Swiss Decision To Ban Minarets On Mosques

[BhForce]

Jalandharsingh,

Would you care to share with everybody what Muslims would be allowed to do or not do if you were king?

During the reign of Guru Hargobind JI, a mosque was built for local Muslims out of Guru's funds.

During the time that Ranjit Singh was Maharaja, the citizens of Lahore freely practiced their religions.

[harjsingh2009]

OK. Lets simplify this for those with a simple mind....What is of greater importance....

1) The right of ALL people to practice their religion freely without harrassment, or

2) The 'supposed problems with moslems' identified by some sikhs

I would argue that sikhs should stand for the first. Today it maybe minarets on mosques...but tomorrow it will be turbans and kirpans.

[jalandharsingh]

Jalandharsingh,

Would you care to share with everybody what Muslims would be allowed to do or not do if you were king?

During the reign of Guru Hargobind JI, a mosque was built for local Muslims out of Guru's funds.

During the time that Ranjit Singh was Maharaja, the citizens of Lahore freely practiced their religions.

Yes it was built and it still exists to this day but if the Swiss want to restrict minarets then that is down to them. Mosques can be built without minarets, there are probably umpteen such examples where mosques have been built in old shops etc in England (so the minarets are not really as important as you are making out or a religious need). What if tomorrow a couple of Parsis in the UK want a tower built so they can let birds feast on the remains of their deceased in line with what Zoroastrians do in India?

[BhForce]

jalandharsingh, the minarets aren't used (for a call to prayer). They are simply an architectural feature.

The idea of banning an architectural feature seems basically a way to piss off Muslims.

Have you seen the menacing advertisements used in favour of the measure? http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/27/ap/world/main5797130.shtml

The ominous drawing of the burka lady could easily have been some guy in a beard + turban with a long sword. (= Sikh).

The question of what a majority of people have the right to do (normatively) doesn't have a definite answer.

Would it be OK for the Swiss to also require Muslims to wear some kind of identifying mark, like a crescent moon?

Would it be OK for the BNP to send Muslims back to whereever they came from?

Would it be OK for the BNP to send Sikhs back to whereever they came from?

I'm not asking whether the BNP will send Sikhs back. I'm asking whether they have the normative right to do so. Because if they can send Muslims back, the principle stands for Sikhs as well.