Yep, 57% of the Swiss voted for a ban on minarets.

Personally I think it's a disgusting attack on religious freedoms. How would the west feel if Turkey banned church bells?

Your opinions?

The problem is something that can't be understood as easily as you all may think, just because too many people think that religious freedom = allow EVERYTHING.

Just think of this: why the major problems are related to Islamism? Why does it seem more problematic than other religions?

The truth is that Muslims are difficult people to deal with. I don't pretend to judge every Muslim, but they generally tend to practice (in a more or less aggressive way) their own customs and habits beyond their personal space. They go to live to other countries but they pretend to live the same way they live in their origin country, they don't care if the new country has a different culture or religion.

There are so many examples... Don't you remember what happened in France some years ago when a lot of Muslim youngsters revolted against the police and burnt cars? Even in this case, the criticism towards them wasn't allowed and "it turned out" that they were some kind of heroes revolting against the discrimination towards Islam... ¬_¬

There are more cases in France or in Spain (as far as I know) where Islamics don't respect the rules about noise levels (their early prayers, for instance or... surprise! the use of minarets for their call to prayers) and healthiness at their houses or worship places. But don't worry if you're a Muslim, when the local authorities ask you to accomplish the law that EVERYBODY must obey, you can just throw the "xenophobic card" and go to the media.

I know a case of a Muslim that didn't want to pay his part of neighbourhood expenses because the president of the Community Committee was a woman, at that time. In some other towns, they asked the local authorities to close the swimming pools to the general public, one day a week, for their women to take a bath. Some Muslims openly say that they want to spread the Muslim kingdom "with the wombs" of their women (this happens in Spain, especially, where they had been reigning after an invasion, back in the 8th century).

On the other hand, as a Christian you can't go to a Muslim country and openly profess your faith, in most of the cases.

Some European countries are worried about this issue, but they are not even allowed to show their concern because they would be automatically catalogued as racist and intolerant.

Yes, Muslims MUST have their freedom, but so does the other people.

...... too many people think that religious freedom = allow EVERYTHING. Isn't that the whole point in freedom?

.......why the major problems are related to Islamism. Bin Laden bankrupted the banks?

The truth is that Muslims are difficult people to deal with. .... they generally tend to practice (in a more or less aggressive way). No, they're actually not difficult to deal with. Don't offend Mohammed and they are actually extremely reasonable.

.....they don't care if the new country has a different culture or religion. Are they supposed to convert?

There are more cases in France or in Spain (as far as I know) where Islamics don't respect the rules about noise levels. I'm woken by church bells every Sunday morning on the hour. I wish them Christians would respect noise levels.

.......and healthiness at their houses or worship places.  Now that's just rude.

In some other towns, they asked the local authorities to close the swimming pools to the general public, one day a week, for their women to take a bath. Probably because the pool will make extra money. Take a bath? Are you sure they didn't go there to have a swim?

On the other hand, as a Christian you can't go to a Muslim country and openly profess your faith, in most of the cases. No, that's not true, most majority-muslim countries have a christian population too. Some might not allow churches but I don't see many mosques in the holy see either and their are only FOUR minarets in Switzerland.

Yes, Muslims MUST have their freedom, but so does the other people.

Obviously common sense has to play a factor here. People shouldn't go out of their way and hamper their own lives for another religion. On the other hand, most of what you described is either anecdotal or fine in my eyes.

Some people that must deal with this issues on a frequent basis don't think that this is "anecdotal or fine", surely.

The French Muslims had a pretty damned good reason to revolt. The unemployment rate and bigotry toward them was stifling the community.

Can you tell me where did this bigotry come from? I can tell you that it is mere racism, sometimes, but NOT ALWAYS. Why does this seem to happen only with Muslims? Don't you think that their peculiar attitude towards the "recipient" country has something to do?

And bringing up what a Christian can do in a Muslim country is a deflection of the argument. The US openly admitted to torture and we were lambasted by the Western world for it and for good reason... many people used the excuse "well, they torture our troops so it's only fair". The point is to rise above intolerance and unethical practices, not to accept them because your enemy (or in this case, a religious state) openly practices it.

People love to point out how screwed up the USA is at times (and it is) but I wouldn't trade our set-in-stone laws regarding speech and religion for anything.

First off, I wasn't talking about the USA and its issues with terrorism and so on.

"Deflection of the argument"... Nope, sir We're talking about how we treat each other and I'm just pointing out that their culture is intolerant enough to demand others what they don't even do in their countries.