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| I read this and replaced 'them' or 'Muslims' with 'Expat Bankers' / 'Train Spotters' / 'Disabled kids' and still believe Swiss public opinion is wrong to pick on minority members of their own communities by tarring each member of that minority with the same brush.
(Then again, Sins of the Father morality is alive and well here, as anyone who's inherited a family members debts will attest, so maybe this is nothing to be surprised by.)
I agree now is the time to up the PR but the (Swiss Muslim) bearded man on the street can't be held responsible for what others suspect of him due to his Faith, nor should he have to carry a letter of introduction from the Mayor to prove he's not a suspicious character. The political rhetoric is all hunky dory for the white guys in posh suits who dream up such divisive initiatives such as the minaret construction ban, but it's Jonny Islam who takes the crap on a daily level, through no fault of his own.
We, as a nation - and I include those who can not vote - have a responsibility to make society a better place. The "culturally wrong" element is when we start to shift the burden of proof onto the innocent. | |
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I suppose that follows the innocent until proven guilty line. Obviously not all Muslims are guilty by association, because they are from very different sects. It would be like blaming all Christians for the extreme Mormon sects. It points to a general lack of understanding.
I do think that religious leaders have a duty to allay any fears that the general Swiss public may have by promoting the positive aspects and raising the image of their members. The problem is that many of them are afraid, they do not want to become more visible because they do not want to cause waves. So it is the duty of the Swiss public to create a society where law abiding citizens have nothing to fear. At present wearing a headscarf is not against the law, by castigating those that wear it, the Swiss are erecting unnecessary barriers to integration.
Whether we like it or not immigrants of all classes are in Switzerland because something was not working for them as well as they would like. So the immigrants motivation ot stay in Switzerland is clear. What has not been made clear is the motivation for the Swiss to accept immigrants.
Why should Switzerland accept immigrants- what is in it for the ordinary Swiss?