A Bad Recipe for the Swiss Role!
Ismail Imadudeen
December 10, 2009
Switzerland is a country that is known for many contradicting and conflicting phenomena. It is the land where one can find the best tourists sites around Lake Zurich and the Swiss Alps. It is a perfect destination for both summer and winter tourism for those who want tranquil environment and, at the same time, modern and state of the art service. I felt personally proud sometimes back for possessing one of the most expensive watches in the world which was Swiss made. Who doesn’t like the Swiss chocolates or the famous Swiss rolls? There’s no doubt about the merits of such diverse and beautiful country.
However, amidst all such fantastic things, one gets stunned to know that that peaceful country has been a safe haven and global center for money laundry that is done by individuals from around the globe who got advantage of the system of bank secrecy there. Major clients can vary from the Third World countries’ dictators to drug emperors and arm dealers not mentioning possible links to individuals who could finance terrorist groups and/or organized crime organizations worldwide or even heavily corrupt officials allover the planet!
We remember the problem that took place a few months ago between the US and Switzerland when both countries have signed an agreement designed to end a tax evasion dispute surrounding UBS's US customers.
Switzerland has a long history of neutrality; it hasn’t been in a state of war for more than a hundred years and became a full member of the UN only in 2002. It developed a unique system of direct democracy where a certain number of citizens can sign on a statement making it possible to overturn parliamentary decisions.
However, it seems that after more than a hundred and fifty years of defining such system in the Federal Constitution, the system is expected to cause havoc and disturbances for the peaceful state both internally and externally! Swiss voters have decided in favor of a constitutional amendment to ban the construction of Islamic minarets in the tiny Alpine country the thing that stunned experts who had predicted the measure would be rejected. It also sent ripples of anxiety across the country's Muslim community, which makes up about six percent of Switzerland's population.
The strange thing here is that the first minaret built ever in the country was in 1963 in Zurich, so what is new in Switzerland that urged those who proposed the vote to act so?
I do not think that that vote is any thing else but another example of the rise of discrimination and hatred against Muslims that takes a form or another in many European countries; the thing that can be seen in many places in Germany, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and now Switzerland. In fact the list is expected to add more participants in the course of revulsion and unfairness against Muslims along the aging continent!
Some might argue that building a minaret is not a core Islamic thing; well, so why to ban it then? What benefit or satisfaction will this bring to the Swiss people?
For those who are obsessed by minorities’ rights I would like to say that what is happening in Switzerland is exactly the same case if the Egyptian Muslims call for a vote to ban the building of Churches’ towers: what the world’s reaction will be then.
I don’t know where Europe is going to; I see Nazism and Fascism come back and lead slowly, but, however, in new forms and different shapes.
However, amidst all such fantastic things, one gets stunned to know that that peaceful country has been a safe haven and global center for money laundry that is done by individuals from around the globe who got advantage of the system of bank secrecy there. Major clients can vary from the Third World countries’ dictators to drug emperors and arm dealers not mentioning possible links to individuals who could finance terrorist groups and/or organized crime organizations worldwide or even heavily corrupt officials allover the planet!
We remember the problem that took place a few months ago between the US and Switzerland when both countries have signed an agreement designed to end a tax evasion dispute surrounding UBS's US customers.
Switzerland has a long history of neutrality; it hasn’t been in a state of war for more than a hundred years and became a full member of the UN only in 2002. It developed a unique system of direct democracy where a certain number of citizens can sign on a statement making it possible to overturn parliamentary decisions.
However, it seems that after more than a hundred and fifty years of defining such system in the Federal Constitution, the system is expected to cause havoc and disturbances for the peaceful state both internally and externally! Swiss voters have decided in favor of a constitutional amendment to ban the construction of Islamic minarets in the tiny Alpine country the thing that stunned experts who had predicted the measure would be rejected. It also sent ripples of anxiety across the country's Muslim community, which makes up about six percent of Switzerland's population.
The strange thing here is that the first minaret built ever in the country was in 1963 in Zurich, so what is new in Switzerland that urged those who proposed the vote to act so?
I do not think that that vote is any thing else but another example of the rise of discrimination and hatred against Muslims that takes a form or another in many European countries; the thing that can be seen in many places in Germany, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and now Switzerland. In fact the list is expected to add more participants in the course of revulsion and unfairness against Muslims along the aging continent!
Some might argue that building a minaret is not a core Islamic thing; well, so why to ban it then? What benefit or satisfaction will this bring to the Swiss people?
For those who are obsessed by minorities’ rights I would like to say that what is happening in Switzerland is exactly the same case if the Egyptian Muslims call for a vote to ban the building of Churches’ towers: what the world’s reaction will be then.
I don’t know where Europe is going to; I see Nazism and Fascism come back and lead slowly, but, however, in new forms and different shapes.
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