www.izrs.ch

Communiqué 27052010-0020

Bern, 13th Jumada Al Akhir 1431 / 27th May 2010

(qi) The Islamic Central Council Switzerland (ICCS) draws a consistently positive balance after the 20-day "Burqa Info Offensive". Nora Illi, director of the Department of Women's Affairs, succeeded in the public to deconstruct the argument that a ban of face veils would liberate oppressed Muslim women by her own example as an empty claim and forced her counterparts, to stiffen in much more absurd debates of values.
A ban would rather massively limit the freedom of religion and the freedom of worship as well as the right to free development of the individual and Switzerland would thus give itself a second islamophobic special law.

Nora Illi stressed that she did not know an example of a woman who was wearing the veil by force. Should there be in Switzerland such exceptions a legal recourse to article 181 of the Criminal Code (coercion) would already be sufficiently available. A ban would furthermore have a rather counterproductive effect in the sense that such a woman may possibly not be allowed to leave the house any more.

The ICCS reiterates at this point its position against any kind of a "burqa ban". The existing laws are completely sufficient to ensure the public safety adequately. The desire for a "burqa ban" arises as little from a real need as the ban on minarets. If a veiled woman e.g. must be identified to an authority, so it was and is a matter of course that she will show her face to the officials on duty. Where there is a will, there is a solution. Otherwise it would be possible to adapt existing regulations selectively through supplements.

A face veil may alienate - especially in the wake of the polemical debate on Islam. However, also other, much more commonplace appearances have the potential to alienate one or the other. Ultimately, the sheer "astonishment" may not be taken as an occasion for a special law against a religious minority. The religiously neutral Swiss state has also in times of a deepened crisis of values and sense to demand from the protection of minorities more than just lip service.