Last Sunday Switzerland shockingly approved a national ban on the building of minarets (these are the towers on mosques where they do the call to prayer). This is like having a national ban on church bell towers. It is amazing that such a thing could happen in Europe. What good does this promote? Will not having minarets lesson religious fanaticism? Hardly. And this comes from a nation whose constitution supposedly guarantees freedom of religion.
This is not a step toward peace. If you’ve read my blog you know I don’t subscribe to a kind of religious plurality where I believe everyone is right. But I do believe in a religious plurality where everyone is free. Free to worship as they like. Free to worship where they like. Free to build places of worship. Free to change their religion. Free to tell others why they believe what they believe.
Banning the building of minarets will only make Muslims in Switzerland feel more like they are outsiders. It will encourage them to disengage with their non-Muslim neighbors. It will encourage non-Muslims to continue to fear Muslims and refuse to get to know them. It will give Muslim fanatics more fuel for their fire (The west is anti-religious and is out to destroy Muslims). It will give non-Muslim fanatics more fuel for their fire (Muslims are scary terrorist and we must stop them).
You don’t need to be able to read the poster below to know that it does not promote understanding, love or peace. It promotes fear and peace does not prosper in fear.
See my blog… I really appreciate and echo your sentiments here.
Dustin, I really agree with what you write here. Fear is often the cause of bad decisions. I see this in my own life (unfortunately), and we see it here in the political decision of Switzerland. I pray in my own life that fear would decrease as I more clearly see the love of God.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by John Piper and Chris Coppenbarger, Ben. Ben said: RT @JohnPiper: Dustin S. gets it right on the minarets in Switzerland. http://ow.ly/InEJ [...]
It’s not supposed to be a step towards peace. It’s drawing a line in the sand and letting Muslims know that the West doesn’t accept or respect their religion and we’re sick of it.
Matt: Well put. My sentiments exactly. Fear has caused me to make some very poor decisions that I am currently having to work through. My prayer everyday, all day, is that the Lord will completely annihilate the sin of fear in my life for good!
I disagree with you – I believe the Swiss people have every right to their own country.
You try going to their country and setting up your church the way you want it. Before you make any more of these decisions
try living in their countries under their regimes and see how you fare.
You call this racism why does it not cut two ways why is it always on our side to comply to their demands and requests.
It does not matter how many of us they shoot – how many they blow up – you still continue with this amazing line of thinking, Are you aware of what is happening in North Africa. When will you stop this insane line of thinking? When they own your country like they own Indonesia?
Thanks Dustin. Well said.
Dustin,
It is really sad to see that you are really ignorant about the origins and meaning of the minaret. Comparing minarets to church bell towers is not a comparison at all. The minaret was and is a political symbol much more than a religious symbol. Minarets are not mentioned anywhere in the Koran nor are they a requirement for mosques according to moderate Islamic scholars. There are hundreds of moderate mosques in Switzerland without minarets.
If you knew enough about Islamic law and history you would be aware that the minaret is a political symbol. Historically, the minaret was erected to signal that the surrounding area is under the submission of Sharia law. Its a kind of marker indicating that this is Islamic territory. You might have heard of the word ‘Casbah’ before in reference to minarets.
If you payed attention to the SVP party’s arguments for banning the minaret rather than solely relying on American media reports, you would have a clearer picture. The SVP stated that banning the minaret is meant to start debate about parallel communities in Switzerland. Muslims are increasingly isolating themselves into their own neighbourhoods and refusing to assimilate into Swiss society. The minaret is a symbol of parallel communities since elsewhere it is around the minaret that muslim communities have formed. Banning the minaret is only meant to start a discussion, and the SVP has been successful in doing that.
I don’t know if you can read French but this is the SVP’s very valid arguments for banning the minaret. If you want to know why the Swiss people, who are quite rational and very liberal, voted this way, read this. http://www.minarets.ch/pdf/flyer-f.pdf
http://www.minarets.ch/pdf/flyer-f.pdf
Actually, I believe in freedom, and whether or not you think this promotes it, I think it promotes the ultimate freedom, of a democracy to vote and choose to ban something they don’t like.
Whether or not there are minarets in Switzerland, the Muslims already are a pocket population not mixing with the Swiss.
This is the whole problem of Europe is that it’s not a fluid society. The Swiss keep away from them, and they keep away from the Swiss. Thinking that if they kept the Minarets it would magically fix this is naive. Switzerland is not America, and they are not ‘politically correct’ like us.
