30 November Minaret Redux: a year after the ban, it faces new challenges

Update:  Exactly a year ago, as noted here, the Swiss public endorsed a shameful and bigoted referendum banning the construction of minarets. The blow is not forgotten.  This week, Le Monde reports, the Central Islamic Council of Switzerland vowed to undo the measure by the same means that had created it: a referendum.

The National Post explains:

When asked why voters would decide differently should the question of minarets come up again for referendum, Oscar Bergamin, an advisor to the group, answered:

“People today are much better able to differentiate. They’re better informed and have time to become still better informed in coming years,” he said.

It would be nice to think so.

In the meantime, the Council has problems of its own:

In May the Federal Migration Bureau excluded it from an inter-cultural dialogue, saying it first needed to condemn the notion of stoning of women as a punishment.

Related articles

• Muslim group aims to reverse Swiss minaret ban from last year (nationalpost.com)