In Switzerland everybody the right to make an initiative. If you collect so and so many signings the populace can vote if they want to accept your initiative or not.
Propably all of you heard that it's now forbidden to built minarets in Switzerland because of such an initiative. It was accepted with about 57.5% of the votes.
Many experts say that the populance wanted to show a signal against the Islamization. They see the minarets as a symbol of power. They are propably also worried because the government isn't sure how it should go on with the immigrations. Please don't think that Switzerland is a racist country, otherwise we wouldn't have 20-25% foreigners. Another reason why the people voted "yes" might be that the prisons are filled with 70% foreigners.
I wonder now what do you think about that (especially if you are Muslim). Is it really that bad that minarets mustn't be built? Because mosques still can be built and Muslims still may live out their religion.
BTW polls showed that this "minaret interdiction" would propably also be accepted in Germany and Austria if they had a direct democracy. And: I voted against this initiative
i believe this isn't so much a religious debut bec. these can be considered i sores and in other places you can't go building buildings and tall towers everywhere you want, the gov. can restrict it and i approve of that. Why do they need huge towers to worship?
3 isolated events doesn't show the relative intolerance of a nation. The fact is Turkey has among the highest knife crime rates in the entire world. I guess no one cares when it's Turks murdering Turks though. Unless you can prove those murders were religiously motivated I don't have any reason to believe this shows intolerance on the part of the Turks. P.S. The fact the victims were Christian is not proof.
Abbeys are expropriated by the government
You can't judge a people for what their ancestors did 100 years ago.
It doesn't bother me, like I said, I voted "no". That means I don't have anything against minarets.
Yet you still think it si a legitimate complaint. I am not questioning your vote, but your reasoning behind it.
Not the churches but their towers should be banned. And I wouldn't have a problem with that.
I susepct that not many people would be so accomodating.
And I still don't understand why minarets are so important. Oh and if they were allowed, muezzins shouting around wouldn't be allowed anyways I think.
''And for future reference, the minaret has the function of both calling Muslims to prayer (something which none do in Switzerland anyway) and where prayers are directed, since they all face towards Mecca. It seems like a pretty important aspect of religion to me. If you go to a church and weren't able to pray properly, you'd be up in arms about it.''
Also, as I have already stated, the current minarets were already only for aesthetic use, and didn't call to prayer.
Yeah, that's right... But most of them propably won't go to the mosque.
, the gov. can restrict it and i approve of that. Why do they need huge towers to worship?
I have already posted it, but this is why:
''You don't need a bed or a computer, or an income, so let's take that away too. Let's also take away free speech and freedom of movement, you don't need that either.
Since when has need been a factor for determining freedoms in a democracy?''
Please stop asking questions which I've already answered. Repeating yourslef is no fun at all.
Abbeys are expropriated by the government
Nothing to do with knife crime.
2004: Demonstrations against Christs in Turkey
This reminds me of the stories Americans so often tell me about how my country is torn by religious strife and cite a few isolated anti Muslim protests, which the majority of the population don't believe in, and are more than matched by larger pro Muslim protest groups anyway.
I think that the people wanted to make a signal. People also wanted to show the government that they don't accord totally with their decisions (about immigrations). I don't agree with the result of the voting but I accept it because I don't think that it is that bad..
I susepct that not many people would be so accomodating.
But churches are also a part of the (Western) culture.
And for future reference, the minaret has the function of both calling Muslims to prayer (something which none do in Switzerland anyway) and where prayers are directed, since they all face towards Mecca. It seems like a pretty important aspect of religion to me. If you go to a church and weren't able to pray properly, you'd be up in arms about it.''
Muezzins aren't allowed as far as I know. And to know where Mekka is you don't need a minaret. To me it doesn't seem that important, but that's maybe only my opinion.
i believe this isn't so much a religious debut bec. these can be considered i sores and in other places you can't go building buildings and tall towers everywhere you want, the gov. can restrict it and i approve of that. Why do they need huge towers to worship?
Why does Christianity need to build massive cathedrals? Why do Mormons have to build large Temples? Just because you think that towers are ugly, doesn't give you the right to take away people's religious and political rights. I despise ignorant people like you.
2004: Demonstrations against Christians in Turkey
I thought Jesus told people to turn the other cheek. This tragic incident does not give any right to take Muslims rights.
Like I said the Swiss voters propably wanted to give a signal... But some Muslims think that their right (freedom of religion) isn't given now. I don't think so but I can understand it.
I also have to say that I feared more reactions from the Islamic states but there weren't nearly any... So I think for most of them it isn't really a big deal
