Straits Times
Review & Forum
Wed 2 Dec 2009
The Swiss are not known to be religious bigots in a Europe which wants to box Islam up in a cultural ghetto. The nation's leaders in mainstream politics, the church and community organisations are therefore at a loss to explain the bizarre referendum at the weekend which outlawed the building of minarets, those elegant cylindrical prayer towers atop mosques. The constitution guarantees freedom of worship, and the building of mosques and other non-Christian houses of worship is permitted. But minarets run counter to a Christian skyline of Baroque spires in the idyllic setting of alpine central Europe, of which Switzerland is the registered trademark. This makes the exclusion of an architectural detail nothing but a shameful act of pettiness, meant to offend. After the vote, the Berne government was at pains to reassure the 400,000 Swiss Muslims (in a 7.5 million population) that the minarets ban was to be taken as a rejection of their beliefs and culture. With the best will they can summon up, any religious minority will remain to be convinced.
Switzerland cannot plead mitigation in that the referendum was approved by only a minority of the nation (57.5 percent for and 52.2 percent opposed, on turnout of 53 percent.) the right-wing fringe which forced the vote spoke the language of European cultural and ethnic exclusionism in blindly linking Islam and it's practices with terrorism and regressive social mores like honour killings. The hijack of Islamic percepts by fundamentalist groups in Europe, fighting what they call the infidel underworld, has to be coutered with moral reasoning and tolerance. The minarets vote will do nothing of the sort; it empowers hate-mongers of all faiths. Bottom line: the Swiss nation will have to dig deep into its reserves of social tolerance and political neutrality to undo the damage to its reputation.
All across Europe where there are Muslim communities of some size, the common space that permits pollination of diverse cultures has shrunk alarmingly. Even Turkey is beginning to tire of knocking on the door of Christian citadel Europe. If Muslims make the mistake of withdrawing from the continent's civic life, an even more rabid form of Muslim-baiting will arise. The 2005 Danish cartoons which parodied the Prophet Mohammad were defended by European opinion, with tongue firmly in cheek, as freedom of expression. But the Swiss voters who objected to minarets mist have misunderstood that the Danes had in mind expression in all sphere. Europe cannot justify cultural exceptionalism. This a falsehood in the civilizational debate that has to be exposed.
Since when have Singapore become the international expert on and champion of religious tolerance? But then the message is not meant for Swiss ears is it?
Would the Swiss ambassador write in to protest the interference in its internal politics?
Review & Forum
Wed 2 Dec 2009
Minarets: A falsehood about citadel Europe
The Swiss are not known to be religious bigots in a Europe which wants to box Islam up in a cultural ghetto. The nation's leaders in mainstream politics, the church and community organisations are therefore at a loss to explain the bizarre referendum at the weekend which outlawed the building of minarets, those elegant cylindrical prayer towers atop mosques. The constitution guarantees freedom of worship, and the building of mosques and other non-Christian houses of worship is permitted. But minarets run counter to a Christian skyline of Baroque spires in the idyllic setting of alpine central Europe, of which Switzerland is the registered trademark. This makes the exclusion of an architectural detail nothing but a shameful act of pettiness, meant to offend. After the vote, the Berne government was at pains to reassure the 400,000 Swiss Muslims (in a 7.5 million population) that the minarets ban was to be taken as a rejection of their beliefs and culture. With the best will they can summon up, any religious minority will remain to be convinced.
Switzerland cannot plead mitigation in that the referendum was approved by only a minority of the nation (57.5 percent for and 52.2 percent opposed, on turnout of 53 percent.) the right-wing fringe which forced the vote spoke the language of European cultural and ethnic exclusionism in blindly linking Islam and it's practices with terrorism and regressive social mores like honour killings. The hijack of Islamic percepts by fundamentalist groups in Europe, fighting what they call the infidel underworld, has to be coutered with moral reasoning and tolerance. The minarets vote will do nothing of the sort; it empowers hate-mongers of all faiths. Bottom line: the Swiss nation will have to dig deep into its reserves of social tolerance and political neutrality to undo the damage to its reputation.
All across Europe where there are Muslim communities of some size, the common space that permits pollination of diverse cultures has shrunk alarmingly. Even Turkey is beginning to tire of knocking on the door of Christian citadel Europe. If Muslims make the mistake of withdrawing from the continent's civic life, an even more rabid form of Muslim-baiting will arise. The 2005 Danish cartoons which parodied the Prophet Mohammad were defended by European opinion, with tongue firmly in cheek, as freedom of expression. But the Swiss voters who objected to minarets mist have misunderstood that the Danes had in mind expression in all sphere. Europe cannot justify cultural exceptionalism. This a falsehood in the civilizational debate that has to be exposed.
Since when have Singapore become the international expert on and champion of religious tolerance? But then the message is not meant for Swiss ears is it?
Would the Swiss ambassador write in to protest the interference in its internal politics?
