  Christian-Muslim relations: Swiss Evangelicals criticize minaret ban Richard Cimino - Religion Watch 1 Mar 2010 Although the ban on building new Muslim minarets in Switzerland was co-initiated by the Federal Democratic Union (FDU), a political party devoting itself to the “gospel of Jesus Christ,” there is opposition to the referendum among some Swiss evangelical churches.
Gasser called the controversy over minarets a “pseudo-issue,” since there are only four minarets in all of Switzerland and these structures are not central to Muslim worship. He added that the “political marginalization” of Swiss Muslims will serve only to push them toward a fundamentalism they have so far showed no inclination for. Evangelical and leading spokesman for the FDU Christian Weber said that the referendum was “not about religious liberties,” but was rather a vote on the country's political system. He said that Christians would have accepted the majority vote regardless of the outcome and “we demand as much of the Swiss Muslims.” Martin Buhlmann, leader of the evangelical Vineyard movement in Switzerland and the German-speaking countries, said Christians should stop reacting in fear to the growing Muslim population and instead seize the opportunity to minister to these people. He is launching a new initiative in 2010 in Switzerland and the German capital of Berlin, which seeks to mobilize 2,010 Christian families who are willing to invite Muslim neighbors for a meal. Buhlmann told the magazine that “The gospel is shared through relationships. Political marginalization only hardens people's hearts.” Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com. URL: http://religion.info/english/articles/article_466.shtml |
