Switzerland's anti-Minaret campaign poster. Picture by rytc.

By Tom Trewinnard.

Switzerland’s controversial referendum decision to ban the construction of new minarets for Swiss mosques has caused varying degrees of concern in the Arab world, and attracted a wide ranging debate about the reasons behind the decision.

Independent online daily Nawwar reports that amongst observers, whether Swiss, Arab, or Muslims of any ethnicity “understanding the nature and significance of this initiative differs from one person to the next, some see it as a storm in a teacup, while others see it as flagrant evidence of the “spirit of religious war” persisting in the subconscious of many people in the West.”

فهم طبيعة هذه المبادرة ودلالتها يختلف من فئة إلى أخرى، فهناك من يرى أنها زوبعة في فنجان، وهناك من يرى أنها تعبير قاطع على أن “روح الحروب الدينية” لا تزال تتحكم في لاشعور فئات واسعة في الغرب

While observers playing down the significance of this vote are few and far between, this decision has left many Arab Muslims feeling angry and scared. “I don’t know what is happening in Switzeland. Islam is fought in every age by all possible means. May Allah (God) guide everyone. Oh Allah. Do not impose upon us, because of our sins, those who lack mercy and do not fear You,” reads one comment on the story, from popular Egyptian news site Al-Youm Al Sabia.

انا مش عارف ايه اللى بيحصل ده فى سويسرا ، الاسلام حظه كده فى كل عصر انه يتحارب باى شكل من الاشكال ، وربنا يهدى الناس جميعا ، اللهم لا تسلط علينا بذنوبنا من لا يخافك ولا يرحمنا

As for why the Swiss took the decision to ban new minarets, many commentators refer to a growing anti-Islam push that is taking place throughout Europe. Renowned novelist and political activist Alaa al-Aswani, in an Op-Ed for independent Egyptian daily Al-Shrouq, insists this is not the case:

“This incident proves to us that in reality not all westerners are enemies of Islam, as some of our extremist sheikhs would have us believe…. The western racist and islamophobic ideology is not new. What is new is the fact that this ideology has increased in support because of Westerners’ fear of the bloody, backwards image that some Muslims voluntarily portray of their religion. Those who signed the petition for the ban of minarets, are not necessarily racist haters of Islam, but they are afraid of a religion that they do not know and is only associated, in their minds, with murder, bloodshed and oppression of women…”

ن الفكر العنصرى الغربى الكاره للعرب والمسلمين، ليس جديدا لكن الجديد أنه يكتسب المزيد من المؤيدين وذلك بسبب خوف الغربيين من الصورة الدموية المتخلفة التى يتطوع بعض المسلمين بتقديمها عن دينهم، فالذين وقعوا العريضة من أجل منع المآذن، ليسوا بالضرورة عنصريين كارهين للإسلام، لكنهم خائفون من دين لا يعرفونه يرتبط دائما فى أذهانهم بالقتل والدماء واضطهاد المرأة.. ولنا أن نتخيل رد فعل المواطن الغربى عندما يشاهد فى التليفزيون السيد أسامة بن لادن وهو يطالب بذبح أكبر عدد من النصارى والكفار أو رد فعل المرأة الغربية عندما تستمع إلى أحد شيوخ التطرف وهو يؤكد أن المرأة المسلمة يجب أن ترتدى نقابا بعين واحدة

Another interesting dimension to this debate, is the way the decision in Switzerland has led many to question how religious minorities are treated in the Middle East. One of the 500 or so comments on al-Aswani’s post asks “Why does the author bother himself with what is happening in Switzerland but does not start a campaign to eradicate the cultural roots of the repeated and ongoing attacks against Copts in Egypt?”.

