12-03-2009, 05:40 PM
A tough message must be sent to Switzerland. We must also beef up swift responses to human rights emergencies like the Swiss vote.
The condemnation of the Swiss referendum held on November 29, to forbid the building of Islamic minarets has drawn international condemnation. Even as experts say that the ban will eventually be thrown out, this vote is yet another example of the rampant right-wing extremism that remains unchecked, and now it has cost Swiss Muslims their religious rights.
We should find offensive the notion that fundamental freedoms basic to human rights should be up for popular vote. Freedoms that we hold dear should be above and beyond the research of the ballot box. The sentiment was shared by Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who said Monday that “Bearing in mind that it is a fundamental right of democratic States to debate and vote on issues of importance to their societies, the referendum held yesterday on the construction of new minarets in Switzerland raises concerns as to whether fundamental rights of individuals, protected by international treaties, should be subject to popular votes.”
No – the public must be forbidden to vote on fundamental freedoms. Otherwise, all of our liberties are at stake. Freedom and liberty must be absolute and protected from the whims of the ballot box. There must be an international call – now –to amend European and international human rights conventions that forbid popular votes on fundament freedoms, like the freedom to worship, including the ability to construct houses of worship. Most observers believe that this vote will be throne out, eventually, by a court either in Switzerland, or the European Court of Human Rights.
Officials of the United Nations have condemned this vote as openly aimed Muslims and is part of the latest episode of European elections and the voting public being driven by fear. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay stated that Switzerland was “on a collision course with its international human rights obligations.”
“I hesitate to condemn a democratic vote…but I have no hesitation at all in condemning the anti-foreigner scare-mongering that has characterized political campaigns in a number of countries, including Switzerland, which helps produce results like this.
While a couple of observers are saying that the Swiss vote along with the election victory of right-wing parties in European elections this summer – should be a wake-up call. The director of the International Crisis Group, Swiss-national, Alain Deletroz, hope that there will be tough action against Switzerland. Such a vote should have never been allowed to take place.
With world condemnation, there must be meaningful action and meaningful action against nations that make these kind of ill-defined choices are often ineffective and meaningless. The Swiss took over the Council of Europe presidency as if the vote against religious freedom in Switzerland was not big deal. As far as we know, Switzerland still has full membership of the United Nations and all of its bodies. So far, the tough response is slow in coming and it may take years to get full religious freedom restored in Switzerland. It appears that business as usually for the relationship between the EU and Switzerland. There should be some kind of reaction, suspension of relationships with Switzerland, as the world cannot view the country as the same before Sunday’s vote.
Now would be the time to start the European Union’s activism on the world stage in defense of human rights, and in the EU own backyard, in Switzerland. I am searching for a reaction, at least a statement, from a European Union institution. In fact, a meeting of General Affairs and relations of the Council went on in Geneva, the day after the vote. With the passage of the vote that places Switzerland in clear violation of European and international human rights conventions that it is a party to – the holding of a General Affairs council meeting in Geneva should have been postponed and moved to another venue. Given that the two facts that the United Nations and its officials have condemned the Swiss vote and the role that the EU now wants to play on the world stage, this is a truly awful way for the EU to start off in its ambitions on the world stage that represent its values.
Nations that chose to vote away the basic rights of its minorities have no place among civilized nations of the world. Switzerland is now one such nation that must be excluded from the civilized world.
What is for sure, these violations of basic human rights need to not keep going unanswered – especially when they occur in Europe’s own backyard. There should be tough action against Switzerland, which should include suspension of membership of the Council of Europe and the United Nations. We get the Swiss assuming the presidency of the human rights body. The needs to be a beefing up of human rights institutions that produce swift responses to outrageous actions, like the Swiss vote. It might take a few years for the case to work its way up to the ECHR, and in the meantime, these threats against religious freedom in Europe continue to grow, as more of Europe’s loony right-wing have now called on more votes on religious freedom in EU Member States!
