Sunday was an eventful day. Apart from being the Launch of the new Philip Potter Fund of the WSCF Centennial Fund. It was also the day of "votation". The Swiss went to the polls with two very important issues, among many others. First was a law that would insert a phrase into the constitution to ban building more minarets. The second was a law that would have outlawed the sales of arms to foreign countries. For a country that is supposedly neutral, they sell 6% of the world's weapons. The first passed and the second failed.
Switzerland, the land of chocolate, banks, cheese and neutrality, failed to live up to it's reputation on Sunday. Instead of choosing to be prophetic and reject the racism and xenophobia loosely clothed as "freedom from Islamic law" the majority, 57.5%, of Swiss chose the path of least resistance. The path of hatred. The poster here was all over Geneva. Although I only saw the French version - loosely translated it says "Stop" vote yes on the ban on minarets.
This very thinly veiled racism is unacceptable. We must not stand for this. I cannot believe that I live in a country that is supposed to be a land of freedom, but instead the people here have chosen to embrace hatred and fear rather than embracing those that are different and trying to learn from them.
Sad day, indeed. But also true: we won the major cities for both: against the export of weapons and in favor of relgigious freedom. and what also makes me think after the hours and hours on the street, distributing flyers and collecting signatures: its mostly older ppl, who voted for the extremist right wing proposals. maybe we will change. in a generation.
ReplyDeletehugs from berne, rahel
I really don't understand why the Swiss population went to vote against minarets which is causing all of the problem. The construction of mosques is not part of the equation here - which it could have been. It seems the Swiss are bringing international criticism upon themselves for no real reason.
ReplyDeleteBUT, does Saudi Arabia allow the construction of Protestant churches? Does Iran support a Catholic church being built in its territory?? Does Libya welcome a Synagogue in its midst???
Get real people . . . we are talking about complete double standards here and the continuing and silent annexation of Europe by Muslims - God forbid.