لماذا يوجع الكاتب رأسه بما يحدث في سويسرا ولا يقوم بتوجيه حملة تحاول القضاء على الجذور الثقافية للاعتداءات المتوالية على الأقباط في مصر

In a fascinating blog post discussing the role of the minaret not only in religion, but also in identity and heritage, Egyptian Muslim blogger Tarek closes by voicing his dissatisfaction at the ban, “in the end I am against the Swiss decision. But I am also against the Egyptian non-decision which contributes, in one way or another, to the oppression and dissolution of a people and its culture. While in Switzerland and other places, the governments may be to blame. Here the blame lies with the people.”

ففي النهاية أنا ضد القرار السويسري. لكنني أيضا ضد اللا قرار المصري الذي ساهم بشكل أو بأخر في طمس هوية شعب و ثقافته. و إن كان اللوم في سويسرا و غيرها قد يقع على الحكومات فاللوم هنا يقع على الناس

Thanks to Tom, Rebecca, and Nouran for help with translations.

A typical front page of the Daily Mail with shrill anti-immigrant headline. Image by Malias.

One of Britain’s leading right wing newspapers, The Daily Mail, appears to have lost touch with its readers over its criticism of the fascist Islamophobic British National Party and its leader Nick Griffin.

In recent days, Mail readers have overwhelmingly voiced support for Griffin and the BNP on the paper’s website, despite trenchant attacks on the party by the outlet’s leading commentators.

The clash comes on the back of Griffin’s first ever appearance on the BBC’s flagship political debate programme, Question Time, on Thursday night in which the extremist defended his description of Islam as ‘vile and wicked’, repeated his view that homosexuals were ‘creepy’, and failed to refute that he had a record of Holocaust denial.

The Daily Mail, which is renowned for its ability to provide what its right-leaning readers want to hear, will undoubtedly be concerned by the comments, some of which cite Mail reporting as part of an establishment conspiracy against Griffin and his party.

“Most of the idiots writing pieces such as this live in large houses , miles away from towns that no longer look British but more like third world slums,” wrote one reader called Sammy.

“Shops, market stalls,and language are all foreign,” she continues.  ”That is why the BNP are popular and these so called writers have no real concept of what is happening in the UK , rather like the thieving , too busy filling in my fraudulent expense claims to worry about what the voters want , politicians.”

Writing in today’s Mail Online, Edward Heathcoat Amory attempts to debunk Nick Griffin’s ‘empty rhetoric’ casting  a critical eye on the BNP leader’s claims on Question Time.

Amory says: ‘The BNP’s immigration policy is voluntary repatriation of ‘immigrants’ (ie non-whites) regardless of whether they were born here. There is no evidence that any but a tiny minority of British people support such a plan.”

Greg from Coalville in Leicestershire responds: “Well mr amory i dont know where you get this “tiny minority” you mention who want repatriation, i suggest you get out and about a bit more to where the real people live and you will find that ii is a lot lot more than a tiny minority.”

Cedric from Hickinbottom says: “I am totally fed up with this “witch-hunt”.”

“In the past you have stood up for nearly all the points Nick Griffin as said his party would do if elected, all but in a less extreme way.

“You should be criticising the Libs,Labs& Cons. for not pursuing the things that matter most to the British people!”

A Richards in London says: “Mr Heathcoat Amory, where have you been, on holiday? We’ve heard all this before – the usual lies, smears and innuendos wearing thinner every time they’re wheeled out. ”

John Gray in Stamford says: “Reality. Their policies are representative of the mainstream which apparently does not include the author of this skewed dross.”

Earlier, star commentator Max Hastings described Griffin as an ‘empty vessel’ who had nothing to say, and was easily made to seem ’slippery and repugnant’ when asked about his attitude to the Holocaust.

But, in a difficult balance to strike with angry readers, Hastings tried to address their concerns on immigration.

On Tory Baroness Warsi’s suggestion of a cap in immigration numbers, Hastings said: “At last almost everybody in the studio could address what they know is the real issue. ”

“Nobody except Nick Griffin wants to send every immigrant in Britain home. But almost everybody outside the current government knows that the current policy of allowing unrestricted entry has been a catastrophe.”

