Swiss-made mess

ear Mr. Standish
As much as I, a Swiss citizen, am gutted about the Swiss vote on minarets ban, I do not agree with your comment that exhibits little understanding of Swiss democracy and history. Switzerland has been a place of refuge for the persecuted for centuries (one shameful exception: Switzerland could and should have saved much more persecuted jews during WWII). This was also the case for the Muslims from the Balkans which represents the large majority of the Swiss Muslim communiy; they came as war refugees in the last 20 years.
It is wrong (and very easy) to explain the Swiss vote with primitive fear or even with stubborn xenophobia. Switzerland has a long democratic history, and it represents the successful attempt to integrate people of several ethnics, languages, and religions into one community. Switzerland has succeeded in the long term - certainly not all multiethnic states can say that.
While it is elsewhere still going strong to measure the degree of civilization of a society at the highest possible proportion of migrants, many Swiss feel quite differently. They think that living together is more worthwile than living in parallel (in "ghettos"). This conception has ensured utmost freedom for every single person in Switzerland. That's also why Swiss are not reluctant to look at immigration from the perspective of whether it fits the community with their shared values (e.g. democracy, principle of equal opportunities, equal rights for women, etc.) or not.
Of course, fears have been conjured and some might have voted in favor of the minaret ban because they see in every Muslim a potential terrorist. And that grieves me.
For small states, so said Montesquieu, direct democracy fits. Switzerland has the direct democracy and practices it with passion and conviction. Swiss citizens take their political responsabilities very seriously in all wha matters the public affairs of the community. The fact that 57.5% of participants have expressed themselves in the vote against the further construction of minarets, is an information about which one should take enough time to think.

Goturkish

I don't think it is black and white. It is a matter of proportion. What the Swiss do is the same discriminatory principle as the Islamists. But a person can hate another, restrain themselves and say,"We have nothing to talk about." Another can hate another and restrain themselves and say, "We have nothing to talk about, I'm going to kill you but I won't hurt your family to prove my mercy."

Both positions come from a wrong. But discriminating minds must understand which calls for a greater response. True, all we are doing is talking about the Swiss. But what is anyone doing about the 54% of Pakistani kids who want to impose Sharia, the radical islamists ready to kill the whole world to prove their book is right?

If we are going to talk about discrimination, should we talk about the Swiss or the Saudis?

Yes the Swiss made a step backwards. I don't think anyone is disagreeing. An atheist and secularist should say, pooh on the Swiss. But few nations or groups have the moral right to point fingers on this minor discrimination, let alone the Islamists.

hariaum

I see above reader comments are totally ignoring facts and based on racist and ignorant attitudes.
1-Are we comparing Switzerland to Saudi Arabia or Sudan? if Sausi Arabia practices ignarance, that does not excuse Swiss from doing the same thing. Saudi Arabia's policy of not allowing Christians built Churh is wrong just like Swiss. Simple as that. Ignorance using more ignarance as an excuse is ignorance itself.

2- So, because of 9-11, what Swiss has done is justified, right? Then, since Christians kiled approximately 400,000 Muslims in Bosnia, are we supposed to punish all Christians and ban churches in our communities too? I don't think so.

Where is the logic and where is the humanity that goes with it among the people of the west? Was the Renaissance a vain attempt to be human that now lost its values in Europe?

If you compare yourself to Saudi Arabia, then, Shame on you Swiss, shame on you West, shame on you humanity, shame on you commentators !

The problem is simply understood as this:

The swiss, the french, etc increase false discrimination by a power of, say, 1.5. The islamic nations enforce discrimination by a power of, say, 1000. Yet the outcry against the Swiss and the French may be, say, 1000, while the outcry against the islamic nations is, say, 1.

We need good, well studied evidence of intolerance:Then we can work on the regions with the greatest intolerance first.

I have read various "reports" but is there work out there on an actual objective index?

hariaum

Maybe the Swiss want to send a message that integration and acceptance of Muslims is impossible so long as the danger of picking loved ones' body parts from the sides of buildings continues.
Muslims have demonstrated a violent response with apparent relish when slights to their religion, fully permitted under free-speech doctrine occur.
Why should the Swiss give up their right to criticize, even disrespect or poke fun at anyone's religion or another's beliefs?
It's certainly not admirable, but what's the alternative? Would you pass laws that silence such voices because civility has disappeared? Remove free speech to bolster religious freedom?
'Store front' mosques are NOT the only places that welcome islamo-terrorists and serve as recruiting centers for al-qaida and you know that.
I for one am quite pleased that at the risk of being accused of intolerance and prejudice, the Swiss stepped up and voted against a Muslim initiative. I would like to see that continue on a global scale. Perhaps Islam will enter the 21st century in a less bloody fashion.