The condemnation of the Swiss referendum held on November 29, to forbid the building of Islamic minarets has drawn international condemnation. Even as experts say that the ban will eventually be thrown out, this vote is yet another example of the rampant right-wing extremism that remains unchecked, and now it has cost Swiss Muslims their religious rights.
We should find offensive the notion that fundamental freedoms basic to human rights should be up for popular vote. Freedoms that we hold dear should be above and beyond the research of the ballot box. The sentiment was shared by Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who said Monday that “Bearing in mind that it is a fundamental right of democratic States to debate and vote on issues of importance to their societies, the referendum held yesterday on the construction of new minarets in Switzerland raises concerns as to whether fundamental rights of individuals, protected by international treaties, should be subject to popular votes.”
No – the public must be forbidden to vote on fundamental freedoms. Otherwise, all of our liberties are at stake. Freedom and liberty must be absolute and protected from the whims of the ballot box. There must be an international call – now –to amend European and international human rights conventions that forbid popular votes on fundament freedoms, like the freedom to worship, including the ability to construct houses of worship. Most observers believe that this vote will be throne out, eventually, by a court either in Switzerland, or the European Court of Human Rights.
Officials of the United Nations have condemned this vote as openly aimed Muslims and is part of the latest episode of European elections and the voting public being driven by fear. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay stated that Switzerland was “on a collision course with its international human rights obligations.”
“I hesitate to condemn a democratic vote…but I have no hesitation at all in condemning the anti-foreigner scare-mongering that has characterized political campaigns in a number of countries, including Switzerland, which helps produce results like this.
While a couple of observers are saying that the Swiss vote along with the election victory of right-wing parties in European elections this summer – should be a wake-up call. The director of the International Crisis Group, Swiss-national, Alain Deletroz, hope that there will be tough action against Switzerland. Such a vote should have never been allowed to take place.
Quote:“[I]n Europe I would say if you appeal to this fear of Islam you would get the same result. I think it’s very dangerous to travel this road of giving unrealistic fears a political stage.”
“We should have a debate about where we draw the line. In a democracy you can imagine a situation where the majority want things that are bad for human rights, or freedom of speech or religion, but are still democratically chosen or elected. I think there’s a problem there. How do we react when populist individuals abuse the system for their own gain?”
With world condemnation, there must be meaningful action and meaningful action against nations that make these kind of ill-defined choices are often ineffective and meaningless. The Swiss took over the Council of Europe presidency as if the vote against religious freedom in Switzerland was not big deal. As far as we know, Switzerland still has full membership of the United Nations and all of its bodies. So far, the tough response is slow in coming and it may take years to get full religious freedom restored in Switzerland. It appears that business as usually for the relationship between the EU and Switzerland. There should be some kind of reaction, suspension of relationships with Switzerland, as the world cannot view the country as the same before Sunday’s vote.
Now would be the time to start the European Union’s activism on the world stage in defense of human rights, and in the EU own backyard, in Switzerland. I am searching for a reaction, at least a statement, from a European Union institution. In fact, a meeting of General Affairs and relations of the Council went on in Geneva, the day after the vote. With the passage of the vote that places Switzerland in clear violation of European and international human rights conventions that it is a party to – the holding of a General Affairs council meeting in Geneva should have been postponed and moved to another venue. Given that the two facts that the United Nations and its officials have condemned the Swiss vote and the role that the EU now wants to play on the world stage, this is a truly awful way for the EU to start off in its ambitions on the world stage that represent its values.
Nations that chose to vote away the basic rights of its minorities have no place among civilized nations of the world. Switzerland is now one such nation that must be excluded from the civilized world.
What is for sure, these violations of basic human rights need to not keep going unanswered – especially when they occur in Europe’s own backyard. There should be tough action against Switzerland, which should include suspension of membership of the Council of Europe and the United Nations. We get the Swiss assuming the presidency of the human rights body. The needs to be a beefing up of human rights institutions that produce swift responses to outrageous actions, like the Swiss vote. It might take a few years for the case to work its way up to the ECHR, and in the meantime, these threats against religious freedom in Europe continue to grow, as more of Europe’s loony right-wing have now called on more votes on religious freedom in EU Member States!
