Contributed by Benjamin Bruce
9 October 2010 Around 150 anti-minaret protests have gathered in Langenthal to denounce the recent decision to allow the construction of a minaret for the local Islamic center. Members of the far-right Swiss Nationalist Party (PNOS) demanded that the November 2009 ban on minarets be respected, however local officials have said that the original decision…
28 September 2010 An old journalistic adage says: “sex sells.” These days, however, whether it’s minarets, headscarves or the Qur’an, it seems it is Islam that sells. Nonetheless, the recent news of a minaret going up in Langenthal has been handled responsibly by the press, and the picture used in most cases clearly shows the…
21 September 2010 The canton of Bern has confirmed the construction permit for a minaret in Langenthal. Despite the minaret ban that exists in Switzerland since the referendum of 29 November 2009, local officials stated that the project had been approved before the referendum took place, and thus the prior legal situation should take precedence….
16 September, 2010 Following the publication of a report on forced marriages in Zurich, the Ministry of Justice is now drawing up a bill on the issue which is expected by the end of 2010. The bill may lead to tougher penalties, and is designed to improving the legal tools which can be used to…
September 14, 2010 The parliament of the canton of Aargau has voted a motion addressed to the federal government calling for a ban of burqas in public spaces. The motion was supported by right-wing parties, while the Socialist head of the Interior Department, Urs Hofmann, stated that it “brought nothing new in terms of security”…
