Switzerland: Islamophobia or legitimate defenseToday, criticizing certain practices of Islam immediately passes for Islamophobia, but a democratic and feminist Swiss is now fighting this state of affairs. She's publishing a book denouncing the the tactics of fundamentalist Muslims who want to put to sleep this critical ability of democracies, including the Swiss.
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Mireille Valette doesn't beat around the bush. A set of convictions drive her: a steadfast democrat and feminist, she places equality between man and woman, laicite (secularism), freedom of expression and respect for individual freedoms at the center of her concerns. She believes in these values, and thinks that they are the foundation of our western societies. She observes that Islam, in its literal interpretation, doesn't respect these values, nor the basic individual freedoms, such as the freedom to renounce your religion.
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At the end of each of these observation comes the final test question: what do the imams, 'moderate' spokespeople, and civilized, intellectual Muslims who take pride of place here, in Switzerland, say of concrete practices. what do they say of this dark and deadly Islam?
In her book Mireille Valette parades them, squirming, dodging, not responding or knowing. For example, asked about a man who abandoned his religion and was sentenced to death in Afghanistan, the president of the League of Swiss Muslims says that his organization wants to discuss only issues relating to Muslim in Switzerland, and not to those in Afghanistan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
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With all the examples she's collected, with the hundreds of quotes, the frail but stubborn Mireille Valette drives it in: why do all these so-called moderates, liberals, and humanists, have so much trouble condemning the intolerable? Because they're neither modern, nor liberal, nor humanist. Because it's masked fundamentalism.
At the end of this ruthless demonstration, Mireille Valette urges debate: she wants to end the accusation of Islamophobia of anybody who dares express an opinion critical of certain practices of Islam. She claims to have finally started the debate on Islam in Switzerland: a realistic and political debate, a democratic debate.
Complete article here.
I like this woman's style: put the double talking bastards right on the spot and watch them squirm.
It's amazing how "moderate" some of these guys are when it comes to being "moderate". They're only very moderately interested in it.
Topic: Switzerland: Islamophobia or legitimate defense