Originally posted by RSMA1234Is the question:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6992670.stm
Are the Swiss racist or are they just taking their usual netural stance to the rest of the world ?
Having been to Zurich a few times, I did get the feeling that my money was welcome, but not me.
In a democratic society, if someone from somewhere else wants to become a permanent member of a given community is it something that he current members of the community should be allowed to decide in a democratic manner or should it be forced on them so as to be 'fair' to the person wanting to join?
Or are you asking:
Since they currently have that choice and their choices to date have been biased along race/religion lines does that make them racist?
I support their right to decide and think there probably are some racist swiss people but it is more likely that their decisions are motivated more along religious or cultural lines than race.
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Originally posted by twhiteheadIf something is decided along religious line / culture lines, does that a form of discrimation ?
Is the question:
In a democratic society, if someone from somewhere else wants to become a permanent member of a given community is it something that he current members of the community should be allowed to decide in a democratic manner or should it be forced on them so as to be 'fair' to the person wanting to join?
Or are you asking:
Since they curr ...[text shortened]... re likely that their decisions are motivated more along religious or cultural lines than race.
My friends wife moved from the UK to london, she is going through her citzern test etc, so the local community are not being involed in decideing, I personally agree with this approach.
If someone moves to another country, they should learn the lanague and customes and history, but I donlt think the people that live their have a right to decided who comes in. As you mentioned, culture / relgious view can cloud a persons view.
So my question is "Since they currently have that choice and their choices to date have been biased along race/religion lines does that make them racist or are they just being the usual Swiss selfs and taking a netural stance"
Originally posted by RSMA1234It is a form of discrimination but not always wrong, racial discrimination is wrong because you are making the assumption that someone with a given skin color or of a given race has certain other characteristics which is not necessarily true. The same is less true for religion.
If something is decided along religious line / culture lines, does that a form of discrimation ?
My friends wife moved from the UK to london,
You got something wrong there.
..she is going through her citzern test etc, so the local community are not being involed in decideing, I personally agree with this approach.
Well it depends on the country and its politics. Switzerland has much more decentralized democracy so the local communities get more say in the matter.
If someone moves to another country, they should learn the lanague and customes and history,
Why should they learn all that?
but I donlt think the people that live their have a right to decided who comes in.
Why not? Don't you believe that the populace own the country?
As you mentioned, culture / relgious view can cloud a persons view.
But maybe rightly so. Why shouldn't they be allowed to decide who joins their community?
So my question is "Since they currently have that choice and their choices to date have been biased along race/religion lines does that make them racist or are they just being the usual Swiss selfs and taking a netural stance"
As I said, some are probably racist, some are probably bigoted, and some just think that allowing Muslims to live there is likely to cause disharmony and they would not be wrong about that. (Though it must be noted that the disharmony may be caused by the non-Muslims).
One of the problems is that there is virtually no attemp at integration made by foreigners in Switzerland. Swiss people are proud of their heritage and see immigration as a cause of conflict.
This is a double edged sword, immigration laws make it very difficult for people having been granted asylum to work legally, and when they start dealing drugs to make money, the negative image is enforced.
On the other hand Swiss people are generally against immigration. At the moment there is a lot of debate about the number of young Germans coming to work in Zurich and how this is distorting life there.
So it's not exactly a no-muslims no-blacks policy.