In 55 seconds these are some of the most powerful words I have ever heard.

Did he cross the line in what he said? Clearly he is not acting in a politically correct way, but is this okay? Is Geert Wilders on to something?

One of France’s most popular fast food chains has made a controversial decision to remove pork from its menu at eight locations. These locations are now halal.

Perhaps this was a wise business decision and it is simply a case of wanting to appeal to a wider audience, or perhaps they were threatened.

One customer stated “I don’t understand, why can’t they sell halal burgers and bacon burgers at the same time?” asked Delphine, 26.

Is this move a move of respect, an interest to make more money or is it conforming out of fear? It is possible it is a move out of respect for the majority of inhabitants of the local communities, but it is an important sign of the growing population changes of France.

Learn more about the population threat of radical Islam here.

This week it was announced that a majority voted to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland. This has brought up a great discussion and many questions have followed suit.

An article in Huffington Post stated that the vote should not be considered racist. It should however be viewed as a statement by the Swiss that they will not stand for the radicalization of Switzerland. For many the minarets represent radicalism and not Islam in general. The article explains that the western freedoms and liberties were hard to come by and citizens are not ready to give them up to Sharia law.

Tawfik Hamid writes that,

“It seems strange that Muslims would insist on building minarets for mosques in Switzerland while thousands of mosques exist inside the Muslim world without minarets. The minarets are seen by many as representing the superiority of Islam, especially when they are taller than the churches; this sheds some light on the hidden intentions of Muslims who insist on building minarets in the heart of Europe. It is important that Muslims in Switzerland explain why they insist on using such historical symbols of Muslim superiority when it is neither mentioned in the Koran nor considered vital to building a mosque.”

Is Switzerland onto something? Is this a breach of freedom of religion? Or, is the ruling acceptable if it is understood that the goal of the minaret is to show Islam as a superseding power over others?

It will be interesting to continue to watch this story unfold and see if other countries follow in Switzerland’s footsteps.