And they'll celebrate by partying like it's 1099!

[mokie]

So, in the news today: no new minarets in Switzerland!

From the aforelinked article:

Are Muslim immigrants threatening European values? This is a concern shared by many Europeans across the continent. Surveys last week revealed that 44 percent of Germans oppose the construction of minarets, followed by 41 percent of the French. Fifty-five percent of all Europeans see Islam as an intolerant religion.

Soak in that last line for a moment. Europe--Western Christian Europe, that is; one assumes nobody asked Eastern Europe, what with it having all those Muslim bits and all--Europe thinks Islam is an intolerant religion.

Meanwhile, Switzerland has banned an architectural element because a certain non-Christian religion finds it keen. Yes, nevermind the calls in various countries to ban the hijab* in public**--let's ban architecture!

Next week: selective stucco to take the Alhambra from an obvious Moorish fortress to a nice plain block.

What color is that kettle again?

---

* For, uh, security reasons, naturally. Or, if you're France, because you've taken separation of Church and State and made it an ultimatum! (Feel free to disagree with me on that, by the way.)

** Which is funny, given that their entire purpose is to be worn in public. It makes one want to compare and contrast the role of religion in the public and private spheres across various cultures, doesn't it? No? Okay, maybe it's just me...

Comments

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

Minaret rebellion (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jEtHJMaOboide2wITSxabVwvHTYg). Or, the protests start in a minaret.

[vsbooklady.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned ALL religions are intolerant.

[mokie]

I hope this catches on. I'd like to see lots of little onions-on-chimneys in Switzerland's future.

[mokie]

I'd say all belief systems rather than religions, because I've run into some hardcore atheists who were as dogmatic as any fundamentalist Christian. People invest so much of their sense of identity in what they belief--from "I believe Jesus died for me, and therefore I am special" to "I believe I am too smart to fall for a 2000 years-dead conman"--that facing someone who believes something else feels like an attack on who they are, instead of just a difference of opinion.

[chollythepinker.livejournal.com]

Moke, beliefs are the core of who some people are, if you attack their beliefs, it threatens them. I try to "Agree to disagree", and leave it at that, it's only when they won't leave it alone that I get ornery.(Which tends to be fundies of any of the Abrahamaic faiths and hard core athiests) I tend to severe dislike anybody who claims to "know" the "one true way". Nobody knows, that's why they call it belief.

[mokie]

Uh. Yeah. I believe this is pretty much what I said?