Swiss Muslims Speak Out to Defend Swiss Flag against Claims it Offends Immigrants

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Muslims in Switzerland have distanced themselves from a suggestion to do away with the current Swiss flag in order to accomodate religious minorities.

 The suggestion, which has caused unwelcome tensions between the Swiss majority and the country's 5% Muslim minority, was actually made by a Christian multi-culturalist.

 Ivica Petrusic, vice president of immigrant association Secondos Plus, suggested dropping the cross from the Swiss flag and adopting a different flag instead.

 Petrusic says he himself is Christian, but he does not think a Christian symbol should be used in a country with so many atheists and people who profess other religions. He says the cross does not represent the religious and cultural diversity in Switzerland today.

 In an 18 September interview with the Swiss newspaper Aargauer Zeitung, Petrusic said the cross has a Christian background and while the Christian roots of Switzerland should be respected, "it is necessary to separate church and state" because "Switzerland today has a great religious and cultural diversity. One has to ask if the State wants to continue building up a symbol in which many people no longer believe."

 In the interview, Petrusic said Switzerland needs new symbols with which everyone, including non-Christians, can identify. As an alternative to the current Swiss flag (see image here), Petrusic proposed the former flag of the Helvetic Republic (see image here) which was officially introduced in 1799 and consisted of green, red and yellow colors. "Those colors are similar to the current flags of Bolivia and Ghana and would represent a more progressive and open-minded Switzerland," Petrusic said.

 The proposal to change the Swiss flag has been met with outrage across the political spectrum and has added fuel to anti-Muslim sentiments in Switzerland, especially since many people have mistaken Petrusic for a Muslim.

 Muslim leaders in the country have been quick to voice their disagreement with Petrusic and distance themselves from his demands.

 Hisham Maizar, head of Federation of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland, said the proposal for a religion-neutral flag was wrong and counter-productive.

 "We don't have any demands to upend the ancient traditions of other countries," he said.

Sources:

 "Switzerland: Muslims Oppose religion-neuitral Flag" Islam in Europe September 26, 2011
 Soeren Kern, "Immigrants Want Cross Removed from Swiss Flag" Hudson New York September 26, 2011

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