Turns out the debate crosses borders, and the ball has been moving ever-so-slowly rightward (i.e. racist-ward) since the 70’s:
The minaret on the Vienna Hubertusdamm [in Vienna, not Switzerland, obviously -ed] mosque reaches 32 metres into the sky, but hardly anyone notices it any more. When Austria’s oldest mosque was built 30 years ago, the then mayor, Leopold Graz, praised it as a symbol of Vienna’s desire to be “a welcoming and friendly home to all people who live and work here”
Alright, good news. Except:
The construction of the second mosque on Austrian soil, in Telfs in the Tirol, was more problematic. Residents lodged complaints against the 20-metre construction, signatures were collected and the Freedom Party threatened to take the issue to the administrative court.
After lengthy negotiation, it was agreed that the building would not be higher than 15m and there would be no call to prayer. The mosque finally opened in 2006.
So what gives?
“It’s a signal that they have to adapt to our way of life and not the other way around,” [said] Filip Dewinter, a member of the Vlaams Belang party in Belgium.
Easy there, Filip.
So, racism? Partially, methinks. It also might be that the Swiss are looking to convert radical Islamic environmentalists to conspicuous consumerism and gluttony: Wikipedia reminds us that, besides providing a vantage point for the call of prayer, Minarets also serve as cheap air conditioners:
As the sun heats the dome, air is drawn in through open windows then up and out of the minaret, thereby providing natural ventilation.
Can’t have that. Political wrangling over the decision will probably stop anything real from going down for a good while, but in the mean time, Swiss Muslims might want to consider cranking the AC a bit, and investing in those watches with five alarm clocks. What? There are no five-alarm wristwatches? Anyone have the number of a good patent clerk?
U.S. not alone in senseless expressions of intolerance (but we still do it better)
Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a ban on the construction of Minarets — the doohickeys they put on top of mosques that, these days, often contain the PA system used for prayer calls (function meets form!).
What the hell, Switzerland?
Turns out the debate crosses borders, and the ball has been moving ever-so-slowly rightward (i.e. racist-ward) since the 70’s:
Alright, good news. Except:
So what gives?
“It’s a signal that they have to adapt to our way of life and not the other way around,” [said] Filip Dewinter, a member of the Vlaams Belang party in Belgium.
Easy there, Filip.
So, racism? Partially, methinks. It also might be that the Swiss are looking to convert radical Islamic environmentalists to conspicuous consumerism and gluttony: Wikipedia reminds us that, besides providing a vantage point for the call of prayer, Minarets also serve as cheap air conditioners:
Can’t have that. Political wrangling over the decision will probably stop anything real from going down for a good while, but in the mean time, Swiss Muslims might want to consider cranking the AC a bit, and investing in those watches with five alarm clocks. What? There are no five-alarm wristwatches? Anyone have the number of a good patent clerk?