I thought Switzerland was a Christian state
By Ahmed Arwo
During the festive holiday of end of the year, I encountered a friend of mine in a shopping mall in Cardiff, Wales. After warm seasonal greetings, we started to chat about current affairs. Switzerland and its eccentric decision to ban minarets presented itself. My friend a devoted Christian cannot believe a Christian state could ban a symbol of another heavenly religion. He suddenly said... "I thought Switzerland was a Christian state", hence, the title of this article.
Islamic minarets were and are in all over Christian countries and for centuries. The minority vote that overturned this harmony put into questions this country's wisdom and even its religion. As common to the West, the abundance of freedom and peace diminished the need to involve in politics. That indifference undermines the spirit of democracy and gives un-proportional share of power to extremist few. Direct impact of this trend is the result of the so called referendum of banning Islamic Minarets in Switzerland. The approval of this Stone Age suppression of minority rights is passed by 57% of 53% of the registered electorates. That means 30% of the eligible voters. Democracy rather than majority rule is becoming a minority rule. Well focused minority kidnaps the Western democracy and if that bigotry is unrestricted, we will lose all the rights associated with democracy
Why Switzerland is different than all other Christian nations? Do they concoct a unique religion of their own, as they sculpted their country from three nations? Switzerland has distinctive history and in many ways it is an odd state in a vibrant continent. Its people are weird in nationality. They are the Germanys that rejected their German identity, the French that refused to be French, and the Italians that kicked out their Roman heritage. What a bizarre arrangement! Yet each one of these three mini states functions individually and haphazardly in unity. They share more with their original countries than with themselves, making Switzerland a token state. Geneva sees France as its country, sharing them with common language, culture and convention. The papers they read, the media they watch and listen is that of France. Lugano sees Italy for the same and also Zurich looks at Germany. There is no Swiss language. No common heritage, they do share neither culture nor history.
This strange co-existence was admired worldwide. We all thought Switzerland as a model of cohabitation, tolerance and accepted its existence as a model of human unity. People united in destiny despite huge difference in tongue and tradition.
This false appreciation rewarded Switzerland unwarranted benefits. They secured the distinction of being the site for many United Nations goodwill and administrative offices, despite its atypical behaviour of not been a member state. The UNO employs thousands in this non-member state, occupying the most lavish and expensive buildings at the cost of member states.
Ironically the Human Rights headquarter is based in Geneva. How that can be justified with its harsh treatment of minority citizens? It is high time to move these offices out of this renegade state. Switzerland has a unique value to worldwide thieves and corrupt governments. We all know that those who pillage meagre wealth of developing countries give top priority to Switzerland when it comes where they can hide the looted treasures.
Most Arab elites and businessmen consider it, as their number one priority for safety and tolerance, when investment decision arises. Muslims were proud to send their children for higher education, to them Swiss certificate of education, was a license for wisdom and quality knowledge. All these positive attributes, true or false are lost by a decision of minority voters who opted for further isolation. That isolation will soil their reputation and eventually lower their quality of life when disinvestment of Muslims takes place. Be assured that will happen, sooner than latter. With modern communication and technology, we live in the same village. There are series of campaigns to give Switzerland its own medicine. To quote one Facebook Campaign click and join this page: Boycott Switzerland for Banning Mosque Minarets http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=190590376903
Muslims and Christians co-existed and would maintain that neighbourhood attitude for ever. I am British and proud to be Muslim. My country gives full rights to its entire citizen, regardless of colour, greed and gender. I never felt discriminated by law. There is racism and discrimination but none is beyond administrative procedures and old practices. There is no law that categorizes a sector of its citizens. It is the law which counts. In Britain, we are all equal under the law. No nation would be proud of democracy if not upholding the rights of its minority. Peace and unity are fundamental needs of nations to flourish, to develop and to exercise their duties of providing its citizens shelter, employment and education, and that cannot be realised without equality and justice.
Historically, do you ever ask yourself why there is no Muslim Spanish after over three hundred years of Muslim rule? During these centuries of Muslim rule, no one was compelled to convert to Islam. Jewish and Christians were left at their choice. Their rights were safeguarded in the first Human rights convention, which was established in Al-Andalusia, stating everyone is free to exercise his or her religion in free and safe environment. The state used to pay Priests and Rabbis as well as Imams. The opposite happened when Christian invaders conquered Spain. People were given a bible and dined with pork, if rejected their heads were severed. Thousands were slain and all compelled to convert into Christianity. That is why all grand mosques were turned into mansions and museums if not into churches. The tiny Jewish and Muslim survivors of this genocide immigrated to Morocco.
Equally contemporary Muslims respect places of worship, regardless of the religion. Do you know there are more synagogues than Jewish in Syria, all safeguarded by the state. The Christians enjoy of having more than their proportionate share of power and wealth in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt and even in Bahrain. There is one single family of Jewish origin in Bahrain and that family has one representative in national Assembly and a high level Ambassador in USA. Compare that to what the Swiss are doing and contrast that with Spanish phenomena. Having said that, in many Islamic states, all citizens are subjected to injustice by corrupt and undemocratic governments and nothing is specific to non-Muslims.
Current discriminatory acts against Islam emerged from President Bush's speech after 9/11 atrocity. He stated; "War on terror...this crusade is going to take a while..." He was not good at history. The crusades were parade of depravity in the name of Christian religion. According to Jonathan Philips in his book: Holy Warriors: a Modern History of the Crusades, The first crusaders careered through Europe, slaughtering Jews in Germany, attacking the Hungarians and pillaging the land around Christian Constantinople..."When they captured Jerusalem in 1099 the slaughter was immense, with piles of heads lying in the streets while crusaders seized babies by their feet and dashed their brains against the walls.." Compare that when Muslims captured Jerusalem and forgave all its residents, leaving Jews and Christians to worship their religion in peace and freedom.
WE have to endeavour together and stop this propensity of prejudice and annihilation of dignity of one of the greatest religions on the earth. Those of us who share in believing one God ,heaven, hell and life after death, let us unite and safe our belief which is threatened by atheists and those who define religion as a social opium rather than fighting one another. Freedom of worship is both human rights and God's command. Do not let us detached by fanatics who are tiny minority in every religion. They thrive in death and destruction.
I hope the silent majority of Swiss will regain their dignity and world status by reversing the minority decision that sullied their reputations.
Ahmed Arwo
http://samotalis.blogspot.com/
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