Could a minaret start a war?

[geetrue]

Iran upset with Switzerland over minarets




Could these things cause a war?

The Swiss have about 200 mosque places for muslims to attend, but only four have these siren things that call them to worship.

I wonder who will give in first?

[Oberon]

I dunno, rocket motor in the bottom, warhead in the top. Could be more reliable than a Taepongdo

[CaptainHaplo]

The article referenced the European Courts as a way to overturn the will of the swiss people.

If pursued, I wonder what the citizenry will do? I can't pretend to know the swiss mind, so can someone who knows throw out some ideas? Will they allow their national sovereignty to be so trampled and over-run?

[Thomen]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

The article referenced the European Courts as a way to overturn the will of the swiss people.

If pursued, I wonder what the citizenry will do? I can't pretend to know the swiss mind, so can someone who knows throw out some ideas? Will they allow their national sovereignty to be so trampled and over-run?

Even though the Foreign Minister seems to indicate that it would on the European court to decide, the Swiss people can still flip everybody the bird, because Switzerland is not part of the EU.

[Respenus]

Gentleman, I'd advise you read up on your European institutions a bit. The European Court of Human Rights is part of the Council of Europe and it was set to protect the European Convention on Human Rights and it has the power to decide, under the Convention and other rules, if some action is in compliance with human rights. Now, what must be noted is that the ECHR has no power to force a state to do something, like the European Court of Justice can under the EU founding treaties. Yet a state which does not comply with the decisions of the ECHR is considered "rogue" and its position in international relations suffers until it complies.

I must say, for the first time ever, I wish a state not to comply with ECHR decisions. Although one must not arbitrarily chose to apply the rules when it serves his purposes.

[CaptainHaplo]

Respensus - thank you for that info. I was assuming that there could be issues should the courts decide against the swiss and they didn't comply, but that then begins to open the door to other questions. Such as, if the swiss DID lift a middle finger, would other European nations really act as if they were rogue?

My current understanding of the geopolitical situation in europe has been something I have neglected of late. May need to remedy that. But often it takes one leader- be it a person or nation - to show they will not roll over, and others may follow suit. Are European citizens, in a nationalistic way - ready for such a thing? If so, it could ultimately mean the dissolution - or at least significant weakening of, the EU.

Thoughts?

[Letum]

Can I build a big, round spiky tower 10 stories high in Switzerland to
park my car in as long as I don't call it a minaret?

Could a minaret start a war?

Easily.
If you got a bunch of fundys in switzerland who somehow became convinced that they must have a tower then you could tell them to all go to the mosque in zurich and pray there
Hey presto you now have a war over a minaret.

[Stealth Hunter]

Nationalists of this caliber are dangerous. No question about it. So could this evolve into a war or conflict of some sort? It's possible. But I don't think it's likely.

Nationalists are not dangeriouse.
One Worlders are dangeriouse.

[Respenus]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

Nationalists are not dangeriouse.
One Worlders are dangeriouse.

Hmm, and the 20th century murdering over a few kilometres of ground on nationalistic grounds wasn't dangerous at all, were they? Yes, wanting uniformity as lead to as much conflict and war as nationalism, yet they are both extremely dangerous in their extremes and you cannot claim that one is not dangerous, while the other is.

@Haplo, I seriously doubt that anyone would consider Swiss to be a rogue state, on any shape or form. They are not part of the EU, yet of the EEA, and although trade regulations are similar between the two, the Swiss could just as easily hold a referendum to keep out. On the map of the EU, they already look like a "sore spot", that big hole in the middle. Seeing how Swiss isn't seen much in European high politics news, one may assume that they're playing behind the scenes, a type of quiet diplomacy and that may just well be why they are scared of the vote. Their system of functioning in world diplomacy might have to change, something they are not particularly fond of, all things considered.

Yet its non-compliance with the ECHR decision could have even more serious consequences than their referendum vote. The vote can easily be swept under the rug. Sure, someone will bring it out once in a while, yet it wouldn't be that hard. The ECHR on the other hand and CoE in general are held in high esteem and every state which has in the past dared to call itself democratic and protecting human rights has complied with its decisions. Again, Switzerland might not be considered a rogue due to its current position and importance, yet the impact upon the minds of other European people will be far more hard hitting.

I hope Switzerland puts up a brave defence (which is doubtful considering what their ministers have said) and convicnes the minds of Europeans that something might actually be rotten in Denmark (read Europe).

[Blood_splat]

It makes me want to kick a field goal.

[Skybird]

Threatening Swiss business interests and backmailing all Europe so that it puts diplomatic pressure on Switzerland, will do the job of reversing or ignoring that vote. and this after the financial crisis and Switzerland already having been under fire for their silent support of financial crimes and tax evasions in other countries because Switzerland benefits from that. They had to give some ground already on that. One could say that they currently have something like an identity crisis, which is a part - a part! - of the explanation why they banned minaretts.

It's also longterm tourism concerns. If you make holidays in the alpes, the last thing you want to see is the sihouette of Oriental archictecture melting itself nicely into the panorama of the mountain's skyline or the the idyll of that swiss village you happen to stay in. If you want that, you move to the southern Balkans for vacation.

What crap .

It's also longterm tourism concerns. If you make holidays in the alpes, the last thing you want to see is the sihouette of Oriental archictecture melting itself nicely into the panorama of the mountain's skyline or the the idyll of that swiss village you happen to stay in.

if you are on the piste Skybird the last thing you are considering is the bloody architecture in the neighbouring towns.
Threatening switzerland and all europe??????
What a pile of crap
What the hell are you on about?
The main local objections about the crazy nationalists and the votre they put through is from the Christians and the Jews......then again you have this thing about Christians and Jews as well as Muslims don't you.

But on top something else

Originally Posted by Snestorm
Nationalists are not dangeriouse.

dangermouse is not a nationalist. The one eyed white wonder is neither a nationalist or a supremacist.There are allegations that the DDD is related to the KKK but agents for the dashing daring dynamite mouse have thouroughly refuted those silly allegations

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by geetrue

Iran upset with Switzerland over minarets




Could these things cause a war?

The Swiss have about 200 mosque places for muslims to attend, but only four have these siren things that call them to worship.

I wonder who will give in first?

Wow, if iran gets upset, Switzerland could just turn off the money spigot. Problem solved. Even better they could seize the accounts and donate them to some nice holocast charity.