# Switzerland bans minarets **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 29, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366 "2009-11-29T19:19:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/1 "2009-11-29T19:19:42Z")
Swiss voters today [approved a ban](http://en.rian.ru/world/20091129/157031622.html) on the construction of new minerates. What are the doper opinions on this. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/2 "2009-11-29T19:36:43Z")
I just came in to see what on earth you were misspelling. It’s minarets. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/3 "2009-11-29T19:37:10Z")
Me too. I thought it was minerals! ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/4 "2009-11-29T19:42:30Z")
Well then, I am sure that the learned moderators will make the needed changes. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/5 "2009-11-29T19:49:03Z")
Pretty remarkable bit of thinking here. It seems that, in order to prevent the spread of extremist Islamism and encourage the assimilation of the Muslim community, the Swiss are choosing to do everything within their power to make sure the Muslim population feels isolated and excluded from Swiss political culture. Well done! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/6 "2009-11-29T19:51:27Z")
Less snarky answer: This is very, very ugly. For states to use their power to sanction - mandate, even! - discrimination against a religion … well, that’s a practice with a very long and nasty history. And I’d honestly thought the Western democracies were moving past it. More fool me, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/7 "2009-11-29T19:55:49Z")
What I find interesting is that the opinion polls were off, by about 20%. It shows the value of secret ballots. AS well as the fact that people will not want to air what is seen as a prejudiced or bigoted position. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/8 "2009-11-29T19:55:57Z")
A friend of mine lives in Switzerland and from what he’s told me it doesn’t surprise me that such a ban came into place. It seems (from the outside) like perhaps the most xenophobic country in Western Europe. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/9 "2009-11-29T19:59:09Z")
Could someone please explain how a minaret is dangerous and worthy of a ban? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/10 "2009-11-29T20:10:03Z")
Fixed title and moved to Great Debates. twickster, MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![Cort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@Cort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cort)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/11 "2009-11-29T20:15:57Z")
I think it’s a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/12 "2009-11-29T20:22:15Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Could someone please explain how a minaret is dangerous and worthy of a ban? No idea, remarkably stupid and bigoted move on the part of the Swiss. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/13 "2009-11-29T20:22:42Z")
They’ve banned minuets? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/14 "2009-11-29T20:26:23Z")
This is why the government shouldn’t get involved in religion. Be thankful for the 1st Amendment, America. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/15 "2009-11-29T20:27:49Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > A friend of mine lives in Switzerland and from what he’s told me it doesn’t surprise me that such a ban came into place. It seems (from the outside) like perhaps the most xenophobic country in Western Europe. Due to historical, cultural and geographical factors, I agree that the Swiss are generally a pretty “closed” society, and some of the least accepting of forigeners in Western Europe. (My grandfather was born and raised in Bern, and I have spent a good bit of time in Switzerland, and overall, I felt less welcome there than about any other country I have ever visited.) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/16 "2009-11-29T20:28:00Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > They’ve banned minuets? Remake **Footloose** , but set it in an 18th Century Austrian-Swiss canton! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/17 "2009-11-29T20:34:47Z")
I should condemn the Swiss for this, but we Americans have been banning mosques and Islamic academies at the county and municipal levels for years. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/18 "2009-11-29T20:41:07Z")
I, for one, agree wholeheartedly with the banning of towers that represent ancient, imported Middle-Eastern religions. [Here are some more to be getting on with](http://images.google.com/images?rlz=1C1GGLS_en-GBGB306GB306&q=church%20tower&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi). ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/19 "2009-11-29T21:27:54Z")
Out of curiosity, how does the law define an minaret? As **jjimm** mentions, Church steeples are presumably still allowed, is the law as blatent as “Muslim groups can’t build any towers?” It’d be kinda cool if the ban caused some neat architectural innovation. Not that I agree with the ban, but since it’s passed, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Muslims stick it to the man and try and find a way around it. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366/20 "2009-11-29T21:33:17Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > I should condemn the Swiss for this, but we Americans have been banning mosques and Islamic academies at the county and municipal levels for years. Cite? I’ve never heard of a mosque being outright banned through legal means in the United States. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switzerland-bans-minarets/519366.md?page=2)