Switzerland vote to ban Minarets
Comments
(33 Responses)
Recent comments
- Hannah said:"This is so interesting… You wonder what they’re going to find next. I have always thought..."
- Hannah L B said:"Jos Nugent says: 24/09/2010 at 10:20 AM No Welsh dates I see! Hmmm………………forgotten country yet..."
- Hannah L B said:"That’s really cool. I find things like this so fascinating, and I’m very interested in..."
- GjWorner said:"Did you see the recent BBc4 doc covering this topic? awsome viweing http://dalen7.wordpress.com..."
- Shaun Banks said:"@Berber Anna: I had assumed that since you were an Atheist that you had read this book. A lot of..."
- Shaun Banks said:"alan: Schadenfreude is part of the Richard Dawkins Memetic Science"
Categories
Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- September 2008
© Derren Brown 2005 - 2012. All rights reserved. No work may be reproduced elsewhere without prior consent.
Once again freedom of religion is infringed. I used to be a christian and had quite a serious deconversion, I actually have a lot of issues with religions and the way they go about their business but this is serous slippery slope stuff.
I really hope things like this don’t happen in the UK
While I disagree with the banning of a religious symbol, I do understa
While I disagree with this ban, I do understand the fears of the people who voted for it. I had a personal friend who worked within the Iranian government before the fall in the 70s. He was told that Islam planned to take over the western world not by force, but by cultural assimilation. Essentially, they’d move into our countries and slowly impose their cultures on us, and then when their influence was high enough, vote their culture into law. We can see inklings of this already in the UK with the recent controversy over Sharia law, and whether it should be considered valid in the courts. So while banning the minaret is a slippery slope so is allowing this religion to come in and impose it’s culture on others. The question is which slope do you want to go down.
I agree totally with Ian. I am quite apposed to pretty much all religions with apparent “truths” and “ethics”, but the freedom to follow any faith, or no faith are intrinsic to democracy. Sad to here this has happened in what was religiously neural country, far more neutral than in the UK I would have thought. Apparently not anymore.
About time the Swiss did something! They are completely right and justified in their decision. If I wished to set up a new church in Syria or Iran, what do you think the answer would be and why ? All religions have and will continue to cause trouble and incompatibilities within societies because they are simply archaic “Hocus Pocus” and have no place in a modern world. The level of naivety it must require in order to blindly follow such foolish rituals and customs is in itself a mental illness, and one of the main reasons the Societies of the world are in such a shite state of affairs! Name me a “religious” country that is a world power ? Name me one that’s been to the moon ? Now name me one that has a people living in caves, or one that brutalises its subject, murders and usurps them ?
Oh well, they can use normal buildings, can’t they .. churches dont always look like churches the way we think they are kinda supposed to look like. Couldn’t see the clip yet.
It’s a difficult situation, Switzerland seems to be exercising it’s right to decide what is built there, but it will raise questions of religious persecution which is not really the case. I have serious problems with all major religions but all people have the right to believe whatever they want no matter how bizarre and unprovable, as long as it is not used to harm anyone else. (Unfortunately all religions tend to do this)
The question of going to Syria or Iran and opening a church is valid but the way to show how closeminded and hypocritical this system is, is to allow people to have freedom in the more secular West. Only by advertising the fact that secularism leads to more freedom and a fairer way of living will people change their minds about us. We should be bringing everyone together not pushing them apart surely?
Unfortunately, it’s only symbolic. Personally I don’t care about minarettes. It’s the doctrine of most religions that makes me itch.
cuckoo clocks good, minarets bad
I think it’s a bit unfair to ban minarets but allow church towers… you know, those things that people of that other religion that ‘invaded’ ‘our’ lands from the middle east build? Oh wait, that’s totally a native European thing? Nope, just got here earlier.
Frankly, I like churches and mosques when they’re well built and pretty, and I ignore them when they’re ugly. Why on earth would you prohibit them? Yeah, religion as a whole is a pretty weird concept, but humans invented a lot of those… as long as nobody bothers me or tries to get me to convert, I couldn’t care less about what they build.
Nik, are you seriously advocating the banning of all religious buildings? Do you honestly think that preventing construction of a certain type of building will prevent religious indoctrination? And honestly, do you really approve of the levels of religious freedom in Iran and Syria?
Ban Shariah law and the Islamic treatment of women and I’m right behind you. Banning a minaret is just ridiculous.
If this is the case, how about Hindu Mandirs, Jewish Synagogues, Chrisitan church steeples and Buddhist temples? If you’re gonna carry out something like this, you’d better do it properly!
*facepalm*
I’d just like to point out that my last comment had html-tags “sarcasm” next to it, but it’s been removed by the all-mighty comment box
Living as I do in Switzerland, this has actually turned out to be quite a funny/tragic story over here. So many people believed that there was no way the proposition would ever pass that they didn’t vote, only to find that by not voting the nutjobs who supported the proposition won. Now they’re all protesting the decision.
A lot like our election of two BNP members earlier this year in fact
Incidentally I should point out that mosques have NOT been banned, just minarets.
The Swiss government should be ashamed.
This seems quite dangerous to me. I’m an athiest who’d quite happily see all churches/religious buildings turned into architectural attractions, museums, flats, nightclubs etc and never have another one built – but if you allow christian churches to be built with clock towers, steeples etc, or kingdom halls to be built in their own style etc. etc. it is rather discriminatory to pass such a judgement against one specific religious building
However it is not even so much the banning of the style of architecture but the depiction on the campaign posters. Could they possibly have tried to make muslims more sinister?? Makes me think of the BNP and other unpleasant organisations.
