The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I'd have put money on there being a thread about this already. But there isn't. I may have misjudged some of you. ;)

Anyway, what do we think about this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8385069.stm

Play nicely please. :)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Even the Swiss governement themselves were worried about having to enforce this referundum. Bearing in mind that most, if not all, planning applications for minarets have been turned down (there are only 4 in the whole country) I don't see why there was a need for a referundum in the first place. Personally I don't think it sends a positive message to the 400,000 muslims living there.

ps - I too was wondering how long this topic would appear as a thread. The fact that it was you that started it Chris did suprise me lol. I was expecting someone else to start one and rant about how the governemnet here are too weak and spineless to suggest that in the UK, damn human rights, bloody immigrants etc etc etc.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I wonder if although the initial push behind the ban was the SVp I wonder if the publics thoughts were more about Switzerland being a counry that depends a lot on tourism as most don't want the perfect swiss vista's ruined by the inclusion of a load of towers..


We all know that the publics viewpoint can be nothing to do with the goverments viewpoint :rolleyes:

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Normally because whenever someone does there will always be people to jump up and attack them for it.

I did consider starting the thread myself or even replying in this thread, but its just really isn't worth the aggro.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Let's just say I hope that I have started the thread in a sufficiently neutral fashion to enable an adult debate about an important political and social issue to unfold. And let's also be clear that I will be actively moderating it if it doesn't.

Now, enough about forum politics, let's get on and discuss the issue at hand.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Great idea to stop radicalization of youth. :rolleyes:

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8385893.stm

It seems that the Vatican aren't too happy with the decision too. What I did find suprising after reading this was how the article described Islam in Switzerland as being practised 'behind closed doors'.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I can see what he's saying. just supposing we did go to war against Islam either soon or some time in the future, and we got all these symbols that they will later declare as their symbols of power.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

How do you go to war against a religion though? And what power do the symbols represent?

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

the people have spoken and that's that ,obviously you cant please everyone in a vote.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

It appears to me that the result of the referendum speaks for itself .The Swiss people obviously don't want Muslims architecture dotted all over the landscape that they protect ferociously.My understanding of the purpose of minarets is to call Muslims to prayer, (please correct if wrong)we have one here in Newcastle built about 5 years ago which is only ornamental , so really they aren't needed any more.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

no fear of heights ;)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I saw it on the BBC website yesterday while reading something else, and like you Chris, was surprised it wasn't posted before this. I thought about making a thread in relation to this, but discarded it after a nanosecond of thought on the subject....

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Do muslims NEED minarets in order to worship their god?

Or are they merely to allow broadcasting to all and sundry their call to prayers several times a day?

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

They don't need them, according to a number of people phoning in to Jeremy Vine on R2 this afternoon - but it's a traditional part of the architecture of the building. A church building doesn't need a spire or a tower either, but (in this country at least) whether the building has one is a matter for the building's designers, coupled with any local planning concerns. Not a national opinion poll called at the behest of a minorty political party stuffed with closet fascists.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Yep - mosques do not need a minaret. Traditionally the call for prayer is said by climbing to the top of the minaret and saying it from there (or as it's more common nowadays, to have speakers there playing the call for prayer).

I do find it suprising that its become a law. Seems like to some, even 4 minarets are 4 too many.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Chris, a symbol holds as much power as the people invest in it.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

It would be a war against those who are the majority of being that religion.

Islam power. it can be seen as them imposing their culture and customs on us.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

perhaps Islam should concentrate on building a few bridges [starting with rooting out radicals] then may be they might find others more accommodating,i think there is a lot of fear of Islam in the world brought about by a few organizations hell bent on conflict.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I'm in favour of it,

I think mosques with full on middle eastern architecture (Golden domed roofs with a crescent moon on top, minarets, etc) look completely out of place in this country, and are a slight on the eye.

And, in my opinion, are a two fingers up to the people of the town.

I drive past a mosque in West Yorkshire everyday that is in an old converted mill, blends in naturally with it surroundings :tu:

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I think the main point here is that a vote by the people has decided they do not want muslim culture imposed on them.They wish to maintain their own individuality ,and lets face it they are very isolationalist.The problem their government have now is how to intergrate muslims into a society that quite clearly doesn't want them

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

How exactly does a religion build bridges?

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

We fear Islam and they want us to fear Islam. I think it is a good thing that society were allowed their say.

it would never happen here though.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

the thing is their government gave them a vote on the subject ,wonder what the outcome would be in the UK ? ,not that we actually will ever get to give our opinion.

