Ehhh, Switzerland??

I think this is my first politics related post, even though political rants were one of the main reasons for setting up this blog. So I'd like to thank the people of Switzerland for provoking me into action...

If you are unaware of the referendum in quesetion, Switzerland's right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) collected 100,000 signatures of Swiss people who were worried of 'political Islamization'. That's the requisite amount to put a matter of national concern to referendum. The proposal in question? To ban the building of minarets... I myself was unsure of what a minaret is. They are (in most cases) a dome structure on top of Mosques that act as a visual cue for praying Muslims. Harmless non??

Not in the opinion of the SVP and 57% of the turnout for the vote. Ulrich Schluer, member of the SVP justified the absurd measures taken to ban the building of the traditional Muslim structures.. “We do not forbid Islam -- we forbid the political symbol of Islamization, and this is the minaret,” Schluer said. “The minaret has nothing to do with religion; the minaret is a symbol of political victory [of Islam]. The first thing the Turks did when they conquered Constinople -- they installed a minaret on the top of the most important church.” I'm sure the 5% Muslim population of Switzerland are damning their thwarted plans of Islamicizing the country little by little by building minaret after minaret until the country was theirs. Back to the drawing-board boys. Nice effort but the bigots have scoped you out...

This, in my humble opinion should act as a warning shot across Europe and the world. This vote legitimizes Islamophobia. In an era of increasing integration across Europe, as well as the troubles in the Middle East, this vote will give credence to the scum in the BNP, the PVV in the Netherlands and the Freedom Party in Austria as well as hosts of other far-right nationalist parties across Europe to propose and most likely successfully implement other far reaching racist policies.

Amnesty International have been quick to condemn the results, warning that the ban would violate Switzerland's obligations to freedom of religious expression. Even 'Ol Man Pope Ratzy in the Vatican has also expressed his concerns too. That says quite alot.

All in all, this vote is a manifestation of intolerance, hatred and fear conjured up by the SVP. Such tactics I predict will be deployed by other far-right nationalist parties across Europe over the coming months and years. French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has called on the Swiss people to go back on the decsion, sooner rather than later... "I hope that the Swiss will go back on this decision rather quickly," he told France's RTL radio. "It is an expression of intolerance, and I detest intolerance."

Perhaps the Swiss should take a leaf out of Ireland's book. Hold the referendum again. It works. Then us do-gooder lefties will be friends with you again.