I cannot not judge the Swiss for voting for something they want themselves. To them it’s not a religious issue, it’s a culture issue, and they want to promote Swiss culture, and demote outside culture. This is how they choose to do it.
They are afraid of the exact thing that is happening in France where Muslim populations are not mixing with the French, and riots are starting.
I don’t blame them.
While respecting your right to your opinion, I hope you’ll give me the chance to express mine in response to your post.
“Switzerland Moving Away From Peace”
This title infers that the way to peace is to let Muslims expand uninhibited and to put the brakes on their expansion is a hostile action. What makes you think Muslims want peace? How do you have peace with a religious/political/legal system that seeks your destruction? Is not the Islamization of Europe a hostile action? Look at the rest of Europe. Have any of the many, many concessions and benefits given to Muslims produced peace? Attacks on gays in Amsterdam and women in Sweden are at all time highs. Read While Europe Slept by Bruce Bawer.
Your analogy of minarets and church bell towers might be more accurate if Christianity was a worldview that merged law, politics, and religion into one system with a stated goal of dominating the world. A church tower symbolizes a religion with a kingdom not of this world with virtually no political mandates. The Koran preaches total domination of the world under its system; politically, legally, and religiously. Right now, a slow cultural jihad is being waged in Europe through demographic and legal means and the minaret is a symbol and product of it.
In your second paragraph, you extol the virtues of free society and yet don’t seem to realize that if Muslims were allowed to gain control of a European country and institute the society their Koran commands -one based on Sharia law- those freedoms would be gone in an instant. There would be no freedom of religion anymore. So isn’t it prudent to protect a free society by stopping a political/legal/religious system that intends to strip all freedoms away?
I have to take issue with the tag of “Racism” that you gave to your post. Islam isn’t a race. Even if it was, it isn’t racist to protect a country’s native culture from Islamization.
I’ve read stories of communities in Britain being quite upset with minarets because of the noise. Reportedly, the calls to prayer are very loud and disturbing. This fact might play a part in the desire to ban them. Would you like one going up across the street from your home blaring Arabic prayers 5 times a day?
Exactly. I’m confused at people who put themselves on the small government side of the ideological spectrum, then promptly become orwellian on issues like this.
Thank you for your sanity and level-headedness. I pray that such attitudes don’t spread to other parts of Europe because we will ALL suffer the consequences if they do. Another consequence in an increasingly secular continent is that it will curtail freedoms that Christians have enjoyed for centuries too. I see very little good coming from this chilling development.
I am grateful for the many comments and am happy for people to express comments that disagree with me.
Rather than respond to each individual commenter, I will give some general responses.
1. I am fully aware that there are many Muslim countries in the world that restrict the worship of non-Muslims. I have no allusion that you can simply travel to any Muslim country and build a church the way you might like.
But that is irrelevant to whether Switzerland should have done this. Whether a group of people would give you freedom in their land should not play into your decision as to whether you grant them the same freedom. As a follower of Jesus I am called to do to others what I want them to do to me, not do unto others what they would do unto me.
2. This is not a symbol of democracy working rightly just because a majority of the people voted to ban something they don’t like. Sheer majorities do not decide what is right. Up until just recently the majority of the American people thought abortion should be legal. Denying the rights of others simply because the majority wants to is not acceptable.
3. Why must all communities be equally melded together? Why is this such a high value? And if it is a value, will banning some part of a person’s religion make him more inclined to meld together with the larger culture around him? I don’t see how.
i understand your thoughts and comments. but the reality is this: muslims do not seek peace. i lived in the world’s largest muslim nation for 15 years. after knowing them and their culture intimately, yes they will live in peace on the surface — they have their own aims and desires. the problem arises because we just talk of living in peace with them but do nothing to reach them with the Truth, Jesus Christ. Islam does not promote peace — it only propagates itself and its culture — arabic. i understand the reaction of the swiss people. i am not saying it is best plan of action but we all are failing at bringing Truth and Light into the world of islam, thus bringing transformation by Jesus Christ. after all, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. it seems we are just seeking peace and harmony with all religions but that is not what Jesus Christ called us to do.
I’m Swiss and those comments confirm the stereotypes there are in Switzerland about the Americans. As always you think to know it all!
To be honest, you obviously don’t have a clue about Switzerland and neither about the minarets. You are like many of the Swiss who voted against it, but would be furious if a minaret was actually built next to their house!