@Frank – “Essentially, they’d move into our countries and slowly impose their cultures on us,” Yes, like the British did with colonialism.
On the one hand, this ban seems a bit pointless – banning minarets is like banning ‘looking a bit peaky’ and suggesting that this is a health policy.
On the other hand, any action against Islam is a good thing – it is naive in the extreme to consider Islam as ‘just another religion’. it’s not – it is a miltarily agressive, oppressive cultural force that plays victim to win our sympathies, then turns and issues demands on the other.
Look at the efforts of islamic nations in the UN to attempt to create a global blasphemy law, the ultimate slap in the face for free speech and expression, and tell me that this religion doesn pose a threat to our way fo life!!
Good Times, I’m all for this ban and I hope this continues, Its time to stop religion taking over!! also being an ex-muslim, I am outraged by the fact that the UK even bothered considering the Sharia Law, that would stop free thinking individuals like myself to ever question their religion and have the right to give it up. Islam has a fine way of sugar coating their actions to make things like the Sharia law sound good, but in fact it will be the start of something far worse than anyone can ever imagine!! Anyway why should one religion be even allowed to have their own law?? EVERYONE SHOULD FOLLOW THE SAME LAW
Sorry went off the point in the last post! Banning the minaret…..well if you ban one you have to ban them all really!! I understand what the purpose was, but will it make a difference….well we shall see, but I dont think its going to make a massive difference.
Just like to point out that although I do not believe in religion, I do respect other peoples beliefs etc, but my only problem is that usually other religious people do not offer the same respect back.
Minarets are just buildings. See Moscow.
But the problem lies on the people. As long as you see others as ghoyim, gaijin, strangers, kafer, etc, not as human being, the problem is you and you narrow minded about religion that you believe.
And who are you have the right to claim God is yours? If you beliave God is really The Most Compassion, why we, the puny humans (in Hulk’s term) as His creation have the right to judge the others puny humans? That’s not religion nor God as your guide, but your fear, hatred and bigotry.
I am a Muslim, and I never find any verse in my Book that teach me to hates other but the crime or foolishness that he/she committed.
I dont think it’s the minaret’s their banning, but the symbol they stand for. Also I cant help but feel sad that the first thing that happens after a democratic vote is the call for its repeal. It doesn’t matter if you dont agree with it, the people have spoken and must be respected or whats the point.
Peace
Michael says “It doesn’t matter if you dont agree with it, the people have spoken and must be respected or whats the point.”
Well said. The thing that struck me most about this story is the fact that the Swiss still have some democratic representation on points like this. I remember a recent referendum in the EU that apparently wasn’t the right decision, and so it had to be asked again.
Tragically, though, I read yesterday that this decision is likely t be overturned by the European Court of Human Rights, which I was amazed to find, Switzerland is a member of.
Ian,
“On the other hand, any action against Islam is a good thing – it is naive in the extreme to consider Islam as ‘just another religion’. it’s not – it is a miltarily agressive, oppressive cultural force that plays victim to win our sympathies, then turns and issues demands on the other.”
I don’t know how many Muslims you had met before, but I guess none
I believe not a single religion ever teach how to be miltarily agressive, oppressive cultural force…. a few priests and bigots did!
If you have time to learn about Islam (and others mayor religions), not the only words came from the hatespreaders, you will find the truth. …..
There seems to be a lot of misinformation about Islam and them wanting to take over the world. This is not right. Wanting to ban a religion is wrong and not democratic as they claim to be. I get frustrated when I read about this. Need to chill with some Sims 3.
ScreamingGreenConure, You clearly misread what I wrote. I think anyone who believes in a “God” is mentally ill. I think that religion should be kept at home. Anyone breaking the law in the name of religion should be punished severely. Obviously I don’t condone the behavior of any muslim states especially Syria and Iran. You missed the point. I think they are all c*nts, and the sooner they are wiped of the face of the planet the better. I will be one of the first at the front lines..
People forgot what a minaret is. It’s not a mosque, it’s not a prayer house. It’s a tall spire where a cleric calls for a prayer. The ban on minarets does not infringe the religious rights of muslem people
“It doesn’t matter if you dont agree with it, the people have spoken and must be respected or whats the point.”
Well, no. What if the majority ban mixed race marriage, or choose to murder all Jews, or reinstate slavery? Banning one type of place of worship, unless it involves something like human sacrifice, is a violation of human rights. It’s also nothing like banning Shariah courts, which I support 100%. If it’s a question of noise ordinances, that can be dealt with without banning an entire building.
I don’t think I missed the point at all. You said that if you wanted to build a church in Iran, they’d be told to get lost, the implication being that adopting the same attitude towards minarets is somehow justified. It’s not. If you agree that this attitude is pretty vile, then I’m not sure why it would justify the actions of the Swiss.
If you actually believe anyone practicing a religion is mentally ill and all unfortunate, indoctrinated residents of the Islamic world should be literally gunned down, I’m really not sure what to say to you. That’s psychotic.
Ban it all, simple as that. It’s all hocus pocus bollocks. A decent code of conduct and civility is what the world needs, not mentalist yodelling idiots or bell ringers competing for custom from the tops of towers. Mind you, i have to say, I do like the sound of a nice church bell.
Tilting at minarets?
chris
maybe they’d be ok with the minarets if they had clocks on them.