Minarets are now constitutionally banned in Switzerland

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Projections by the state owned television channel DRS indicated that 59 per cent of those who voted in Sunday's poll were in favour of the ban.

Claude Longchamp, leader of the gfs.bern polling institute, said the projections also forecast support for the ban by more than half of Switzerland's 26 cantons, meaning it will become a constitutional amendment.

...

Supporters of the proposed ban say minarets represent the growth of an alien ideology and legal system that have no place in the Swiss democracy.

"Forced marriages and other things like cemeteries separating the pure and impure - we don't have that in Switzerland, and we do not want to introduce it," Ulrich Schlueer, co-president of the Initiative Committee to ban minarets, said.

"Therefore, there's no room for minarets in Switzerland."

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2...2250816889.html

[Danno 1,228]

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Ignorance abounds and is still legal. Minarets are merely an architectural appendage to masjids. Few masjids even use them anymore for the call to prayer. They have nothing to do with ideology.

Edited November 29, 2009 by Sofiyya

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I want to be happy about this because I do personally see Islam taking over areas of Europe and I do have a certain fear that once Islam reaches a majority/near majority your going to see a loss of freedom and laws that are in Saudia Arabia, Iran, Syria etc becoming the norm.

Still I can't help but see this as a ban of an architectural art form that goes against my principles. Kind of loss of freedom to protect freedom's future....that's a pretty slippery slope.

Edited November 29, 2009 by Sousuke

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I want to be happy about this because I do personally see Islam taking over areas of Europe and I do have a certain fear that once Islam reaches a majority/near majority your going to see a loss of freedom and laws that are in Saudia Arabia, Iran, Syria etc becoming the norm.

Still I can't help but see this as a ban of an architectural art form that goes against my principles. Kind of loss of freedom to protect freedom's future....that's a pretty slippery slope.

No doubt a lot of aboriginal people felt the same way about church spires and their eroding freedoms.

Edited November 29, 2009 by Sofiyya

[Danno 1,228]

Ignorance abounds and is still legal. Minarets are merely an architectural appendage to masjids. Few masjids even use them anymore for the call to prayer. They have nothing to do with ideology.

PLease don't stop before you explain their role.... if they are of no relevance than this architectural restriction should have little meaning?

[HAL 9000 96]

Projections by the state owned television channel DRS indicated that 59 per cent of those who voted in Sunday's poll were in favour of the ban.

Claude Longchamp, leader of the gfs.bern polling institute, said the projections also forecast support for the ban by more than half of Switzerland's 26 cantons, meaning it will become a constitutional amendment.

...

Supporters of the proposed ban say minarets represent the growth of an alien ideology and legal system that have no place in the Swiss democracy.

"Forced marriages and other things like cemeteries separating the pure and impure - we don't have that in Switzerland, and we do not want to introduce it," Ulrich Schlueer, co-president of the Initiative Committee to ban minarets, said.

"Therefore, there's no room for minarets in Switzerland."

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2...2250816889.html

[Nagishkaw 510]

It's their country and they have every right to run it as they see fit.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Ignorance abounds and is still legal. Minarets are merely an architectural appendage to masjids. Few masjids even use them anymore for the call to prayer. They have nothing to do with ideology.

PLease don't stop before you explain their role.... if they are of no relevance than this architectural restriction should have little meaning?

They're not required; the early masjids didn't have a minaret. Thay are strictly a symbolic flourish. I doubt that the people who voted for this silly amendment realized that Muslim life goes on very well without them, sharia and all.

It's their country and they have every right to run it as they see fit.

Too bad the Pilgrims didnt see things that way.

[HAL 9000 96]

So once again... ignorance wins at the polls. They have to go after actual celebration of Islam. But I suppose not having such a visual symbol of the religion and the 'cultures' associated with it... they'll at least sleep better at night.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

So once again... ignorance wins at the polls. They have to go after actual celebration of Islam. But I suppose not having such a visual symbol of the religion and the 'cultures' associated with it... they'll at least sleep better at night.

Yea, they just have to close their eyes when they see a woman in hijab or a swarthy man with a beard and throbe.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Sofiyya

[HAL 9000 96]

Or an Admiral Akbar.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I think the French have it right with banning some forms of Islamic attire that are so clearly non-compliant with French culture. Banning minarets strikes me as somewhat silly.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Next up... banning of Doric columns. ####### is this #######, really.

[christeen 966]

I have family living in Switzerland and it should be mentioned that they generally have VERY strict laws regarding the asthetics of their cities and villages. For instance, my relatives are Italian and they find it very annoying that by law, they cannot hang clothes out to dry (and they do not like clothes dryers), The papers for recycling can only be put out the morning (not before 5AM) of the paper collection so as not to make the area look "shabby", lawn ornaments have to be approved, no signs in yards, no billboards on the streets and all buildings MUST comply to certain rules.... Therefore it is not surprising that the majority of Swiss voted in favor of this. The very sad part of this is that most who voted for the ban probably do not understand the negative politics and political fear mongering that prompted the idea of the ban in the first place.