Sunday, November 29, 2009
Good news from the Rational World
Switzerland has passed a referendum banning new construction of minarets, the towers where primitive Mohammedan creatures howl their simian ululations.
The referendum is obviously more symbolic than concrete, but the news that really caught my attention is farther down in the article.
The referendum is sponsored by the Swiss People's Party, which is the largest party in Parliament. I hadn't even heard of the People's Party. Apparently it's an old minor party that grew quickly in the '90s, gaining majority in 2007. Though it's firmly nationalistic and anti-immigration, its platform sounds more Reaganite than populist.
When the cautious and multicultural Swiss get riled up, you can be sure a healthy immune response is developing in Europe. ¶ 6:16 AM
The referendum is obviously more symbolic than concrete, but the news that really caught my attention is farther down in the article.
The referendum is sponsored by the Swiss People's Party, which is the largest party in Parliament. I hadn't even heard of the People's Party. Apparently it's an old minor party that grew quickly in the '90s, gaining majority in 2007. Though it's firmly nationalistic and anti-immigration, its platform sounds more Reaganite than populist.
"Forced marriages and other things like cemeteries separating the pure and impure — we don't have that in Switzerland, and we do not want to introduce it" said Ulrich Schlueer, co-president of the Initiative Committee to ban minarets.
When the cautious and multicultural Swiss get riled up, you can be sure a healthy immune response is developing in Europe. ¶ 6:16 AM
