Swiss – Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC) https://iric.org Fri, 25 Aug 2023 16:41:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.14 https://iric.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/iric-favicon.png Swiss – Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC) https://iric.org 32 32 Switzerland’s referendum on burqas is an insult to women’s rights and dignity https://iric.org/switzerlands-referendum-on-burqas-is-an-insult-to-womens-rights-and-dignity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=switzerlands-referendum-on-burqas-is-an-insult-to-womens-rights-and-dignity https://iric.org/switzerlands-referendum-on-burqas-is-an-insult-to-womens-rights-and-dignity/#respond Sun, 07 Feb 2021 06:59:49 +0000 https://demo.iric.org/?p=19716 On March 7, Switzerland will hold a referendum to decide whether to ban full facial coverings such as burqas and niqabs. Polls show that more than 60 percent of Swiss voters favor the burqa ban. Although the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Ticino already have a ban on full face coverings following regional votes, the Swiss government has recommended voters reject the federal proposal, saying a nationwide constitutional ban would “undermine the sovereignty of the cantons, damage tourism and be unhelpful for certain groups of women.”

Those “certain groups of women” are Muslim women.

It is ironic that the vote will take place on the eve of International Women’s Day on March 8, which strives for a gender-equal world. Removing a Muslim woman’s right to wear a face veil is not equality.

Why should a Muslim woman who chooses to cover her face because of her faith not be allowed to do so? People of different faiths adhere to different dress codes, yet it is Muslim women who bear the brunt of this policing around the world.

Switzerland is far from the first country to propose laws limiting Muslim women’s choice of attire: France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Latvia, Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Republic of the Congo, Chad, Gabon and Sri Lanka all have laws prohibiting the wearing of religious face coverings. These bans are called a “security measure,” even though women’s role throughout history in political violence is not linked to the clothing they wore.

Source: Washington Post

]]> https://iric.org/switzerlands-referendum-on-burqas-is-an-insult-to-womens-rights-and-dignity/feed/ 0 Bern calls for new office to debate questions of religion https://iric.org/bern-calls-for-new-office-to-debate-questions-of-religion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bern-calls-for-new-office-to-debate-questions-of-religion https://iric.org/bern-calls-for-new-office-to-debate-questions-of-religion/#respond Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:36:00 +0000 https://iric.org/?p=28133 Is a burqa ban against the Swiss constitution? How do you deal with a Muslim schoolboy who refuses to shake his female teacher’s hand? Do burkinis contravene swimming pool hygiene rules? As such questions are becoming more prevalent in Switzerland, the federal government is considering setting up a new religious affairs office to help the cantons tackle the issues involved, reported Swiss media… after the canton of Ticino voted in 2013 to bring in a ban on the burqa, the cantonal authorities had to check that a ban would be compatible with federal law. “These questions concern religious freedom, security, integration and antiracism laws,” said Frei, adding that the working group would ensure a “coherent attitude” within the federal government.

The Swiss Council of Religions welcomed the news, saying the proposed body would help cantonal authorities faced with important religious issues, reported the Tribune. It’s not the first time a religious affairs office has been suggested. Back in 2010 a similar project was rejected, with opponents feeling Switzerland already had enough structure in place to deal with questions of religious freedom. However since then religious issues have created tension in the country on a number of occasions. In 2014 a pupil took her a school to court after it banned her from wearing the Islamic headscarf in class, a decision overturned by the St Gallen court…

The religious make-up of Switzerland has evolved over the past 40 years, according to a 2015 census. Of a percentage of the permanent resident population, the number of Catholics slightly decreased from 46 percent to 37 percent, while the number of Protestants fell more dramatically, from 48 percent to 24 percent. The number of Muslims rose from 0.2 percent in 1970 to 5.1 percent in 2015. Meanwhile there are more atheists in Switzerland than ever, up from 1.2 percent in 1970 to 23.9 percent in 2015.

Source: The Local (ch)

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