Swiss Minarets and European Islam
12/15/09
Swiss Minarets and European Islam
by Daniel Pipes
What importance has the recent Swiss referendum to ban the building of minarets (spires next to mosques from which the call to prayer is issued)?
Some may see the 57.5 to 42.5 percent decision endorsing a constitutional amendment as nearly meaningless. The political establishment being overwhelmingly opposed to the amendment, the ban will probably never go into effect. Only 53.4 percent of the electorate voted, so a mere 31 percent of the whole population endorses the ban. The ban does not address Islamist aspirations, much less Muslim terrorism. It has no impact on the practice of Islam. It prevents neither the building of new mosques nor requires that Switzerland's four existing minarets be demolished.
It's also possible to dismiss the vote as the quirky result of Switzerland's unique direct democracy, a tradition that goes back to 1291 and exists nowhere else in Europe. Josef Joffe, the distinguished German analyst, sees the vote as a populist backlash against the series of humiliations the Swiss have endured in recent years culminating in the seizure of two businessmen in Libya and the Swiss president's mortifying apology to win their release.
However, I see the referendum as consequential, and well so beyond Swiss borders.
First, it raises delicate issues of reciprocity in Muslim-Christian relations. A few examples: When Our Lady of the Rosary, Qatar's first-ever church opened in 2008, it did so minus cross, bell, dome, steeple, or signboard. Rosary's priest, Father Tom Veneracion, explained their absence: "The idea is to be discreet because we don't want to inflame any sensitivities." And when the Christians of a town in Upper Egypt, Nazlet al-Badraman, finally after four years of "laborious negotiation, pleading, and grappling with the authorities," won permission in October to restore a tottering tower at the Mar-Girgis Church, a mob of about 200 Muslims attacked them, throwing stones and shouting Islamic and sectarian slogans. The situation for Copts is so bad, they have reverted to building secret churches.
Why, the Catholic Church and others are asking, should Christians suffer such indignities while Muslims enjoy full rights in historically Christian countries? The Swiss vote fits into this new spirit. Islamists, of course, reject this premise of equality; Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned his Swiss counterpart of unspecified "consequences" of what he called anti-Islamic acts, implicitly threatening to make the minaret ban an international issue comparable to the Danish cartoon fracas of 2006.
Second, Europe stands at a crossroads with respect to its Muslim population. Of the three main future prospects – everyone getting along, Muslims dominating, or Muslims rejected – the first is highly improbable but the second and third seem equally possible. In this context, the Swiss vote represents a potentially important legitimation of anti-Islamic views. The vote inspired support across Europe, as signaled by online polling sponsored by the mainstream media and by statements from leading figures. Here follows a small sampling:
• France: 49,000 readers at Le Figaro, by a 73-27 percent margin, would vote to ban new minarets in their country. 24,000 readers at L'Express agreed by an 86-12 percent margin, with 2 percent undecided. A leading columnist, Ivan Rioufol of Le Figaro, wrote an article titled "Homage to the Resistance of the Swiss People." President Nicolas Sarkozy was quoted as saying that "the people, in Switzerland as in France, don't want their country to change, that it be denatured. They want to keep their identity."
• Germany: 29.000 readers at Der Spiegel voted 76-21 percent, with 2 percent undecided, to ban minarets in Germany. 17,000 readers of Die Welt voted 82-16 in favor of "Yes, I feel cramped by minarets" over "No, freedom of religion is constrained."
• Spain: 14,000 readers of 20 Minutos voted 93-6 percent in favor of the statement "Good, we must curb Islamization's growing presence" and against "Bad, it is an obstacle to the integration of immigrants." 35,000 readers of El MUndo replied 80-20 percent that they support a Swiss-like banning of minarets.
Although not scientific, the lop-sidedness of these (and other) polls, ranging from 73 to 93 percent majorities endorsing the Swiss referendum, signal that Swiss voters represent growing anti-Islamic sentiments throughout Europe. The new amendment also validates and potentially encourages resistance to Islamization throughout the continent.
For these reasons, the Swiss vote represents a possible turning point for European Islam.
Mr. Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and Taube distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University.
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Dec. 9, 2009 update: (1) A scientific poll of Belgians sponsored by Le Soir weekly and carried out by iVOX finds that 59.3 percent of the Belgian population favors a Swiss-like prohibition on building new minarets and 56.7 percent want to ban the building of mosques. The poll of 1,050 persons was taken on December 3 through 5 and has an accuracy of within 3 percent.
