Swiss Referendum is Illegal

ArayaHuman Rights Organization
منظمة الراية لحقوق الانسان
Arayahro@yahoo.ie

The motion of banning the minaret of the Mosque, or the Bells of the Church, or the Star of David from the Synagogue is illegal. Even to propose such an idea is illegal, under article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states:

•Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

The practicing of beliefs, the worshipping and observance of a Muslim is in the Mosque, five times a day. It is preposterous how the minaret has affected the citizens of the Swiss people. It is ridiculous that a law should be placed in the constitution regarding this small architectural magnificence.

Additionally, the 1981 Declaration of the General Assembly says:

4 (b) : The Commission on Human Rights urges States, "To exert the utmost efforts, in accordance with their national legislation and in conformity with international human rights law, to ensure that religious places, sites, shrines and religious expressions are fully respected and protected and to take additional measures in cases where they are vulnerable to desecration or destruction."

The Muslims in the world have been under a lot of bombardment and discrimination; and the Muslim community in Switzerland was always productive and respected the law and the traditions of the country.

However, the treatment of the Muslims by enforcing this law is not making things any better for the government or the people.

Property rights surly don’t affect the architecture of the worshipping place of Muslims. Why bring in this referendum now? What is the reason why the Muslim minaret is attacked while the Cross and the Star of David is not? This is total discrimination. It is the type of discrimination that the Nazis imposed back in 1940.

Vatican City does not allow Mosques to be built. Similarly, the Saudi Arabia’s law is exactly like that of the Vatican, except it is not allowing a Church to be built on the land. These laws date back thousands of years. They have always been enforced and nobody questioned them. It is a matter of sanctity. This is their law; unlike Switzerland, which is a secular society and should respect all religion buildings without discrimination.

If this is the democracy the West is trying to bring to the Middle East than there is a big question mark with regards to tolerance and accepting other people’s beliefs. For instance, Churches, Mosques and other places of worship have existed in the Muslim lands for centuries, sometimes even climbing higher than the minaret. They were never considered a threat to the people of the countries.

The Swiss citizens should be civilized enough to realize that we are living in a cosmopolitan era that has gone past the Fascist age of Europe and the Crusaders.


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