Bill prohibiting foreign financing of Swiss mosques and requires preaching in national language passes lower house

RT
Wed, 27 Sep 2017 20:09 UTC
© Fabrice Coffrini / AFP
Minaret of Geneva mosque in the neighbourhood of Le Petit-Saconnex Geneva.
Mosques in Switzerland should be prohibited from receiving financing from abroad and imams should be required to preach in a Swiss national language, the country's lower house of parliament has decided.

MPs voted 94 to 89 in favor of a bill proposed by the member of the Lega dei Ticinesi party, which aims to make rules for mosques in Switzerland stricter, the local media outlet Neue Zuercher Zeitung reports.

The legislation stipulates that mosques would be forbidden from receiving foreign money.

They would also have to declare where their financial backing comes from and for what purpose their money would be used.

Imams would also be required to preach in the language of the area where the mosque is based.

That language would be one of Switzerland's official languages - German, French, Italian, or Romansch.

However, the bill - which will now be passed onto the Swiss Senate for further debate - is not backed by the country's federal government, which believes it discriminates against Muslims by placing them under suspicion, and thus fuels the arguments of extremists.

Bern is also against the language requirement, believing that freedom of language applies to people of all religions.

The Wednesday vote isn't the first time Switzerland's lower house has moved to tighten the country's laws when it comes to Muslims.

One year ago, it narrowly passed a bill to implement a ban on the Islamic face veil and other coverings. However, that move was later rejected by the Senate.

Swiss mosques have recently been at the center of a number of police operations over alleged support for radical Islam.

An Ethiopian imam from a mosque in Winterthur was charged with inciting violence after he urged his followers to kill non-practicing Muslims.

Another imam in the town of Biel also found himself in hot water over calls to kill "Jews, Christians, Hindus, Russians and the Shiite [branch of Islam]" as well as other "enemies of Islam."

The Swiss media revealed that the Libyan cleric had received around 600,000 Swiss francs ($620,000) in social benefits from the Swiss government over the last 13 years, but that it wasn't enough to soften his stance towards "infidels."

Uh, do they have to give a little yodel, too?

yes, and a horn....Ricola!

I have a great sounding cowbell

Where did you come up with this? I do agree very observant and well said.
And I do have a great sounding cowbell. Need more cowbell!

Believe me I do. Agreed

bologna

some who do this are called EXTREMISTS, if they all did it we would have been toast long ago. I have loved ones who are muslim and they believe or practice no such philosophy.

Where I come from we have a saying "If you can't speak the language get the F out of our country"

WE,The People will have the Last word on that!
If they want to build Mosques,let them get the Financing nationally,not from known subversive Salafist Governments and Groups!

well good for them... what are they doing about the other 100's of millions who are extremists? If one a bad apple spoils the bunch, maybe the other apples need to step up...

Plus they have big beards!

if this was the USA all hell wpuld break loose

Senate and Lower House ARE the Federal Government!
If they pass the Bill,the Federal Council can't do a thing about it,except calling a National referendum,and so could anyone,once they can get 100'000 Signatures together within a certain time!
Then it will have to be voted on nationally by the people!

I think Switzerland is suffering from the immigration issue, I went through last year and they were everywhere. . they come up from Italy. Good on the Swiss if it helps there country.
Plus, they make a wicked knife!

Agree. But also silence from the majority of all other faiths because they are self obsessed with what they can get out of everything and have no interest in the fate of others as they just assume someone else will sort it.
Just what we are seeing played out in certain areas of the world!

reminds of someone who helps a lion, thinking it won't eat them for it.... guess again, just because someone thinks muslims are friends is in for a big surprise when the muslims don't need the democrats anymore...

Muslims will always choose their religion over your life. Infidel!

Boy and the Rattle-Snake
a Scout Story

A little boy was walking down a path and he came across a rattlesnake. The rattlesnake was getting old. He asked, "Please little boy, can you take me to the top of the mountain? I hope to see the sunset one last time before I die." The little boy answered "No Mr. Rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you'll bite me and I'll die." The rattlesnake said, "No, I promise. I won't bite you. Just please take me up to the mountain." The little boy thought about it and finally picked up that rattlesnake and took it close to his chest and carried it up to the top of the mountain.

They sat there and watched the sunset together. It was so beautiful. Then after sunset the rattlesnake turned to the little boy and asked, "Can I go home now? I am tired, and I am old." The little boy picked up the rattlesnake and again took it to his chest and held it tightly and safely. He came all the way down the mountain holding the snake carefully and took it to his home to give him some food and a place to sleep. The next day the rattlesnake turned to the boy and asked, "Please little boy, will you take me back to my home now? It is time for me to leave this world, and I would like to be at my home now." The little boy felt he had been safe all this time and the snake had kept his word, so he would take it home as asked.

He carefully picked up the snake, took it close to his chest, and carried him back to the woods, to his home to die. Just before he laid the rattlesnake down, the rattlesnake turned and bit him in the chest. The little boy cried out and threw the snake upon the ground. "Mr. Snake, why did you do that? Now I will surely die!" The rattlesnake looked up at him and grinned, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."