The Swiss have holes in their heads, as well as in their cheese
The mindlessly anti- Muslim mood which has infected many in the West recently manifested itself in an incredible display of religious bigotry by- of all people- the Swiss.
Switzerland voted to ban the construction of new minarets in the country. The function of these towers, customarily attached to mosques, is to call the faithful to prayer. The logic behind the ban, which was adopted in a national referendum, was simple: discourage Islam.
Citizens of a nation such as ours, which takes it for granted that people have a right even to religious beliefs with which we may disagree and that the State ought he not to take sides among the various religions practiced by a country's people, under ordinary circumstances would disapprove of the kind of religious bigotry displayed by the Swiss. But in the wake of 9/11, even Americans are forgetting their own values and making Islam an exception to the rule that the religious beliefs of others ought to be tolerated even if we disagree with them.
Now, it seems, Col. Khadaffy of Libya (remember him?) is calling for a jihad against the Swiss because of their anti-Islamic law. Now, jihad is not a practice I approve of, and I do not for a moment defend Khadaffy's desire to wage holy war against Switzerland. But this much should be said: just like the Danish newspapers who were uncivil enough to commit sacrilege in the eyes of Shi'ite' Muslims a few years ago by publishing cartoons depicting Mohammed- insulting Shi'ite religious sensibilities just to show that they could- the Swiss have brought whatever admittedly indefensible consequences may come from their bigotry (if, in fact, there turn out to be any) upon themselves, and are entitled to only limited sympathy.
Switzerland voted to ban the construction of new minarets in the country. The function of these towers, customarily attached to mosques, is to call the faithful to prayer. The logic behind the ban, which was adopted in a national referendum, was simple: discourage Islam.
Citizens of a nation such as ours, which takes it for granted that people have a right even to religious beliefs with which we may disagree and that the State ought he not to take sides among the various religions practiced by a country's people, under ordinary circumstances would disapprove of the kind of religious bigotry displayed by the Swiss. But in the wake of 9/11, even Americans are forgetting their own values and making Islam an exception to the rule that the religious beliefs of others ought to be tolerated even if we disagree with them.
Now, it seems, Col. Khadaffy of Libya (remember him?) is calling for a jihad against the Swiss because of their anti-Islamic law. Now, jihad is not a practice I approve of, and I do not for a moment defend Khadaffy's desire to wage holy war against Switzerland. But this much should be said: just like the Danish newspapers who were uncivil enough to commit sacrilege in the eyes of Shi'ite' Muslims a few years ago by publishing cartoons depicting Mohammed- insulting Shi'ite religious sensibilities just to show that they could- the Swiss have brought whatever admittedly indefensible consequences may come from their bigotry (if, in fact, there turn out to be any) upon themselves, and are entitled to only limited sympathy.
In the Swiss case, as was the case in the Danish one, we won't have to approve of the consequences in order to also disapprove of the bigotry which occasioned it.
HT: Drudge
Comments
Also unlike you, I believe in the values expressed by the Bill of Rights.
And before you thank me, neither of those are not compliments. Just thought I'd point that out; judging from your blog, it seemed to me that you might have been confused on that point.