Sunday, 29 November 2009
In Switzerland a referendum was held to ban the minarets of the mosques. Accordingly, over 57% of Swiss people have voted ‘yes’ to a ban on mosque minarets. The idea of referendum was put into practice by the Swiss People’s Party. The party claimed that minarets bring the Muslim faith out into the public domain and reflect a demand for political power.
The referendum result worried the international community and Muslim societies all around the word since it was seen as the violation of human rights and was regarded as a ‘turning point.’ Switzerland is known with its tolerance on multiculturalism and intercultural relations. Yet, the recent developments in the country raised question marks about the ‘sincerity’ of the country. The results were welcomed by the far right and extremist groups in the country and in Europe.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ozcan, Head of Center for European Studies at the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK), commented on the issue and said, “The Islamophobia is on the rise in the West. Some people think that Islam is a threat for the Western culture and identity. In other words, they try to build a particular kind of European identity by ‘othering’ Muslims. This is absolutely a wrong thing and may trigger hatred among civilizations. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy and should be rejected by the Europeans. It can be said that the Europeans are being tested by their own values and norms.”
Background
A minaret initiative was handed in to the government in July 2008 after more than the required 100,000 signatures were collected. The text is only one sentence long: "The building of minarets is forbidden."
The government's response, calling on the electorate to reject it, was much longer, running to 50 pages. In essence, the cabinet argues that the prohibition of the spires, usually found outside mosques, would violate international human rights norms. It also said that a ban would hinder integration and would be ineffective in the fight against extremism.
The country's Muslim community says it is stunned by what it sees as an "Islamophobic" move, which it warns will undermine already fragile relations.
Both the Protestant and Catholic churches rallied to their defence, along with most political parties, human rights experts and a number of cabinet ministers.
In Switzerland, only the mosques in Geneva, Zurich and Wangen near Olten have a minaret, Winterthur's mosque only has a small one. But the call to prayer is not made from these minarets.
Building applications for minarets in at least two other towns, Langenthal and Wil, led to heated debates at the local level.
Reactions from International Community
Reaction to the Swiss anti-minaret vote in the wider Islamic community has reflected shock, sadness and concern, but also a determination to try to build bridges.
"My first reaction is one of surprise and disappointment," Babacar Ba, the Geneva ambassador of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), told swissinfo.ch.
"It is a bad answer to a bad question. I fear that this kind of thing is simply a gift to extremism and intolerance."
It had been widely expected that the vote would be rejected, but Jaber al-Alawani, a Muslim thinker and director of the Cordoba Institute in the United States, told swissinfo.ch that he was not surprised.
"Islamophobia is widespread in Europe, all the more so because rightwing extremists see it as a kind of defence of European identity, which they haven't so far quite been able to define."
A British Muslim, Abduljalil Sajid, imam of Brighton and a member of the national executive committee of Interfaith UK, warned that ordinary Muslims were likely to react angrily.
"It will be seen negatively throughout the Muslim world, [as yet] another problem of Islam versus the West. I don't want to see it develop negatively, but unfortunately that will be the case," he told swissinfo.ch.
At the same time, there have been calls for a measured response.
"This result should draw our attention to the reality of the hidden fears which have been underestimated by decision makers," Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, told swissinfo.ch.
Praise from European right
"Extreme right groups everywhere, in France, in Holland or anywhere in the world will use this vote in their favour," Sajid warned, and comments by rightwing newspapers bear him out.
There were warm words of praise for the Swiss vote from Italy's Reform Minister, Roberto Calderoli, who told the Italian news agency ANSA that a clear sign had come from Switzerland: "Yes to church towers, no to minarets". He said Switzerland should be a model for Italy in this respect.
The head of Austria's rightwing Freedom Party, quoted by the Austrian news agency, also sees Switzerland as a model, a sentiment echoed by the general secretary of another rightwing party, the Alliance for the Future of Austria.
By Mustafa Kutlay (JTW), the ‘Background’ and ‘Reactions from International Community’ sections are taken from the Swissinfo.ch, a Swiss-based news web-site (www.swissinfo.ch).
