What is up with the Swiss?

We all know the Swiss for making great cheese and bank accounts and army knives and awesome porn. But lately there is a storm of controversy with some political advertising as well as cultural clashes.

Read here:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/12/the-swiss-minaret-ban-islamophobia-lightly-veiled.html

Also, there is this:

Swisher sweets

They hold simple vote-offs for different issues and legislations at the times. This time the people voted against the terro....muslims.

Originally posted by Kris Blaze
They hold simple vote-offs for different issues and legislations at the times. This time the people voted against the terro....muslims.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Eh, Switzerland still kicks ass though I don't really approve of this.

Originally posted by Kris Blaze
They hold simple vote-offs for different issues and legislations at the times. This time the people voted against the terro....muslims.

I can understand the distaste and even the vitriol against political Islam, or religion in general, but it's just a minaret. It doesn't have to mean anything.

Originally posted by Dr Will Hatch
I can understand the distaste and even the vitriol against political Islam, or religion in general, but it's just a minaret. It doesn't have to mean anything.

They should ban mosques throughout Europe altogether, Islam is slowly taking over Europe. If they don´t like it they can go to some backward country like which has come about due to such religious beliefs.

Try and build a church or any other none muslim building in Saudi you´d get stoned to death

I don't really see the point of banning minarets.

Originally posted by Bicnarok

Try and build a church or any other none muslim building in Saudi you´d get stoned to death

I don't get this argument.

Originally posted by Bicnarok
They should ban mosques throughout Europe altogether, Islam is slowly taking over Europe. If they don´t like it they can go to some backward country like which has come about due to such religious beliefs.

Try and build a church or any other none muslim building in Saudi you´d get stoned to death

It's been said already but there is no point to banning minarets. It does nothing but alienate and create anger/conflict. No need for that.

Now, if the Islamic community was trying to change law to fit their religious beliefs, sure, smack that down. (Which has been tried.)

I think that Bic is trying to say that in Islam countries they aren't as tolerant to other religions as Europeans. Thus Europe is practically giving them a taste of their own medicine. However, this campaign and ban says otherwise...

Originally posted by King Kandy
That's just racist as hell. If you were in the middle ages, you'd be saying "they should ban churches everywhere, it's only around in backward countries in Europe. If you tried to build a mosque in france you'd be stoned to death".

Since when does Islam equate to a "race"?

Originally posted by jaden101
Since when does Islam equate to a "race"?

depends

most Islamic philosophers who speak of Pan-Arabism or Arab Nationalism, both of which are hugely popular in the Middle East, speak of an Arab right as the true Muslims.

Its complex, and even Qutb, the philosophical father of modern Jihad, didn't tie the race and religion to each other in an "arab=muslim" sense, though he did speak of the privilege of Muslims being Allah's chosen people to receive the revelations of Mohamed.

I like Switzerland...its nice there and the food is great

Originally posted by inimalist
depends

most Islamic philosophers who speak of Pan-Arabism or Arab Nationalism, both of which are hugely popular in the Middle East, speak of an Arab right as the true Muslims.

Its complex, and even Qutb, the philosophical father of modern Jihad, didn't tie the race and religion to each other in an "arab=muslim" sense, though he did speak of the privilege of Muslims being Allah's chosen people to receive the revelations of Mohamed.

I don't think Pan Arabism is that popular with the actual populations. Sure there are people who will argue they're ''Arabs'' outside of Arabian Peninsula, but many of those who do speak Arabic would insist they're Lebanese or Syrian, or Egyptian, not ''Arab''...in my experience.
Those arguments, (again, in my experience) are mostly heard by Palestinians and actual Arabs fromArabian Peninsula.
I am yet to hear Iraqi or Syrian or Lebanese to call themselves Arabs.
Those who know their history would fiercely argue against any such claim of ''arabism''.

Although I do not doubt there are people who feel like such.

Not to mention that tying Islam to a race (ie ''Arab'' even though they're in race terms Caucasians, but never mind), excludes, Iranians, Indonesians (Indonesia being the largest Muslim country in the world), Turks, Kurds, Malaysians, Pakistanis, Somalis...etc.

I do not believe Islam can be tied to a race, just like Christianity cannot. And if we include Beta Israel, neither can Judaism.

hmmm, Al Jazeera had given me the notion that it was more popular, but it is a peninsuila based new agency, and they do have some biases about how they present the region to the west.

I don't disagree though. I don't think Islam and arab go hand in hand, but some people, including muslims, do

Good for the Swiss. Other countries should do the same