Contributed by Benjamin Bruce
The president of the Swiss Council of Religions, which was set up last year, says interreligous dialogue is more necessary now than ever. Thomas Wipf gave an interview to swissinfo in the context of a new dossier on the changing face of religion in Switzerland, which was launched on Monday. But Wipf says the principles…
ZURICH – Amid a heightened debate over the construction of Muslim minarets in Switzerland, cantonal authorities in Zurich are assessing the suitability of health, education, penal and social services for the Muslim minority. “We will try to find out if the services provided by the cantonal authorities allow religious freedom for Muslims,” Dr Thomas Widmer…
The central position of the Swiss government suggests Islamic militants are using the country as bases to launch extremist publicity and solidify support abroad. The 2006 report on internal security asserts that Switzerland shelters violent extremists and that it is not excluded that of the preparations of attempts took place on his territory. John luc…
Authorities in the Swiss capital, Bern, on Friday said they had turned down a project for Europe’s largest Islamic cultural and economic centre in a zone that is being redeveloped. The city council said a 34-hectare (84-acre) area on the northern outskirts was earmarked exclusively for a new regional hospital and office or commercial use,…
Three members of Switzerland’s seven-strong cabinet have publicly condemned a campaign by rightwingers to ban the construction of minarets On Monday Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, who also holds the rotating Swiss presidency, told journalists in Geneva that such an initiative “could put Swiss interests and Swiss citizens in danger”. Her comments came a day after…
