/ The Wrong Signal

On 29 November 2009 a Swiss majority voted in favour of a ban on minarets.
cfd is one of the organisations that actively worked against the initiative from the start, declaring it discriminatory and exclusionist. cfd argued against the acceptance of the initiative in various media and called for its rejection. During the run-up to the elections it seemed unlikely that voters would accept the initiative - making the result all the more shocking.

cfd regrets that this vote will lend more weight to negative attitudes towards Muslims in Switzerland based on fears and exclusionist tendencies, instead of fostering dialogue and openness. This was not only about building minarets - the supporters of the initiative were conducting a fundamentally anti-Islamic campaign, drawing a one-sided picture of a patriarchal and women-unfriendly Islam. Ironically, this image of Islam is least justified by the Swiss situation. It is outrageous that the issue of Muslim women's rights has been instrumentalised by the very parties that have, for years, systematically combated all motions relevant to gender equity within Switzerland. It rings decidedly hollow that these circles suddenly seem concerned about the suppression of Muslim women. A widespread animosity towards Islam in general will undermine the efforts made by reform and integration oriented Muslims. This could easily cause a return to more conservative positions, with corresponding negative effects for women.

This campaign was won by projecting a negative image of Islamism and a ban on minarets has been introduced. However, this has not brought us one step closer to solving any real problems - on the contrary. cfd will continue with her efforts to establish equal rights for all, no matter what gender, religion or origins, and to support the empowerment of all!

Cécile Bühlmann, cfd-Management