It’s not the first time that the so-called “freedom of religion” is apparently not guaranteed in Switzerland. Years ago we forbit the Jews the kosher slaughter and there was a similar outcry.
The Muslims don’t need a minaret to worship their false god as little as the Christians need church bell towers to worship Jesus. In many places in Switzerland the bells don’t ring anymore, because the majority (that’s what you call democracy) didn’t like it and this was accepted, eventhough this would, according to some definitions, not guarantee the freedom of religion! … See More
Just to clarify: The muslims are allowed to build their mosques and there are already 4 minarets in Switzerland. Muslims are and will be able to live their faith in freedom. How dare some americanscalling the Swiss nazis!!!
The vote on Sunday was not like that because there are many Christians in Switzerland. The God of 90% of the Swiss is money and not Jesus. I might used to be a “christian country” but today the churches are empty and the hardly anyone on the street would call him or herself a Christian.
I personnaly believe that in the spiritual world happended a lot this Sunday. There obvously exists a fear of Islamisation in Switzerland and one thing that many criticise, is the lack of integration of our muslim friends. Looking at the reactions to the result, this was not without reason. The democracy
in Switzerland is one of the reasons why Switzerland is a country with a standard of living, which is higher than in other countries and this democracy is obviously not repected.
I have many muslim friends and I love them with all my heart and many of them have voted Yes on Sunday because they wanted to show that they accept the Suisse traditions and they said that they don’t need a minarett.
Of course this doesn’t promote peace and doesn’t show the love we should show, but at least the human right of freedom of speech is guaranteed in Switzerland.
I agree with Dustin’s analysis, but I also agree wholeheartedly with James’ above.
We ARE in a spiritual battle, the Bible makes that clear. But we should not be fighting that battle with the power of our governments, border forces, or secular media, but with the truth of Jesus Christ. The mission of the church is to save souls, not western cultures.
“…I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:17-18
Banning minarets does not aid us in this goal; it may even hinder.
@7he7th7rumpet
You could have read: “What good does this promote? Will not having minarets lesson religious fanaticism? Hardly.”
And that is the precise point I would like to make here.
You might have some right to say that you don’t like Muslims taking over European countries. That’s just like your opinion. Yet, what good will it do to prohibit the construction of minarets? Will people who hit gays stop hitting gays because Muslims may not build a tower?
Where I live, in The Netherlands, Muslims are allowed to build minarets. It is not allowed however to make a call for prayer from the minaret, because nobody is allowed to make too much noise.
So, in theory there are equal rights for Christians, Muslims and people who call themselves 7he7th7rumpet (which will probably produce some noise as well).
I do believe there will never be peace if people keep reacting out of fear. Am I wrong to guess that you do not personally know and love your many many Muslim neigbours?
Today they ban minarets, tomorrow they ban steeples. While some differences to this blog are level headed and very reasonable, some are down right scary. All the Muslims don’t want peace? They all want to shoot us? That’s wrong.
I believe in Freedom. Freedom to put a minaret or a cross or a crescent or a star of David or a goat’s head on your building. Can there be laws protecting the value of the surrounding area? Of course, you can outlaw those images that ore offensive to the public, nudes, severed limbs whatever. But its a fine line that must be watched carefully when you begin to curtail the freedom of religion.
Brother,
First, props for your ministry to Muslims.
Second, do you really think Calvin would have allowed minarets in his Geneva?
Third, the purpose of large buildings in part is to promote/billboard/memorialize the individual or company. Why do Mormons build such large temples that they hardly ever meet in? Propaganda. Why did Gideon and the righteous judges and kings tear down the pagan altars?
Fourth, building codes exist for a reason. Certain towns/cities/countries like their skyline or lack there of in a particular way. Do you think Boston wants their skyline to resemble NYC, or (G)od forbid – Houston? This is obviously for many reasons, one of them being aesthetic appeal. I am sure the Swiss mind very much when the symbol of Middle Eastern culture begins to obtrusively invade their picturesque Alpine way of life. Think of the tourists!
Fifth, why have so few Protestants put actual thought into corporate identity? Our over-individualization is quite harmful and extraordinarily naive. “Constantinian Christianity” has been criticized by many, especially the pious separatists – but Ritschl argued that “A Christianity which should remain anti-national in the minority of a people would destroy the necessary foundations on which the spiritual existence of its adherents rests, and thus itself sink into a fruitless particularism (135, The Christian Doctrine of Justif. and Reconc.). The Roman Catholics understood this and converted nations. Luther and Calvin understood this and buddied up with MAGISTRATES! Muslims have a corporate cultural identity, Protestants generally don’t. When corporate comes head to head with individual, who do you think wins every time? Unless, as in the Swiss case, the actual corporate identity of their nation is being threatened by a smaller, but more committed corporate identity.