---------- Post added at 16:49 ---------- Previous post was at 16:47 ----------

a good starting place would be to condemn the nutters and disassociate themselves from them ,and to be seen to be doing it on a world wide scale , that's just a thought .

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

by making a few concessions instead of labeling all non believers infidels
and as Papa smurf pointed out if they rooted out the radicals or at least helped us to do it then they might get thought of a bit better

or did you mean building a new bridge in workington?

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Many do. It's just it doesn't get reported because there are people, some on this forum, who are simply hateful and nasty who prefer their black-and-white view of Islam. The stories of Scary Muslims sell better than the ones where someone makes the issue more complicated than their brains can handle.

Besides it's doesn't really encourage them to feel part of society when issues like this come up. :dozey:

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Islam is not a person. It's a religion which is followed by 1 billion people. How many of the 1 billion would have to speak out?

Many muslims have spoken out about the extremists who use Islam for their own purpose. Maybe you should do your own research and find out.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

yes, but the idea is to become part of whichever society they have moved to,intergrate into it, merge themselves into it,not just rebuild downtown Bagdag in the middle of the swiss alps or the yorkshire moors

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

i assume this religion has leaders and when leaders speak others follow
an example of this in another religion is[ the pope says don't do this ]and millions of Catholics obey.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Your assuming Islam has leaders. Who might these leaders be?

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

speaking out isn't good enough ,names, addresses put them infront of the congregation at the local mosque and tell them they are wrong ,kick them out of the religion ,that would be better

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

You can't kick someone out of a religion. It's not a political party. :rolleyes:

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

google it if your actually interested - i personaly think you just want to argue .

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

It's called a debate. Your the one who assumed Islam had leaders so now I'm asking you to back that up with facts.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Islam doesn't have a (mortal) figurehead as far as I know. I would be interested if you could come up with a list of such people/institutions who are to Islam what the Pope/Vatican is to the Catholic Church. Although even the Pope is not recognised as the head of the Catholic church by many Catholics. Further showing that religion is a shared belief, which itself is often debated, rather than a club or party which screens it's members.

So I don't know what you want them to do.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

how about if you know something just post it -i don't claim to be an expert on any religion, so if you do know anything on the structure of islam please post it and save hours of worthless bickering.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

The used to have a Chaliphate Damien but he is long gone. There is am organisation that replaced him called the OIC which wields a bit of power in Muslim countries.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

erm ,yes you can ...ever heard of excommunication ,now i know this does not apply in islam but terrorist offences could be classed amongst the "unforgivable sins" in the islam religion and therefore the offender is said to have abandoned islam which would have the same result
for someone who is deeply religious (in the case of muslims for example)having the leader/elder/imam of the local mosque tell you are wrong in you're beliefs will make a big difference

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

You said "Islam should concentrate on building a few bridges" since Islam has no leader how do you expect this to be done apart from muslims speaking out which doesn't make headlines or people would rather not see it.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

found this on the web -re o i c


In 1999 OIC adopted the OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism.[22] Human Rights Watch has noted that the definition of terrorism in article 1 as “any act or threat of violence carried out with the aim of, among other things, imperiling people’s honour, occupying or seizing public or private property, or threatening the stability, territorial integrity, political unity or sovereignty of a state� is vague and ill-defined, and includes much that is outside the generally accepted understandings of the concept of terrorism. In HRW's view, it labels, or could easily be used to label, as terrorist actions, acts of peaceful expression, association and assembly.[23]

Legal scholar Ben Saul of University of Sydney argues that the definition is subjective and ambiguous and concludes that there is “serious danger of the abusive use of terrorist prosecutions against political opponents� and others.[24]

Furthermore, HRW is concerned by OIC’s apparent unwillingness to recognise as terrorism acts that serve causes endorsed by their member states. Article 2 reads: “Peoples’ struggle including armed struggle against foreign occupation, aggression, colonialism, and hegemony, aimed at liberation and self-determination.� HRW has suggested to OIC that they embrace “longstanding and universally recognised international human rights standards�[23] – a request that has as yet not led to any results.

