What Is the Meaning of the Swiss Vote to Ban Minarets?
Last Updated on Monday, 07 December 2009 21:50 Written by Norm Tucker Sunday, 06 December 2009 20:35
Tiny Switzerland - about half the size of New Brunswick, has just voted in a referendum to ban the building of Islamic-minarets. Why?
First, what is a minaret? - "A tall tower in, or contiguous with stairs leading up to one or more balconies from which the faithful are called to prayer".
Second, where does the word minaret come from? - "1682, From Fr. minaret, from Turk. minare, from Arabic manarat "lamp, lighthouse, minaret", related to manar "candlestick," derivative of nar "fire."
Third, what do minarets look like? Here are a few examples. Switzerland has only four minarets. In the first image (left), the Swiss minaret and the church steeple are positioned together, along side a tree - an interesting and symbolic juxtaposition, don't you think?
There's an astonishing variety of Muslim architecture throughout the world. Here are some links:
But, do you think that when the Swiss voted to ban minarets, they were making an architectural statement? The referendum, was conceived as a 'political' statement by a right wing Conservative party generally opposed to minorities that do not 'blend'. They gathered the necessary 100,000 signatures on a petition.
Now everyone is astounded by the result. The Swiss constitution must, by law, now be changed to ban minarets.
I would be surprised if the Swiss voted against religious freedom, however, the result of the vote which has caused a unified condemnation from other religions - Jews, Muslims, Roman Catholics and Lutherans, may result in a constitution that is illegal from an international human rights and freedom of religion perspective.
All that is a technicality, and what happens next will be about politics. What the vote was probably all about was fear - fear of Islam dominance and fear of terrorists. And it is a fear based on perception equals reality. Various countries, and particular large cities in Europe, have witnessed violence in the streets, threatened violence, bombings - all related to the influence of Islam. That's the reality the Swiss responded to.
The conflict of traditions when a vocal and visible minority exerts social and economic pressure on the majority creates fear and possible backlash. What we are seeing in Switzerland, a country of determined neutrality, is a backlash. With a small minority of Muslims in their population (less than 6%), they do not want a visible minority - they want a blended one.
This is the unfortunate result of fear, violent rhetoric, of the failure to dialogue. This and worse has happened in every multicultural society, including Canada (First Nations, Japanese, Chinese, Doukhobors, Sikhs, Ukrainians).
Today, most nations face a Multicultural Challenge. And it involves culture, religion, economic and political power. It also includes natural resources. And it is worldwide. It is not sufficient for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama and other leaders to take up the issues of human rights in China for example. What they are doing is hypocrisy. They need to pay attention to their own countries.
There are more and more everyday human rights issues right here in North America.
What we require from our leaders at all levels is humility and dialogue - not public pronouncements and condemnations.
When the former Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan talked about Islam and the Islamization of Europe by saying "The minarets are our bayonets, the domes our helmets, the mosques our barracks and the faithful our army", people quite naturally respond fearfully - to their own right wing political leaders. It is this loss of balance and perspective that after World War I led to fascism, nazism and communism.
The rhetoric has to stop. The dialogue has to start, and new understandings have to be built. It is all very well for all the churches and all the religions to protest the Swiss vote, but they must accept responsibility for that vote - a result that might be representative of views elsewhere in Europe.
It is by your deeds you are known - and deeds done and words said in the name of religion are part of the problem. To be credible forces for peace, the religions must stop hiding behind robes, traditions, scriptures, missionaries, minarets and steeples.
The Swiss Confederation has been an independent nation since 1291. Their people know something about multiculturalism and they have now made a statement to the world with their referendum vote.
All I hear in response to the vote is shock and criticism. Is that wise? Perhaps, we should ask "What can we learn?"
This is a good moment to recall Eleanor Limmer's definition of wisdom:
1. Look beyond reason without losing sight of it.
2. See the big picture without losing sight of the present picture.
3. Be more concerned with where something is leading us than maintaining one's present position.
4. Determine what one can learn rather what one can defend.
Maybe we should thank the Swiss for the wake up call. Time to dialogue. We cannot take multiculturalism and diversity for granted.
In Ontario, Brantford (after clicking on Brantford, click on 'home') shows us the way forward with this announcement and event (and it is held in a mosque!):
"Join the Peace and Diversity Circle and share your ideas.
You could be part of a solution that will strengthen the city of
Call us at 519-752-4568 ext 40 or E-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Upcoming Event:
Peace & Diversity Potluck Dinner: In Recognition of International Declaration of Human Rights
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Time: 5:30pm to 8:00pm
Venue: Brantford Mosque, 179 Greenwich St., Brantford
For more information please do call 519-752-4568 ext 40"
P.S. This just in from the Washington Post - an article by Anne Applebaum that concludes with "As grotesquely unfair as a referendum to ban minarets may have been to
hundreds of thousands of ordinary, well-integrated Muslims, I have no
doubt that the Swiss voted in favor primarily because they don't have
much Islamic extremism -- and they don't want any". For the full article In Switzerland Towers of Fear.