Schweiz och minareterna – igen

I The Guardian har Jonathan Freedland skrivit ett viktigt inlägg kring frågan om den schweiziska folkomröstningen. Han har själv judisk bakgrund och säger inledningsvis att valresultatet fått honom han rysa. Och hans första känsla sammanfattas i frågan: ”Hur skulle jag känna om det här handlade om oss och inte om dem?”

No two situations are ever exactly the same, and Muslims and Jews have different histories – in Switzerland and everywhere else. But it’s useful, allowing the testing of any proposition against an almost instinctive yardstick of decency.

So how would I react if the Swiss voted to restrict the way synagogues are built? With horror, of course. Indeed, the mere hint of such a proposal in the heart of Europe – given the blood-soaked history of the 20th century – would send a shudder down the collective spine. That reaction alone would tell me that, on this proposal, there was only one decent place to be – against it.

Självklart, fortsätter Freedland, var inte alla som röstade ja i Schweiz islamofober. Det finns naturligtvis starka motiv att över huvud taget diskutera religionens roll i den offentliga sfären. Men låt oss då för all del se till att den diskussionen inte startar med ett utpekande av just muslimerna:

For example, here in Britain, we should have that debate about faith schools. But let’s begin with a proposal to close down the 7000 Christian schools in the state sector – and then move onto the Muslim schools. Or do I sense that there will be rather fewer takers for that conversation?

What passionate secularists and atheists need to understand is that what seems to outsiders like a religious affiliation is, for many millions, only partly about faith. It’s often partly, even largely, about identity. How can I be so sure that’s true of Muslims? Because I know it’s true of Jews.

Which leads me to guess that the minaret ban will have one consequence its advocates did not predict. I reckon there’ll be rather more Swiss Muslims going to the mosque this week than there were last. That’s how people react when they’re threatened. Don’t ask me how I know.