Sixth, I really doubt that this issue is a matter of the Western concept of “Freedom of Religion.” Rather, it is a matter of identity. The Swiss are opposing minarets just like quant neighborhoods oppose giant obtrusive mega-churches from being built in their community, just like the Master’s Tournament refuses to allow women to play or be members. Anyone who thinks that corporate identity is not important is incredibly naive, and more deistically humanistic than Christian. The clash of Western culture versus Islam, is good for an increasingly secular Western culture to figure out exactly who we are and what we hold dear. As this happens, it is very helpful to see what we are not. The growing number of minarets is a helpful reminder of that. Issues like this are also helpful in revealing how very unpost-modern and un-relativistic Western culture can be. Props to the Swiss people for getting it right and having the courage to oppose what is inherently more un-Swiss than Wisconsin cheddar!
Therefore, contra Piper, I don’t believe you got this one right.
Grateful however, for your ministry to the Muslims.
PS – Stephen, souls don’t exist on earth apart from human bodies, bodies which exist in human culture. Please be more holistic and less Gnostic in your understanding of humanity. Read a little Liberation theology, it’ll do your Gnostic tendencies some good. Next time you are soul winning in a poverty-stricken country, try offering them the trunctated “gospel” without bread. That’ll do them real good. They can die tomorrow from starvation, but at least they got saved for my salvation tally to give back to my sending church! My God have mercy on our dichotomies which ruin actual lives and souls.
Islam is not a religion solely. Its a relgious state to put it more accurately and its primary agenda is to make other countries islamic by attrition infiltrating positions of authority and power. The mosques are used as symbols of intimidation and power. Islam claims to be a peaceful religion but wherever they go violence and destruction in one form or another soon follows. They claim that most of their followers are moderates and have nothing to do with the fundamentalist terrorists but anyone who does a web search or pays attention to the news can cite numerous statistics of so called moderate muslims who go rogue and noone knows when it will stop. The ‘moderates’ mostly are silent or not vocal enough distancing themselves from the terrorists to be convincing. They seem to either go along with the agenda of takeover or are cowered into submission or a mix of both of these. Most live by a mixture of outdated medieval sharia law that often puts them in conflict with the laws of their chosen countries. They constantly are litigious over frivolous claims of discrimination of their rights but ironically don’t mind being intolerant towards other religions. These mosques are being funded by rich and powerful financiers and their desire is to change the face of the countries they are in so to speak to make it easier for Islam to occupy. Its an insidious scourge and Switzerland has done the right thing in attempting to save the character of their country as being free for all and not just muslims. In France and in the UK and now the US they continue their historical ways and wherever they go the statistics speak for themselves. For all their talk of peace and past accomplishments there is much more evidence of their violence and destruction and genocidal ways. steve jaubert
Most muslims do not want to associate with kafir as they refer to us and the feeling is more and more more mutual that they cannot be trusted related to many examples of the so called ‘moderate peaceful’ amongst us turning out to be sleepers who go rogue after years of living in communities and all of a sudden going on killing sprees. Islam teaching is such that other religions are not their equivalent and their followers not worthy of more than superficial relationships. The fundamentalist baggage that most feel the ‘moderates’ do not challenge enough always remains a concern. There ‘rights’ and claims of intolerance ironically often at the expense and victimization of other people. They immigrate to countries and use their laws to infiltrate their religious state into the mainstream and by attrition attempt to make other submissive. They don’t mind all the dialogue just as long as they fulfill their agenda. Theirs is an antiquated medieval system of law that fills their ranks in the countries they immigrate to with fringe elements who are used to achieve their aims. steve jaubert
Steve,
I appreciate your response and am grateful for you taking the time to write it out. I can understand why you have some of the concerns you do. But having had Muslim friends for many years who are very different than the picture of Muslims you give, I have to ask you, Do you know any Muslims? Do you have any Muslim friends? I don’t mean to introduce a non sequitur. You have put forth serious arguments. But it seems to me that perhaps you haven’t interacted in a meaningful way with many Muslims. For example, I can’t think of one Muslim I’ve met who didn’t want to associate with me because I am Christian.