Tuesday 1 December 2009

hadj-podge and Swiss Miss

Sunday, against the advice of its government and the governments of the European Union, Swiss voters lent their support for a ban on the building of new minarets.  Now there are four mosques to compete with church steeples, but apparently no more.  I don't know what this move says about the constituency, but I understand that the intent of the passage was not to promote religious discrimination but to counter it, since some would argue that Islam has institutionalized gender inequalities, which go against Swiss law.  Elsewhere, there is controversy over head scarves in France and plans to build Europe's largest mosque in Koln, next to one of the largest cathedrals.  What I think is most interesting about this vote, however, is the attention given to the fact that Switzerland is bucking the recommendations of others.  I remember the fact that before 1918, not so long ago, the only democracies in Europe were France, Switzerland and tiny San Marino.  Every place else was a monarchy.