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Symbolic minaret declared in Switzerland

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Friday, December 4, 2009
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

In reaction to the Swiss referendum on the prohibition of minarets, the Church of Elizabeth in Basel has declared its bell tower to be a symbolic minaret.

On Nov. 29, 57.4 percent of Swiss in a popular referendum favored a plan to ban the construction of new minarets in the country.

Following the referendum, a group of Turkish locals in the Basel area held a protest outside the Elizabeth church, which is also the town’s first Protestant church.

On Thursday, the church announced that its bell tower also represented a symbolic minaret and brought a Turkish imam to the church to give his blessing.

A joint service was held by priest Andre Feuz and the Turkish imam where Turkish Muslims and Swiss Christians came together to pray.

Signs were also put up at the entrance of the church saying, “Elizabeth’s bell tower is, at the same time, a minaret.”

Feuz said the initiative was designed to symbolize the local community’s solidarity with the large population of Turks in the area.

Four minarets currently exist in Switzerland, while one application for a construction permit is pending.

While the legal consequences of the referendum for the pending minaret are not clear, there is no confusion regarding the effect of the new article to be enshrined in the Swiss Federal Constitution on future applications.

From now on, article 72 will read, “The construction of minarets is prohibited.”


 

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READER COMMENTS

Guest - Carl
2009-12-09 21:00:47
  The action taken by Elizabeth church in Basel makes a person proud to bellong to the Human Race!
  

Guest - Alex
2009-12-07 11:43:54
  Panda46, Your justification for targeting Muslims by prohibiting a harmless symbolic religious architecture under the pretext of fighting radicalism is absurd. Yet more absurd are those who use excuses such as noise reduction or keeping the structural norms of the country. Because there are hundreds of churches all over Switzerland and bell noises that goes on for hours on every Sunday is far more noisy than a silent minaret. Other justifications such as using this to fight extremism is sheer madness because you are generalizing against the majority of Muslims who are moderate, and are forcing them to adopt radicalism. Since they constantly feel threatened by such unprovoked attacks by far right groups everywhere they turn nowadays in Europe. Muslims in Switzerland have no conflict with Swiss people and laws and so far there has not been a single terrorist activity in Switzerland. But perhaps your far right political organizations are inviting extremists to such provocation in order to have a reason to start a Fourth Reich. I believe those 57 percent Swiss who made this provocative and unwise choice are in fact gathering support for extremists and far right group. Consequently causing confusion among decent moderate Muslims about their stances towards extremism. The current movement instigated by some European countries against Muslim population is the rise of the Fourth Reich with only difference been targeting Muslims instead of Jews. If you observe closely and analyze the propaganda machine used during the Third Reich against Jews is almost identically similar to the current propagandas propagated against Muslims. Similarly, Jews were perceived to be a threat to the national security of Germany and other European countries just like the current labelling of Muslims been a threat to Europe. It’s ironic that you are using Jews to promote your argument, since Switzerland did not help Jews during the Third Reich and it actually suggested that Germany add letter J to their identity cards so they can be easily recognized at the borders to turn them over to the Nazis. But you still only classified them as “Jewish residents”, versus a more appropriate term of “Swiss Jews”. This is a very hypercritical Swiss way of looking at those who have been living in Switzerland for generations and yet are still considered foreigners, while over 40 percent of Swiss are living in other countries and preserve the right to consider themselves as Swiss Canadians or Swiss Americans. They award themselves the right to immigrate and accept full citizenship rights in other countries while they refuse the same right to those who live in Switzerland. Switzerland has so far maintained a good position to preserve a neutral status in world politics, a position that earned them a respect. Moreover, they also maintained a neutral position during the Third Reich. But the big question is what would be the Swiss stance in the Fourth Reich, because it seems that they are slipping away. PEACE
  

Guest - panda46
2009-12-04 21:52:58
  I am convinced that the Swiss people approved the minaret prohibition for the wrong reasons. The reality is that Swiss citizens are increasingly worried about the Jihad of the fundamentalists and, therefore, perceive minarets and bourkhas as a clear provocation. Moreover, Colonel Khadafi's motion to dismantle Switzerland merited no reaction on behalf of the International Islamic community. Maybe the Muslim community could do a better job to convince the citizens of other beliefs that they fully support our country that has survived many storms for over seven hundred years. Our Jewish residents have done so successfully on many occasions - so why not give it a try?
  

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