Minarets, Muslims, and Religious Freedom in Switzerland

For the unschooled, a minaret is "a slender tower, typically part of a mosque, with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer. Recorded from the late 17th century, the word comes from French or Spanish and ultimately, via Turkish, from Arabic manār(a) ‘lighthouse, minaret’, based on nār ‘fire or light’." ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "minaret." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 2 Dec. 2009 .

So why should we care about minarets right now? A Swiss referendum on Sunday determined that minarets could no longer be constructed in that country. I guess they thought that minarets were dangerous. According to the New York Times, there are only four minarets in Switzerland with plans for two more, and none conduct the call to prayer. About 400,000 Muslims, mostly from Kosovo and Turkey, live among the 7.5 million people. Various people and organizations are up in arms over the vote, expressing surprise and concern about the results, wondering how Switzerland, with a tradition of tolerance and religious freedom, could see such results from a popular vote.

The vote, of course, runs entirely counter to principles of religious freedom, and I can hardly see how the prohibition against building minarets benefits anyone. Nevertheless, this vote clearly indicates the anxiety of the Swiss and, likely, others in Europe, over the growing Muslim population and some of the creeping Islamization that is occurring. With the dramatic increase of Muslims in Europe, the push for Sharia law, the lack of women's rights, the treatment of women, intimidation and limitations associated with freedom of expression and freedom of religion, anti-western views of many, the failure to assimilate, and the on-going concerns about terrorism, there are many reasons for the anxiety.

This vote demonstrates to me not only that the non-Muslim population needs to come to a clearer understanding of the role and importance of religious freedom in their societies but also that the Muslim leaders and people need to do more to assuage the concerns of the non-Muslim population, which requires reform within the Muslim community.

It also does not help perceptions when non-Muslims look at majority-Muslim nations and see the lack of freedoms and basic rights. One thing that would help improve perceptions of Muslims by non-Muslims would be to see a greater recognition of freedoms and human rights in Muslim countries. But I won't be holding my breath on that one. While I am all in favor of pluralism and allowing each person to worship as he or she chooses, I also understand that there are elements of Islam that are a detriment to these freedoms and that left unchecked in non-Muslim-majority countries can creep into society in a way that hinders rather than helps religious and other freedoms.

In spite of all that, banning minarets is not the way to go. If anything good comes from this, it is that it will spark a necessary and timely debate about the growing Muslim population in Europe on both sides of the equation. How are Muslims and Islam perceived? Are these legitimate perceptions? What must be done to change these perceptions? How will the dramatic Muslim population and immigrant growth affect society? How will it affect freedom of expression, freedom of religion, women's rights, the legal structure? To ignore these things now will only lead to greater conflict later.

Swiss Ban on Minaret Building Meets Widespread Criticism, by Nick Cumming-Bruce, The New York Times.

Swiss minaret ban condemned by Vatican, Telegraph.co.uk.

Swiss minaret ban reflects European fear of Islam: The Swiss vote to ban minarets comes at a time when Muslim populations are growing and Europeans worry about losing traditional Christian culture, by Isabelle de Pommereau, The Christian Science Monitor.