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Letter to the editor to the article "Too much room for nonsense" in NZZ, 27.04.2010

Bern, 28.04.2010

"Zealot", "bizarre figures" with "abstruse ideas" Rainer Stadler calls us and he is critical of the media attention in connection with the young Islamic Central Council. Of course we would not have deserved this stage, because as is made clear in the introduction, it will not result in more than "noisy words". The author does seem to have difficulties with the something new. What is new is that Muslims in Switzerland have learned from the minaret debate that they have to reach themselves the definition of sovereignty, what was the Islam and what actions are part of the cult. It is also new that Muslims organize themselves in the frame of a community-based association. In addition, the author owed us an explanation as to what qualifies our ideas as bizarre. Does he mean the above-described change of paradigm to self-definition? Or does he mean our vehemence when it comes to defending the freedom of worship? Of course, Mr. Stadler is right when he describes the current media circus as  being "counterproductive". Our concern and the public right to adequate information would certainly be better served, if one would deal once more deeply with our supposedly "bizarre ideas", rather than always only to emulate our appearance and to build a myth of our person. The fact that among our now over 1,000 members there are also doctors, teachers, lawyers and other academics, must beyond question the image of the little "Islam-fan-group" and suggests that also in the future we will play a role within the Islamic discourse. To recognize this, obviously causes some people headache.