CRITICS OF THE SWISS MINARET BAN ALL MISS THE POINT

NYTIMES:

“I am a bit shocked by this decision,” France’s foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, said in an interview with RTL radio, calling it “an expression of intolerance.” He added: “I hope the Swiss come back on this decision.”

Sweden’s foreign minister, Carl Bildt, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, described the vote as “an expression of quite a bit of prejudice and maybe even fear.”

Muslim communities within Switzerland reacted cautiously. “We were a bit shocked, we hadn’t expected this result,” Abdel Majri, the president of the League of Swiss Muslims, said in an interview. “This is another step toward Islamophobia in Switzerland and Europe in general.”

The government and most Swiss political parties had opposed the motion, he noted, attributing the size of the majority in favor of the ban to the right wing parties’ campaign that played on popular fears and misconceptions. “We are looking at how we can repair the situation,” he added.

WELL, ER .. UM: MAYBE THE SWISS JUST WANT TO REMAIN SWISS?

IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG OR EVIL ABOUT BEING SWISS?

ESPECIALLY FOR SWISS PEOPLE, I THINK NOT.

AND ER UM... MAYBE SWISS WOMEN DON'T WANT TO SEE A RELIGION WHICH ENSHRINES MISOGYNY - GAIN A STRONGER HOLD WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES?

THESE CONCERNS AND DESIRES ARE NOT IRRATIONAL.

ALLOWING ISLAM TO GROW UNIMPEDED IS.

IRRATIONAL AND - FOR THE WEST - SUICIDAL.