The Swiss don't like minarets

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by foreverwar

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.

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).

[popper]

Originally Posted by Moldova

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.

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 ----------

Originally Posted by Stuart C

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..

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

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

Originally Posted by Chris

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:


Quote:
Swiss voters have supported a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, official results show.
More than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban.

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

Play nicely please.

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 ?

[Pierre]

Freedom of expression

Originally Posted by Damien

Which the Swiss have clearly impeded upon.

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.

[popper]

" 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

[danielf]

Talking about blending in, modern style:

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

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by popper

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

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 ----------

Originally Posted by danielf

Talking about blending in, modern style:

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

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?

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Damien

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?

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.