Outlawing Minarettes in Switzerland

[Nemesis6]

Ok, first of all, a Minaret is a tall tower from which the Muslim population of the area is called to prayer by a muezzin, a person specially chosen for this task by the mosque that accompanies it. As Wikipedia says, it also provides "visual cue to demarcating a Muslim community center and territory"

A lot of Swizzies are collecting signatures to ban these things. Their arguments are:

* The number of immigrants in Switzerland is steadily rising. Increasingly many foreign cultures live in our land. This leads to increasing difficulties - Particularly regarding the followers of Islam.

* The religion of Islam has no distinction between religion and state. The religious guidelines rise above those of the state. Thus, our laws become secondary.

* We cannot tolerate that our laws are set aside. Anyone who lives here must fall in line with the establishment. We cannot favoritism towards religious minorities.

* When we want to keep our Christian culture and safeguard religious freedom, we have to halt the propagation of Islam. A ban on Minarettes is unavoidable.

The above is translated from German, so bear with my if there are minor errors in the choice of words. Anyway, what's your opinion on this?

 

[Absinthe]

I think the idea of "preserving Christian culture" is bullshit. It's pretty hypocritical to correctly point out that Islam requires a replacement of secular law and then say "OMG PROTECT CHRISTIANITY". And I think an outright ban is stupid.

That said, having been a resident of the country, I can say that its immigration status is a blessing and a curse. Along with all the wonderful people it attracts from across the globe, there's the riff raff. Last year my younger brother had the living shit beaten out of him and his friends in public by Turkish Muslims with absolutely no provocation. The most that could be surmised was that they were targeted for speaking English. I don't mean to generalize, but the biggest offenders of civil conduct I met over there were Muslim youth. And you steered clear because sometimes even so much of a glance would get you stalked and eventually cornered by some irrationally pissed off Turk. Two of my friends got confronted with knives by two Muslims for being "auslander" (oh the fucking irony) when walking home at night. Nearly every bad encounter I had in the country involved a Muslim immigrant in some way. And many were disgustingly outspoken in their militant views.

So I can certainly appreciate the concern over immigration. That goes for Europe in general too. But don't think banning the religion or its structures is the best way to curb its problems. In all likeliness, it may be counter-productive.

 

[Nemesis6]

Oh yeah, the Christian culture thing was originally "christlich-abendl?ndische" I'm not sure what abenl?ndische means, so I stuck to the stuff I did know. The thing with Turkish Muslims: We suffer from the exact same problem in Denmark. They've gained their fair share of notority since they arrived as a source of cheap labour in what I think was the 70s. Here is the website by the way: http://www.minarette.ch/

But this negative attention is really not deserved, although some troublemakers are Turkish, it's primarily Arabs today. I think the attention is changing more toward the Arabs nowadays since the turks have assimilated relatively well in comparison to the Arabs.

 

[Jintor]

Sounds like retarded.

Surely the best way is not to pretend that the culture does not exist/actively fight against it, but rather to attempt to help peaceful integration into the community?

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Sounds like retarded.

Surely the best way is not to pretend that the culture does not exist/actively fight against it, but rather to attempt to help peaceful integration into the community?

OMG SNIPER TOWERS!!111eleven

 

[Sulkdodds]

Yeah, I can't imagine this helping much.

 

[Gunner]

Globalization goes both ways and I'm not a big fan of Islam or muslims or the swiss for that matter.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Sounds like retarded.

Surely the best way is not to pretend that the culture does not exist/actively fight against it, but rather to attempt to help peaceful integration into the community?

Hahaa...

As a resident of Sydney you should be well aware of the "peaceful integration" of muslims. cough cronulla riots.

Admittedly, it is mostly peaceful. Except i just feel unsafe walking through muslim ghettos like Auburn or Punchbowl.

With that said, i see no redeemable qualities of the Islamic culture it's a disgusting backward religion dominated by extremist viewpoints.. I would not oppose a ban on muslim immigration.

 

[Cormeh]

we want to keep our Christian culture and safeguard religious freedom, we have to halt the propagation of Islam.

:|

To safeguard religious freedom is to quench the islamic religion? I may be reading it wrong, but not every single islamic is a mentalist.

 

[Nemesis6]

Well, Jews or Christians, we are under the same umbrella as far as Quranic teachings go: Ahl al kitab - People of the Book. Safeguarding religious freedoms does entail halting the construction of giant monuments to Islam, mega-mosques, etc. I mean, we know what they use these mosques will inevitably be used for.

 

[Gunner]

but not every single islamic is a mentalist.

What the hell?

 

[jverne]

they should ban religion altogether.

it worked satisfactory in our past commie nation.

 

[Nemesis6]

He said, hopefully joking...?

 

[Jintor]

Hahaa...

As a resident of Sydney you should be well aware of the "peaceful integration" of muslims. cough cronulla riots.

Admittedly, it is mostly peaceful. Except i just feel unsafe walking through muslim ghettos like Auburn or Punchbowl.

With that said, i see no redeemable qualities of the Islamic culture it's a disgusting backward religion dominated by extremist viewpoints.. I would not oppose a ban on muslim immigration.

That was one part moron Bogan population vs. other part moronic Lebanese population. It was idiot riots disguised as race riots.

So you dismiss an entire culture with a sneer and a flick of your hand, and deny them any form of, you know, trying to work them out of their culture? I doubt the best way to help them out of their 'digusting backwards religion' is to prevent them from speaking to you.

 

[Nemesis6]

Speaking of Australia... no wonder they tread on you when you elect the famous Sheikh Rape as grand Mufti of Australia.

 

[No Limit]

we want to ... safeguard religious freedom, we have to halt the propagation of Islam

Anybody find that statement as idiotic as I do?

We want to protect your right to free religion by eliminating your religion. These people are brilliant.

 

[CptStern]

soon they'll be banning ionian columns and flying buttresses ..wont someone please think of the corinthian columns!!!

 

[kirovman]

Dope up the militants on Opium.

Hey, it worked in the 19th Century.

 

[Lt. Drebin]

:|

Well, this should go over well.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Banning minarets ...?

When will they be banning church towers?

 

[Polaris]

We should outlaw islam, christianity and judaism, they are just remnants of the ancient world and useless memes. Superior Through Knowledge!

 

[kirovman]

You sing my tune, Polaris.

 

[Nemesis6]

We should outlaw islam, christianity and judaism, they are just remnants of the ancient world and useless memes. Superior Through Knowledge!

If you had just said fight or eradicate or something to that effect, and omitted Islam, I could have replied "then we just have to spread Islam". :cheese:

 

[Mr-Fusion]

So you dismiss an entire culture with a sneer and a flick of your hand, and deny them any form of, you know, trying to work them out of their culture? I doubt the best way to help them out of their 'digusting backwards religion' is to prevent them from speaking to you.

I am simply against the spreading of religion and the backward views that come with it. No other culture brings such insularism.

 

[Jintor]

I am simply against the spreading of religion and the backward views that come with it. No other culture brings such insularism.

I demand equal treatment! No Christians come into the country, either!