Contradictions between OIC's and other U.N. member’s understanding of terrorism has stymied efforts at the U.N. to produce a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.[25]

On a meeting in Malaysia in April 2002, delegates discussed terrorism, but failed to reach a definition of it. They rejected, however, any description of the Palestinian fight with Israel with terrorism. Their declaration was explicit: "We reject any attempt to link terrorism to the struggle of the Palestinian people in the exercise of their inalienable right to establish their independent state with Al-Quds Al-Shrif (Jerusalem) as its capital." In fact, at the outset of the meeting, the OIC countries signed a statement praising the Palestinians and their "blessed intifada." The word terrorism was restricted to describe Israel, whom they condemned for "state terrorism" in their war with the Palestinian people.[26]

At the 34th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM), an OIC section, in May 2007, the foreign ministers termed Islamophobia the worst form of terrorism.[27]

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

They may not be welcome in the local mosque but no doubt if they are extremists than they will continue to practice their way of Islam to suit their own agenda.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Ayatollah,Mullah/Mawlana These are usually considered leaders of the islam religion although as you said there is no one single leader

---------- Post added at 17:40 ---------- Previous post was at 17:35 ----------

yes they will, but without the backing of the religion they are blowing people up for so even for other Muslims that will make them just common murderers and not martyrs which they crave

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

he says in a reply lol

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

True. what they do is in the name of the religion.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Isn't it great, we have another country with the bottle to make a stand against such things, France want the viel banned, so that the females face can be seen, and now this, This country doesn't have the bottle to say anything in case it offends the Muslim faith.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Or maybe this country just doesn't have a problem with freedom of expression.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Indeed. Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_religious_leaders :)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Gary, I am not sure why you quoted Article 19, but Article 18 states---------- Post added at 16:41 ---------- Previous post was at 16:40 ----------

But none of those hold the overall authority that the Pope has with Catholics (and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the leaders of the Orthodox Christian Churches don't agree with him on a large number of issues).

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

looks like gary has been out googled;)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Anything in Article 20?

---------- Post added at 16:45 ---------- Previous post was at 16:43 ----------

Article 10: Freedom of Expression

:)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Which the Swiss have clearly impeded upon.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

via a democratic vote

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

So? Just because it's democratic doesn't make it any less odious.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

ok comrade

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Not imo they haven't, no one has banned the religion or the right to practice it or even put up buildings to practice it in. What they have done is ban the constructing of alien cultural architecture not in keeping with the rest of the country or its tourist industry.

---------- Post added at 17:27 ---------- Previous post was at 17:25 ----------

You know its funny how the plethora of threads about stoning of gays, repression of women etc etc are shouted down with claims of "it's the country their rules" strange this thread is different...

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I think theres quite a few in here who if they had the balls, admit to not liking blacks browns foreigners even if they had jobs that needed to be filled in this country e.g racist **** you see them with the same old waffle its the muslims they shouldnt be here there black they must be terrorists :D there laughable once a thread starts you just know the plonkers are going to post they are sat there slavering at the keyboards waiting to spout there well typed careful racist drivel .... as long as it keeps them happy.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Yep, but presumably anyone with those titles has some sort of authority over the rest?
....and can therefore influence muslim thinking?

---------- Post added at 17:42 ---------- Previous post was at 17:37 ----------

Anyhoo, yet again we are having a debate which, if the boot was on the other foot (muslim country not allowing christian expression) the usual suspects would be on the side of the indiginous people and their freedom to run their country how they see fit. But because its a white majority in a christian country then they are apparently wrong to do so. Its their country, leave them to it.....

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

My major problem is that if we allow this to increase, then they won't stop. We have a major one at Wembley, and in the borough where l live we have two within a matter of ten minute walk.

Although, we are a country of free speech, if we go to there countries, we have to abide by there laws, in that case this country should have the balls to tell them enough is enough in this country.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

But 'their' country is Great Britain.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Maybe the pope should apply for planning permission for some cathedrals in muslim countries, complete with bell towers, spires, etc?

That will demonstrate how tolerant the muslim countries are to the whole world.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Great Britain is a country? That's news to me :D

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Ah but you see, they're allowed to ban the building of churches, because they're right and everyone else is wrong.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

That's the trouble with being PC. you miss the obvious and go around it :)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Or if they have oil they can do what they want.

http://www.persecution.org/suffering...countrycode=23

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

He says that the reason why they won't allow the building of churches in their Islamic State is because we (muslims) know for sure that only Islam is a true religion in the eyes of God.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

'their' country, only if they were born here and have BRITISH PASSPORT, not going into a debate on the situation, this country is far too soft, and we all know it,.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

that chaps a pillock spouting a crock of [insert word]

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

There's quite a few videos of him on Youtube saying the same thing.

there's a spoof one where he says that you can't criticise Islam, it's racist :)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

And he has been outed as such by other muslims.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Maybe Europe should try and make the effort to be, y'know, enlightened and civilised and tolerant? We tried religious intolerance a few times and quite a lot of people were violently killed, if you recall your history.