(2) This column builds on a blog initially publishd on Nov. 30, "The Swiss Ban on Minarets: A Possible Turning Point," and with many updates.
Click here to visit the original article and Daniel Pipes' site.
Comments
A few specifics on the Swiss vote:
First, a 53.3 % turnout for a popular referendum i Switzerland is estremely high. Most see turnouts in the 30% range. Therefore, by Swiss standards, it was a very big vote indeed.
Second, the ban has already gone into effect, as the constitution has been modified. Irrespetive of what the politicians want, there is nothing they can do.
What a great system!
Like America's sucking up to Saudi Arabia for access to oil, the Swiss business sector is afraid of losing Arab oil wealth from their banks. America stopped the Communists and the Nazis from building parallel societies in the U.S.A by making such terrorist religions illegal. Unfortunately, America failed to apply the same measures to the American Muslim Jihadists.
Expect America to be an Islamic peoples republic in the year 2065. The American auto industry pumped billions of dollars into the Chinese auto industry. Expect your grandchildren to know the names of the Chinese cars more than they know Ford, Chevy, or Toyota.
Making all aspects of Islam (Radical or otherwise) both a civil and criminal offense world-wide in local and international law, would do more for world peace than the Crusades and the revenge of Ghengis Khan for the six centuries of Islamic barbarism against the Buddhist Mongolians who refused to fight...but knelt to offer their heads to the Islamic invaders.
Are you more offended by what I am saying...than the fact that your grandchildren will be forced by Sharia Law to submit to Islam.
"Did you think that We had created you in play, and that you would not be returned unto Us?" The noble Qur'an, Al-Muminoon(23):115.
www.learningquranonline.com
What Does "Islam" Mean?
The word "Islam" itself means "Submission to Allah." The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of "Christianity" which was named after Jesus Christ, "Buddhism" after Gutama Buddha , "Marxism" after Karl Marx, and "Confucianism" after Confucius.
Similarly, Islam is not named after a tribe like "Judaism" after the tribe of Judah and "Hinduism" after the Hindus. The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the will of the only true god worthy of worship, "Allah" (known as God "the Father" in Christianity).
Anyone who does indeed submit to the will of Allah as required by Islam is termed a "Muslim," which means one who has submitted to the will of Allah. Many people in the West have developed the sad misinformed trend of calling Islam "Muhammadenism" and it's followers "Muhammadins." This is a totally foreign word to Muslims and unrecognized by them. No Muslim has ever called his religion "Muhammadenism" or called himself a "Muhammadin."
What Is The Basic Concept of Islam?
Islam teaches us that this life is a life of worship. We are placed on this earth in order to worship Allah and obey His command. During this earthly life we are subjected to a series of trials. We have the option of enduring these trials and conforming to certain laws, and our reward will be great in the next life, or we may decline to endure these trials and choose to not conform to the law, then we will be made to regret it in the next life.
Each person will be solely and completely responsible for their own final reward. We are also told that God has designed these laws to make this life a better, safer, and more tolerable one for us. If we elect to conform to them then we will see the result in this life even before moving on to the next.
We are told that the earthly life is a life of faith and work, and the next life is one of reward and no work. We have been placed on this earth to worship God, fast, pray, be industrious, good, kind, respectful, and a source of uprightness and morality. We are told that God has no need of our worship. Our worship can not increase the kingdom of God nor add to His power, however, it is in our best interests both in this life and the next that we do.
Unlike some other religions which claim that God entered in a covenant with a certain group of people and that this group is genetically better than all other human beings, or closer to God, Islam on the other hand teaches that no color, race, tribe, or lineage is better than any other. Islam teaches that all humans are equal in the sight of Allah and that the only thing that can distinguish them in His sight is their piety and worship.
"O humankind! Verily! We have created you from a male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily! the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Verily! Allah is The Knower, The Aware." The noble Qur'an, Al-Hujrat(49):13.
ISLAM SHOULD BE OUTLAWED COMPLETELY.IT IS JUST AN EVIL IDEOLOGY INTENT ON WORLD DOMINATION.
The principle of 'reciprocity' should be valued as much as any other 'western' value, such as tolerance, compassion and all the 'right to' freedoms typically in constitutions. Why can't immigrants and citizen applicants sign an "Oath of Alleigence" to their new host countries? If they don't want to assimmilate and contribute then they can go back to where they came from. If they subsequently offend, incite or espouse anti social ideals that should also be a self revocation of their moral commitment to the host country and have residential consequences. Societies must be built on mutual respect otherwise those hostile "spores" within become cancerous and a serious threat. ....Kanwi, New Zealand.
