God Bless America

Swiss: mosques become catalyst for conflict

October 11, 2007, Guardian Unlimited

If Ulrich Schlüer has his way the Wangen minaret will be toppled. An MP from the rightwing Swiss People's party (SVP), the country's strongest, Mr Schlüer has launched a crusade to keep his country culturally Christian.

"Unlike other religions," he argues, "Islam is not only a religion. It's an ideology aiming to create a different legal system. That's sharia. That's a big problem and in a proper democracy it has to be tackled. If the politicians don't, the people will."

Switzerland's direct democracy rules require referendums if there is enough public support. Mr Schlüer has launched a petition demanding a new clause in the Swiss constitution stating: "The building of minarets in Switzerland is forbidden." He already has 40,000 signatures. If, as expected, he reaches 100,000 by this time next year a referendum is automatically triggered.

"We've got nothing against prayer rooms or mosques for the Muslims," he insists. "But a minaret is different. It's got nothing to do with religion. It's a symbol of political power."

In a country with more than 300,000 Muslims, mainly immigrants from the Balkans, there are only three minarets in Switzerland. Wangen would be the fourth and the first outside the cities.

The native backlash has begun. And not just in Switzerland. "It seems our experience here is resonating across Europe," says a Swiss official in Berne.

"Culture clashes" over Muslim religious buildings have erupted in Italy, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands ...

But in Wangen ...

"First it was a cultural centre, then a prayer room, and now a minaret," says Mr Kissling. "It's salami tactics. The next thing it will be loudspeakers and the calls to prayer will be echoing up and down the valley. Our children will ask 'what did our fathers do', and their answer will be - they did nothing."

Andrew Bolt: carrying the corpse of diversity

October 12, 2007, Andrew Bolt, Herald Sun

HAVE we gone mad? A few drunk Sudanese louts bash a policeman yesterday and we carry on as if we've never seen such savagery on our streets.

Never, bellow the talkback callers to an eager ear, until we let in these uncivilised Africans.

With all due respect, Mr Talkback Caller, you are an idiot. We've got thugs of all colours -- white in particular -- now punching police and anyone else they find, and the Sudanese aren't the worst of them.

While you were on the phone panicking about a few Africans, 50 extra police were this very week deployed into the city to deal with the grim fact that scores more people are getting bashed in the heart of our state's capital, and not by Africans. Panic about that, sir ...

But crimes of violence are still rising: homicide, rape, kidnaps, assaults -- all have jumped over the past five years. So has our rate of imprisonment, to the highest level since the Depression ...

We have work to do, folks. All of us. (Via: AANCC)

Dear Mr Bolt, you did us a favour by highlighting the wide collapse of respect and law-n-order in this country. But in that context, you shot yourself in the foot. For what right-minded country, in such decay, would think it had the capacity to assimilate, rehabilitate, and educate black Africans who are bound to create racial tension at the best of times? A country has got to know it's limitations, and our country has to get its house in order before it has the capacity to even think about absorbing any more foreigners.

We know we don't have water, but hey we'll still bring in immigrants anyway. We don't have any community or respect or law-n-order, but hey we'll bring in some brutalised and traumatised refugees anyway.

"We have work to do, folks. All of us." And this is the pure folly with which he finishes on. We can't get anyone to work on the diversity frontline: no nurses, police, teachers, bus drivers, doctors. Pfft! Go on Bolt, what are YOU going to do? Nyit. Cause diversity fails on the ground. Fails on the ground Bolt. Ya still don't get it. All these isolated enclaves are self-determining entities because nobody, bar a few Mother Teresas, Les Twentymans, and police Ramadan soccer games, wants anything to do with diversity. Isn't anyone game to call it? The ball's out, way out of court, out of the freaking park! And still no-one will call it: DIVERSITY FAILS ON THE GROUND. It is as dead as a dodo and Bolt and y'all nutters keep carrying the corpse around in the name of "save the refugees". In the long-run diversity only means segregation and self-determination. Kiss it goodbye.

If you are going to bring in incompatible foreigners into an already fractured metropolis, then it must be clearly stated to the country that we are creating states within states: of which we will have no control. These sub-states will be entirely self-determined, and we have no idea what will happen within them. Leadership will be entirely from within. Any policies from outside will be mere window-dressing. So it must be stated to the country that pockets of the country are being given away, and we don't know how big those pockets will grow: hey, maybe even the whole country will be given away - it's all up for grabs, fastest breeder wins!

If Aussies had an isolated, homogeneous community we would still be faced with an uphill battle to restore law-n-order, respect, and civility, but at least we would have half a chance. It is precisely because everyone knows the country is in decay, and y'all dumbass politicians go and throw in incompatible Africans into the mix, that they go berserko on talkback radio. The fire's burning and ya go pour petrol on it with black refugees. It's a corpse, Bolt. How long ya gonna carry it around? As long as Britain?

Maybe we need to break off parts of the country into Anglo sanctuaries, get them in order, and then deal with the decaying melting pots. That way the folk have something worth fighting for, some place to start, some base to work from, some hope.