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Single Prayer Option: Daily Show Investigates Switzerland's Ban on Minarets
Ben Craw | December 4, 2009, 10:53AM
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Last night The Daily Show took a look at Switzerland's recently enacted ban on minarets (Josh offers some back story here).
The segment features an impressively prescient interview of Swiss ambassador to the United Nations Peter Maurer by John Oliver, filmed shortly before the minaret ban came to pass:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Oliver's Travels - Switzerland | ||||
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barnacle
December 4, 2009 1:14 PM
Twitzerland!
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Donald from Hawaii
December 4, 2009 3:20 PM
Why should it really surprise us that Switzerland, which actively coolaborated with Nazi Germany prior to and during the Second World War, should now decide to discriminate against Muslims - and apparently, against Jews as well, with one government minister now calling for a ban on Muslim and Jewish cemeteries?
We have absolutely no compelling reason to trust that nation of mercenaries, and in my opinion should treat them acordingly. As far as I'm concerned, the Swiss can take their Matterhorn and shove it up where the sun doesn't shine.
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Moonchild
December 6, 2009 4:37 PM in reply to Donald from Hawaii
Switzerland is a small country, and doesn't have the space to allow for permanent cemeteries. Graves get recycled after 25 years; no one gets to stay in the ground forever. How do you handle that in Hawaii? Just curious.
The "gated community" description in the video was pretty accurate. Building codes are strict, and you can't paint your house any color that you want. There are even restrictions on the height of trees in some residential areas. The minaret ban has been made into a religious issue mostly by the media, IMHO.
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shawnaroo
December 4, 2009 4:05 PM
I wonder if an alien race showed up and attempted to exterminate humanity, would switzerland choose a side in that war?
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Moonchild
December 6, 2009 4:17 PM in reply to shawnaroo
No. They would raise the militia to defend their own land, and everyone else (esp. gov't) would bunker down in the mountains for as long as necessary.
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pbg
December 4, 2009 7:28 PM
Nation of Mercenaries?
Better that than a bunch of woad-smeared, mead-guzzling louts who don't know their æsc from their embla....
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willward
December 5, 2009 3:46 AM
If anyone thinks that a similar referendum would not pass in almost every state in the U.S., they are mistaken. Look at the country´s record on giving equal marriage rights to everyone--in California and Maine. And Muslims--what do you think the chances of any anti-Muslim bill´s passing would be?
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bluemolenj
December 5, 2009 8:00 AM in reply to willward
You're right. The courts maybe would strike them down, but 40+ states would pass them; easily.
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Capn Chucky
December 5, 2009 8:57 AM
40+? Nah. It'd pass in all 58 states.
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Avvocato
December 5, 2009 11:53 AM
Gruezie all:
Folks, minarets do NOT a mosque make. There is religious freedom in Switzerland. If you're Islamic you can worship in the mosque of your choice. Just after last week a mosque that can not have a minaret.
Go Swiss!
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Cheryl44
December 6, 2009 2:41 PM
Well then maybe the Swiss should also ban all baptismal fonts. Because hey, the Christians can have their churches, just not that one crucial part of it.
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Moonchild
December 6, 2009 4:45 PM in reply to Cheryl44
A minaret is not a "crucial" part of a mosque, and neither is a baptismal font such for any church. Anyway, a font is inside, where far fewer regulations reach.
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Scott
December 9, 2009 7:19 AM
The media have not made this a religious issue. It is a religious issue.
It is a specific ban on minarets, not on tall structures. There are
plenty of tall towers affixed to or adjacent to Catholic and Protestant
churches. They also have loud bells. No minaret in Switzerland
broadcasts the call to prayer. This is a specific jab at a specific
religion.
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Tosh
May 21, 2010 1:19 PM
Why should it really surprise us that Switzerland, which actively coolaborated with Nazi Germany prior to and during the Second World War, should now decide to discriminate against Muslims - and apparently, against Jews as well, with one government minister now calling for a ban on Muslim and Jewish cemeteries?
We have absolutely no compelling reason to trust that nation of mercenaries, and in my opinion should treat them acordingly. As far as I'm concerned, the Swiss can take their Matterhorn and shove it up where the sun doesn't shine.
cialis lovegra
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