It's noteworthy how many Jewish groups know exactly what they're looking at here and find it all rather familiar. Begins with an 'f', ends in 'ascism'.

Arthur, lest we forget, believes what he reads in tabloids. What's soft in this country is between his ears, in general.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I see. So, in effect, your previous statement is meaningless. 46% of Muslims in the UK were born here (2001 census). So I assume you agree that about half the muslims in the UK have the right to build mosques here.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

You're taking what he said wrong Chris I think.
He was correcting the their country as being born here. it doesn't mean that he has to now agree that it means they have the right to build mosques here.
he said earlier that his problem is that if we allow this to increase, then they won't stop.

we are assuming that it's those from the 46% that are wanting the things built. and not the 'non British' ones.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

no it starts with p and ends in lanning permission denied

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Which, funnily enough, was being already used in Switzerland to stop minarets being built - only four existed, and every other one since then had not been given planning permission.

Which makes you wonder why a referendum was needed to stop something that wasn't happening.....

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

I think this debate is starting to hot up, too me there is only ONE god, and none of the other stuff, l brought up as a christian and prayed to god each Sunday.

On the other thing, The big problem we have in this country, is that our government and local councils give into certain groups to allow building, of such buildings that will cause problems to the local community, they will knock down places like community centres or shops, schools to allow permission to build this premises, an yet won't fund for more schools etc. We the people are not consulted when there are important issues to be dealt with, whereas in other countries, they are allow to say what they think.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

by it's very nature religion isn't tolerant
it doesn't matter how tolerant europe(the christian part)is ,Islam by it's very nature won't be tolerant of other religions,it just so happens that in modern times Christianity is more tolerant of other religions while Islam seems to be stuck in the dark ages allowing hard line muslims to vitually run countries that's what people are scared of .We have seen it in this country over the last ten years with british born muslims becoming hard line activists .The Swiss people are probably looking at us and realising what will happen if they let things get out of hand

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Funnily enough, Arthur, that's what Muslims think as well - they worship the same god/God as we do, and believe that Jesus, as well as lots of other famous biblical characters, were prophets - they just happen to call the deity we call "God", Allah.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

[QUOTE=Arthurgray50@blu;34919244] too me there is only ONE god, and none of the other stuff, l brought up as a christian and prayed to god each Sunday.QUOTE]






only one god in Islam aswell Arthur it's just that they pray on friday(mostly) ;)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Indeed... Look at the Christian Symbol. Looked at logically, it's a man attached to two bits of wood. Nothing more. What it *represents* however, is a whole other matter..

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

And the man looks nothing like a muslim :)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Considering where this metaphorical character is supposed to be from then he should look just like any other Arab and therefore would look like the default Muslim everyone thinks about when they are mentioned.:D

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Yep, it represents a death-cult and scapegoating.... Nasty....

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

You have absolutely no idea of the irony, have you? ;)

---------- Post added at 22:51 ---------- Previous post was at 22:49 ----------

On the contrary, Allah is not a name, it is simply "God" in Arabic. Literally, "The God", as in "The Only God". Christians whose first language is Arabic pray to Allah. ;)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Thanks for the clarification, Chris.

I wondered why, when I read some things related to this, sometimes it said Allah (PBUH), and some times it said God.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

indeed ,i think giving god a name means that you will very shortly have a fatwa on your head ...so be careful

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

In the Old Testament of the Bible, God does have a name. The problem is, it is represented in ancient Hebrew by the letters YHWH. It was usual practice at the time to omit vowels, but it does present us with a problem in the modern age; namely, that we don't know exactly how to pronounce the name in spoken language. It is usually vocalised these days as "Yahweh", although "Jehovah" is an alternative that was more popular in earlier times. However, "Yahweh" is a sort of best-guess. There's no guarantee that it's not meant to be "Yohwoh" or maybe "Yihwah".

The translators of the King James Bible in 1611 didn't know how to render it in English and so as not to cause offence by getting it wrong, they simply rendered every occurance of it in the Old Testament text as "the LORD". Islam also considers the Old Testament to be holy scripture. I assume the hard line some Muslims take with anyone who tries to ascribe a vocalised name to God is a result of the very same uncertainty about exactly how to vocalise it and an assumption that it's better not to try.

