a cure thereto- which definitely is not the task of the Statesman nor of the politician.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:51:51 +0000

The people have spoken

By: Bang Gully

Bang Gully — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:08:37 +0000

"Progressives should take the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. "

Progressives did not make lemonades out of lemons.

Feminists in Switzerland were some of the biggest supporters of the ban on the minarets.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6936267.ece

Last time I checked feminists were usually in the progressive camp and were not usually associated with the "racist and fascist" Right.

By: Jillian

Jillian — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:14:27 +0000

Well said.

Have you found out anything about voter turnout on Sunday, however? I've heard estimates that it's as low as 15%…that doesn't make this any better, of course, but it does change the game.

By: one female canuck

one female canuck — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:52:48 +0000

Excellent. A friend of mine sent me the link to your site after I called anyone who would vote in favour of something such as this a degenerate.

You have just scored yourself a new reader.

Peace,
Canuck

By: cmurphy

cmurphy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:56:32 +0000

re: Last paragraph: Just because a country comes to the same proscription, does not mean the basis for it is radical intolerance or hate, which is the case with Wahhabism.

Swiss are about as Christian as Swedes. They may very well be classified as mostly Christian, but they're even more atheist. I might be inclined to vote against minarets for the same reason I might be inclined to vote against church bells. I think religion is a sad, and pathetic waste of the human mind. But, the way to change minds is through solid education, and encouraging people are a young age to think for themselves. Parents indoctrinating children with lies about the nature of the universe is a far bigger problem than specific construction projects.

By: Johannes

Johannes — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:26:21 +0000

Are bell towers on churches generally allowed in the muslim world? "Nice" company the Swiss have put themselves in if they only are forbidden in a few fundamentalist states.