| Re: Mosques with or without Minarette?
I’m new to the board. I’ll post a formal introduction in the intros when I know for sure whether I’ll be relocating to Zurich. I was born and raised in the U.S. I don’t know my lineage, but I have to assume it is European. I also happen to be Muslim. I converted some 10 years ago while studying at University. I’ve been researching the political climate in Switzerland as it relates to Islam as I have a vested interest if in fact I decide to move to Zurich. Since 9-11 happened, I’ve struggled with combating personal and political prejudices of people who think they are informed or somehow elevated beyond me because of my beliefs. The minaret issue is really simple. If the Swiss want to ban the minaret than they must also ban church towers. The two symbols serve identical purpose. The beliefs behind each purpose are irrelevant to the debate. I lived in a community in Michigan that struggled with a similar issue. An Islamic Center wanted to build an addition to their existing building. They had plenty of free space in a commercial zone that was directly in front of a residential neighborhood. The neighborhood residents fought the project because they said it was too large of a building for the area. The school was built and common sense prevailed. The irony of the issue was that right next the Islamic center was a church twice its size. No one complained about the church being too large. People will argue against Islam just for the sake of arguing. I understand where the phobia comes from, but it pains me to see injustice on either side of the debate.
BTW – I’ll respond to one misconception that everyone seems to believe. Female circumcision is strictly forbidden in Islam. Because it is practiced in some African nations the rest of the world seems to think it is Islamic. Obviously, at least one member on this board has the same misconception in their knowledge base. |