http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8385893.stm So, in Switzerland's latest referendum, a majority of 57.5% voted to outlaw the building of new minarets. The world appears to be shocked. Turkey's president called it a "crime against humanity". What do you think? Is it s sign of European Islamophobia? Should a majority be able to outlaw religious symbols and places?
While I am in agreement with the Swiss participatory democracy, I strongly disagree with this decision. It is petty and pointlessly oppressive.
Uh Switzerland has millions of unfathomable laws. In fact it is probably the world leader in dumb laws. If your car is a bit too loud the police will stop you and tell you its illegal. Also (this may be apocryphal) its illegal to modify your car in any way. Heres some more
It was put to a vote and the people voted. There's currently people dying to give other people that right. It is what it is. Slippery slope though, in terms of civil rights.
They are not outlawing the building of mosques are they? Lots of Christian churches have steeples but if the state passed a law saying you couldn't put a steeple on a building I wouldn't consider it "oppression". Foolish perhaps but not oppressive.
I've got no problem with this if it sets a reasonable, objective decibel limit. I get really fucking tired of waking up to teenagers in Hondas with tin-can mufflers at 2am, Harleys leaving early for weekend cruises.
Quite a significant result IMO. Minarets are not needed as part of mosques, but they do act as a symbol. And minarets covering the landscape invokes only images of the Middle East. Not surprised the Swiss don't want to have such an image. As long as they don't interfere with the right to worship, which they haven't, then I don't see the problem. But I can see why Muslims in Switzerland would be a bit perturbed by this. Maybe the next referendum would ban mosques too...
Today, I learned what the fuck a minaret is. Sunrise? SUNRISE!?!? If I lived near one of those things, I'd be burning the fucking thing to the ground within a week.
I hate to say it, but no, because I have to wonder what else could be voted down. This is the sort of thing to be handled by noise and nuisance ordinances, not the tyrranical majority.
You could make a case that things like this should be covered by constitutionally gauranteed rights. But you could also make a case that it's too trivial and petty an issue for that. As regards the 'noise' angle, that is better dealt with by noise pollution laws, not banning a specific type of religious building.
So is that a yes or a no? Should 'the people' have the ability to vote on whether or not a Mosque can have a Minaret?
It's a 'not sure'. I can see arguments both ways and don't really know enough about minarets within Islamic culture to decide.
I have been to Switzerland. Whilst we were there Silk Spectre observed that the laws there reminded her of those of a homeowner's association. That was after we had stopped for pastry following the incident with the Swiss fashion police. Fortunately we both had diplomatic immunity.
What does that matter? Either the Majority should have the ability to place specific restrictions on specific Minorities via popular vote or they shouldn't Which is it?
Oh, and the fact that this is happening in a country like Switzerland is another nail in the coffin of the idea that affluence and education can be bulwarks against the dangers of [-]mob rule[/-] democracy.
I keep reading "minarets" and thinking "Minuette," Riker's pet sex toy hologram based on a court psychoanalyst from late 20th century New York.
It remains neither of those black and white options. There are some circumstances in which "specific restrictions" would be infringements of basic rights, and others in which they would not. There are many such specific restrictions that you no doubt agree with.
Basically all the same shit: don't violate Sundays. Same's true for stores and I hate it. The ones above aren't applied in reality, the store ones are but pretty sure they'll be changed in the hopefully not too distant future. Never heard of that one so will have to call bullshit. "Punished"? How? Your car will be stolen? You're gonna have to be a bit more specific here. How is this stupid? - 1471, you're kidding, right? Noise nuisance. Don't like it either but not spectacularly dramatic. And not applied. Also, never heard of the urinating one so gonna have to call bullshit too. Sunday stuff again. Repealed - so? Plus, Germany's right around the corner. Plus, again, I call bullshit (though less vehemently). So good you posted them twice? Not true. Absinth was legalized in 2005. Not a huge fan of the decision on Sunday from the classical liberal perspective but don't really see the big catastrophe either. Big shock to see democracy in action for some of our European neighbors though...
The Sunday thing pisses me right the fuck off, and the only relevant thing I have to put up with is the lack of liquor sales before noon.
