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Latest update: 30/11/2009
- Bernard Kouchner - France - Islam - Switzerland
Kouchner criticises 'religious oppression' of Swiss minaret vote
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a radio interview on Monday that he was "shocked" by Switzerland's referendum vote to ban mosque minarets.
AFP - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday condemned Switzerland's referendum vote to ban mosque minarets as a show of intolerance and said the decision should be reversed.
"I am a bit shocked by this decision," Kouchner told RTL radio. "It is an expression of intolerance and I detest intolerance.
"I hope the Swiss will reverse this decision quickly," he added.
Swiss voters on Sunday approved by a majority of 57.5 percent a ban on minarets in a referendum that the Swiss justice minister said "reflects fears among the population of Islamic fundamentalist tendencies."
The Swiss far-right had forced a referendum on the minarets which it said was the symbol of a "political-religious claim to power, which challenges fundamental rights."
Kouchner said "if we cannot build minarets that means that we are practising religious oppression".
"Is it really offensive that in a mountainous country there is a building that is a bit taller than the others?" he asked.
France has also been grappling with controversy over the construction of mosques, with the far-right mounting campaigns to prevent municipal councils from issuing building permits.
A French parliamentary inquiry is holding hearings on whether to ban the wearing of the full Islamic veil and the "burqa debate" has raised questions about how far France is willing to go to accommodate its own Muslim minority.
Asked if he was in favour of a burqa ban, Kouchner said he "didn't know."
The veil is a violation of the women's rights and restricts freedom, he said, adding: "I believe that we must reject it in government offices."
But he added: "Now in terms of wearing the burqa in the street, that is also a basic freedom."
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Comments (14)
what your say !
let them their freedom . It is said in holy books to wear burqa. And minarets built them is their rights.Thanks
Swiss law on minarets
Why should we be shocked? Saudi Arabia and most middle east countries refuse by christian or buddhist missionaries or even atheists to have meetings.
Qid pro quo.
Unfair Decision to ban Minarets
The biased unfair decision to ban minarets violates human rights....I have lived in a country where there are always jewish temples, churches, and mosques, all within close distances, each living in peace and perfect tolerance of praticing own doctrines and respecting each other's religions. such a decision to ban minarets will only raise muslim hatred and will create unnecessary prejudice... you will open the door to terrorism to your country....
Kouchner criticises 'religious oppression' of Swiss minaret vote
Democracy is the will of the Majority,not the will of the Minority.People are free to choose where to live,to accept the rules of the country where they choose to live is the LAW.Why have so many Muslims fled their home countries,yet they now want to replicate the cause of their flight in their new countries. Why do so few Muslim Leaders condemn the attacks by Extremist Muslims on the Liberties soverign in Western Countries, FEAR ?, Agreement ?,Apathy?.
The French have become more
The French have become more aggressive international players these days, becoming even more the rhetorical and political "Talibans" of Europe than being a decent, true democracy.
None of his business
How can he deny the democratic opinion of 57% of the population of a sovereign country? He would be well adviced to poll the population of france: he may be surprised to get a similar result. It is because Swiss do not want intolerance that they voted that way.
I think
Can Suisse claim it is more democratic then France, UK or USA to call for a referendum on a specific issue like this?
In one hand the focus was on the minarate and the man behind this referendum these Macerates are with no utility for the worship. By his word why this referendum
In the other hand the secular participant is talking about a politic project for Islam at all and he is going really straight to the real motivation.
My question is it OK to say the design of a church or Synagogue must obey a new law or constitution to be changed in the future if any
No
So the answer it is about a target based on a democratic issue where the simple rule of democracy was violated in the suggested point.
There for the debate goes beyond ignoring the initial mistake in judgment and attitude
With respect
Swiss Vote
When was the last time a Christain or Jewish house of worship was built in a Muslim country?????
M. Kouchner
Monsieur Kouchner feels that he is entitled to tell the Swiss people how they should think and what they should want for their country. It would appear that the good Minister has quite an enormous ego, n'est-ce pas ?
Kouchner 's Comments re Switzerland
Mr. Kuchner should worry about what is going on in his own garden, such as in the Banlieues and Marseilles (where mosques now outnumber churches), than the garden of his neighbor. In Switzerland, people are sovereign and through a fair and open process, voted to ban the construction of minarets.
Hypocrisy
How can the French Foreign Minister talk about intolerance in Switzerland when the French government is keen on banning Islamic headscarves in public?
Voter rights
Well done the Swiss - you wouldn't see the EU allow a democratic vote like that; they don't like asking the people in case the people dare to disagree with the unelected masters
He's taking a bit of an
He's taking a bit of an intolerant view of intolerance is he not?
Building of mosques in Europe
Europe should allow its citizens to build mosques with minarets but their architecture should aesthetically merge with the surroundings and local environment so that they should not appear as strange or weird. Both the governments and moslem citizens have have a responsibility to maintain the cordiality of environment.
Swiss Minarets Ban
1)The Swiss can decide what they want in their own country.
2) In the last 60 years, how many churches have been constructed in the muslim countries? Zero!
3) In the last 60 years, how many mosques have been constructed in Europe? Thousands!
4) Every islamic commentator speaks about "discrimination"!
5) When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
6) Are the muslims in Europe listening?
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