Robert:- While the world waxes indignant over the Swiss minaret ban, it is useful to put things into perspective. In Egypt, Christians are persecuted. In Pakistan, construction of new churches is severely restricted. In Saudi Arabia, it isn't allowed at all (end)
Firstly, it is unfair to compare these Muslim countries to Europe as their history is complicated by colonialism, poverty, American invasion (as with Pakistan) and support of unpopular dictators (in Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia).
Secondly, a proper comparison will reveal otherwise. In Italy, the Archbishop of Bologna has called for the closure of the country’s mosques and an end to immigration by Muslims, who are, he believes, ‘outside our humanity.’ In [Kamchatka], at the furthest end of European settlement, the Orthodox bishop has backed opposition to the construction of a mosque for the region’s large Muslim community. The mosque would be ‘a direct insult to the religious and civil feelings of the Slavic population,’ according its local opponents, and would encourage further Muslim immigration, with the result that ‘given their mind-set, they won’t let us live normally here.’ Other examples:
Berlusconi's allies demand ban on building new mosques,
Church of England leader seeks to ban building mosques.
While Europe is moving in this direction, Saudi Arabia is hoping to accomodate its Christian citizens and lift the ban on building churches (
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/18/religion.saudiarabia).
Who are persecuted more in recent decades: the Christians of the Middle East, particularly Egypt, or the Muslims of Europe? There is certainly civil unrest in Egypt and elsewhere, but never has there been a systematic givernment sponsored attack, as the Bosnian Muslims suffered in 1992-95 when a million Bosnians were expelled from their homes and hundreds of thousands of them killed, and all under a religious premise with a narrative created not unlike that of Spencer's. Michael Sells wrote "The violence in Bosnia was a religious genocide in several senses: the people destroyed were chosen on the basis of their religious identity; those carrying out the killings acted with the blessing and support of Christian church leaders; the violence was grounded in a religious mythology that characterized the targeted people as race traitors and the extermination of them as a sacred act; and the perpetrators of the violence were protected by a policy designed by the policy makers of a Western world that is culturally dominated by Christianity". For a useful analysis on rightwing Islamophobia in Europe, see:
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/right.htm
In Britain, an innocent Muslim, Muhammad Abdul Kahar was shot three years ago and an intense smear campaign was used against him thereafter. Many Muslims throughout the world are arrested on false charges, only later shown to be false. Muslim graveyards have been attacked - just recently in Manchester. Just this year a woman in Germany, Marwa Sherbini, was killed in a court because of anti-Muslim hatred. The Danish newspaper that printed those cartoons of Muhammad refused to print cartoons disparaging Jesus and depicting holocaust denial - this is a systematic demonisation and persecution of Muslims within the mainstream.
As Robert says, we should put things in proper perspective. And when this perspective is given, Europe has much more to account for.
OH SNAP!