It looks like the peoples of Europe are at last waking up to the threat of Islam !!
I was glad somebody else raised the issue of reciprocity. Although there are intelligent arguments against the Swiss vote, one should remember that many Muslim countries are very restrictive towards other religions. For instance, see what happens if you try to bring a Christian Bible (for your personal use) into Saudi Arabia.
I so wish we could ban all new Mosques in the UK. In Oxford the skyline has ben desicrated by a new Mosque (officially a new college but in actuality a Mosque).
A prophetic warning to my Nation, the United Kingdom: act now, personally act now, because the Islamics are, by stealth and multiple births, taking over our free country. In the next election don't vote in Pro-Islamic politicians or 'liberals' that want 'fairness' for Islamics. Whilst you have the choice, for the moment, ask the prospective candidates for their views on Islam. Take a stand yourself, speak out on forums or columns like these and try to make a difference.
Chris
Oxfordshire
FYI I spoke in June and October in Switzerland as part of the EDU/SVP Swiss initiative and many say I contributed to the victory over Islam.
You can check me out on Google Search or on my website: vicmord.com.
Shalom from Avi Lipkin, presently in Kedar, Israel.
Hello, I'm a Swiss-American citizen and I don't agree that this vote, here in Switzerland, was a "quirky result of direct democracy". Here we vote directly to uphold our opinion about a specific subject. Of course the government won't tear down existing minarets, neither stop mosques from being built, but the message is clear: No more expansion of the Muslim population and their outright arrogance against Europeans. Many bloggers and simple citizens gave their opinion on many Swiss sites. I quote: "the day we, Christians and Jews will be allowed to build Churches and Synagogues in the Arab world, then, we'll accept the minarets", that's called reciprocity. There was even a televised debate between a member of the UDC, the party that proposed the voting against the minarets, who debated opposite an Arab extremist, and the Swiss representative won by a large margin.
I hope that Europe is waking up to the fact that this "invasion" is here and now and something has to be done about it. Regarding the politicians, we all know that for them what counts are the votes, no matter "who" votes, they're not interested in the future of the country, and that goes for any country. People like you and me have to realize that our future and the one of our children is in our own hands, and not in the politician's.
However, as you say, officials, administrations, governments are totally against such a ban. European (and American) elites are more than ready to commit suicide in the name of misguided liberalism.
If we allow our adversaries to turn us into them, they win. WE are an enlightened society with religion separate from the state, and we should not be putting up obstacles to religious practice. Minarets are part of Muslim culture and in no way related to terrorism. If the noise level is too high, that can be addressed with across-the-board noise legislation that would apply to church bells as well.
I am a Swiss citizen. I live in the States where I moved 5 years ago.
I keep on voting in my town in switzerland but this time I was confused.
All parties were against the vote, my conscience was telling me its is bad to support the ban. However i found myself voting for the ban.
In fact I don't care about the minarets on the architectural side but my vote was a way to draw a line to intolerance.Your article shows how the muslims are treating churches, closing synagogues and sending jews out in their own countries. Why should we be blamed for our historical vote ? It is a message to Islam, "clean in front of your own doors first" and then we will show how tolerant we have been as swiss citizens. In my city there is over 30 % foreign residents including muslims. Where else can we find that number.
Some of my friends in Germany and in France were surprised of my vote knowing what kind of person I am, all of them said they would not have support the ban. I am convince they would have vote for it when in front of the ballot and muslims must understand it is not against them but against their intolerance to others faith.
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SOCIAL WORKER
EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT AN ARAB, I FEEL SORRY FOR THIS ACTION, BCOS PREVENTING THE ERECTION OF THE MINARETS WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. IT WILL NOT CHANGE THEM FROM BEING WHAT THEY. INSTEAD IT MAKE PEOPLE CURIOUS ABOUT THE RELIGION AND IN SO DOING THEY CONVERT. IT IS AN OPEN SECRET THAT THE FASTEST GROWING RELIGION NOW IS ISLAM, THE QUESTION IS WHY. UPON THE NEGATIVITY OF SOME WORLD LEADERS TO SINK ISLAM, IT CONTINUE TO SPREAD LIKE A BUSHFIRE. FOOD FOR THOUGHT.