Editorial
The Guardian, Monday 30 November 2009
"The Swiss claim passivity, diversity and tolerance as founding values. They have grown rich through trade and banking the world's money. They give shelter to wealthy migrants seeking to escape taxes at home. Their country even houses the offices of many international organisations, including large parts of the UN. But yesterday the Swiss pulled aside their veneer of internationalism, voting heavily in favour of a referendum motion that will change the Swiss constitution to ban the building of minarets.
The result – on a 53% turnout – should shame Switzerland and worry Europe. Although the vote was ostensibly about minarets, of which there are only four in the whole country, and not even mosques, which can still be built, voters were really being lured to express their views on religion and race.......
All European countries find the politics of migration painful. Even the new EU president, Herman Van Rompuy, once attacked Turkey's application to join the EU, as it threatened "fundamental values of Christianity". Hatred lies just beneath the harmony. Politicians who provoke it threaten to cause terrible harm."
"The Swiss claim passivity, diversity and tolerance as founding values. They have grown rich through trade and banking the world's money. They give shelter to wealthy migrants seeking to escape taxes at home. Their country even houses the offices of many international organisations, including large parts of the UN. But yesterday the Swiss pulled aside their veneer of internationalism, voting heavily in favour of a referendum motion that will change the Swiss constitution to ban the building of minarets.
The result – on a 53% turnout – should shame Switzerland and worry Europe. Although the vote was ostensibly about minarets, of which there are only four in the whole country, and not even mosques, which can still be built, voters were really being lured to express their views on religion and race.......
All European countries find the politics of migration painful. Even the new EU president, Herman Van Rompuy, once attacked Turkey's application to join the EU, as it threatened "fundamental values of Christianity". Hatred lies just beneath the harmony. Politicians who provoke it threaten to cause terrible harm."
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