Incidentally, the Jews at one time were equally forthright in their insistence that nobody should try to say "Jehovah", little knowing that one day it would prove a comedy goldmine for John Cleese et al. ;)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Halibot anyone? :p:

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

oooh i like a nice piece of fish ;)

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Allah, as Chris has pointed out, is arabic for God. Muslims believe in the same God as Christians. I have never heard of PBUH (which I am taking to mean as peace be upon him) used when refering to Allah/God, that is usually used when making references to the prophets. When refering to Allah one would use phrases like The Great One, The All Merciful i.e. attributes of God (in arabic).

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

its interesting dont you think that Christianity predates Islam in the Middle East by several centuries.

so surely your observation should perhaps be all Muslims should look just like the default Christian everyone thinks about when they are mentioned.

---------- Post added at 12:14 ---------- Previous post was at 12:10 ----------

so your saying logicly that a man that lives by the (bits of) wood , dies by the wood ....:shocked:

---------- Post added at 12:21 ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 ----------

what have the swiss voters got against this green technology, i thought they were champions of this tech ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minaret
"....
Minarets also function as air conditioning mechanisms: as the sun heats the dome, air is drawn in through open windows then up and out of the minaret, thereby providing natural ventilation.[citation needed]
"

as for "the main function of the minaret is to provide a vantage point from which the call to prayer (adhan) is made. "
surely that to was yet another early green tech invention, as people didnt have personal portable alarm clocks to help them take their mandated work breaks on time back then ?

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Freedom of expression

Utter bullcrap.

I'm suprised that any mosques in this country have been built "traditionally" as I mentioned in an earlier post.

Mosques built "traditionally" with gold domed roofs, minarets and crescents etc are incongruous to nearly all British surroundings. How they gain planning permission is beyond me and most likely the result of the local authority not wishing to upset the local muslim population.

A place of worrship does not need to make an architectural statement, and certainly not one where the said statement has no practical use.

Most, nearly all I know, modern churches look nothing like the traditional churches in the country and most are converted from old town halls, magistrates courts, cinemas and theatres.

Most, if not all, pentecostal churches, latter day saints churches, elim churches, and Jehovah Witnesses Kingdon Halls that I have seen just look like regular buildings.

Even modern Catholic and Anglican are usually just squares with the only giveaway being stained glass windows.

I live in a green belt area and have just extended my property, there were very strict rules about what shape it could be, what materials I could use, its height etc.

I wanted "freedom of expression" I wanted to build a great big pink pleasure palace but the local planning authority said I had to use york stone and york stone slates.

As I see it the Swiss haven't banned mosques or banned practicing Islam, they just don't want alien architecture being, as Charlie would say, a carbuncle in their towns and cities.

I agree with them, if you want to build a mosque in Switzerland then make it look like a cuckoo clock and you'll be alright.

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

" place of worrship does not need to make an architectural statement, and certainly not one where the said statement has no practical use.

Most, nearly all I know, modern churches look nothing like the traditional churches in the country and most are converted from old town halls, magistrates courts, cinemas and theatres.

Most, if not all, pentecostal churches, latter day saints churches, elim churches, and Jehovah Witnesses Kingdon Halls that I have seen just look like regular buildings.

Even modern Catholic and Anglican are usually just squares with the only giveaway being stained glass windows.
"
there must be some limits set though, how about this ;(
looks like something you might put a power substation in or a BT building perhaps...
http://www.monsterup.com/upload/1234364112.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...=970006&page=3

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Talking about blending in, modern style:

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Well I was referring to this country, and the planning laws.

Many of the churches on the link you posted such as in Morocco were built decades if not hundreds of years ago when the country was occupied by Christian invaders.

If the UK had been invaded by Islamic conquerers in our past history and Mosques were common place then we wouldn't be having this discussion. But we weren't and they aren't. Mosques in the UK are still quite a recent thing, which is why they don't fit in architecturally.

---------- Post added at 13:32 ---------- Previous post was at 13:26 ----------

Well done for trying to make a point, but.. it is... a... Cathedral... after all, and it is one of kind......

Now if there was one of these in every city and town you may have a point but even then it is still very much a western design.

Also from a personal point of view, considering it's my home town, I like it. Also planning laws were much less strict in the 60's and 70's

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Normal planning laws would work just as well and in fact where used often to block the building on grounds of architecture. So why did they feel the need to make a ban and make it specific to this type of building and not others?

Re: The Swiss don't like minarets
 

Fair point, I don't know what the Swiss planning laws are like or how effective they are but the Swiss obviously want to ensure that there are no loopholes etc. We have planning laws and look at some of the stuff we get.