He also attacked the Labour representative, Jack Straw.

” It was a very bad night for Straw, and for the Government on an issue of vital concern to millions of people.”

But it wasn’t enough for readers.

A reader from Glasgow commented: “Well, I won’t be tuning for Max Hastings worthless opinions on anything in future. Ever”

B Brodie said: “Max Hastings I thought journalists were supposed to report facts! This is a biased and inaccurate piece of writing.”

“Griffin was hounded last night by the so called ‘acceptable’ political parties and a ‘historian’ who came across as an idiot.

“The BNP will continue to do well until people are alowed to state what they really think, NO MORE IMMIGRATION of any colour.”

“I think the Daily Mail should employ Nick Griffin as a columnist,” said Ivor Wynard from Nantwich, Cheshire.

“How about listening to what the man actually said, he was brilliant and represents a growing number of people,” said Hugo in London.

The criticism of Hastings focused on the fact that – in the minds of readers – the Question Time panel and audience was set up to be biased against the BNP by the BBC and that the words ‘repugnant’ and ’slippery’ should be applied to Jack Straw instead.

John Salkfield in Sheffield said: “Last night, as expected, was a concerted effort to shout down Griffin. The establishment will not allow the people a voice.”

Mike in Alicante said: “Sorry Max, all that was exposed yesterday was the levels to which the liberal left stoop.”

“And tonight we abandon the normal Question Time and present the ‘Nick Griffin is a very bad man show’”,” said Patrick Harrington in Edinburgh.

“Mr Hastings – firstly a man of your intelligence should have seen that last nights Question Time, was nothing more then a political show trial, aimed at one man to knock him back from where he came,” said Michael West in Yeovil.

Others described the BBC programme as an ‘asbsolute stitch up’, ‘biased’ and ‘in breach of charter’.

One went as far as to say: “Griffin was clearly set up, hundreds of people onto one man, the room was full of foreigners masquerading as Brits who showed their true colours with their lack of the British sense of fair play, a principle any true Brits would of shown without hesitation.”

The comments suggest the Daily Mail is struggling to keep up with the increasingly right wing, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant readership that it has long tried to stir with articles like ‘Muslim student, 18, banned from college because she refuses to remove her burkha’ which appears on the front page today.

Muslims in particular feature as a source of agitation for the Daily Mail, which seeks to present Muslims as foreign, monolithically determined to undermine Britain’s culture, and incapable of integrating.

But it appears the position has stirred a readership more right wing than the Daily Mail is prepared to go.

One reader, Mike Slaw from Manchester, summed up the growing chasm between readers and the paper’s editorial line: “The Daily mail columnists, almost to a man (and woman) bleat on about immigration, Islamism and Europe and how these are the key issues of the day. But..they never provide any credible course of action.”

The Daily Mail responded to the fracture today by publishing an article turning the focus of its ire away from Nick Griffin to the BBC, stoking MPs’ concerns that the public service broadcaster was  ’playing into Nick Griffin’s hands by stage-managing the Question Time onslaught.’

It is not clear, however, how many commenting readers over the past three days have been BNP supporters defending their man.  The challenge the comments present to Mail coverage would suggest its columnists should engage with readers in a style in keeping with bloggers, rather than remaining aloof.

On an article reporting Griffin’s claim he had been unfairly treated on the show, Simon from Oxford said: “ I was happy that he was going to appear, because it would reveal how his policies are either repellant or non-existent (I’d love it if they’d asked him how his party would handle national debt, or the environment, or anything other than their single-policy of immigration).

“And, having watched it, I felt sure that nobody could come away thinking the BNP viable or anything other than morally reprehensible.”

“And then I come here, and see that the most popular comments are those supporting the BNP, whereas the least popular is a completely innocuous one in support of (the rather wonderful) Bonnie Greer!”

“How incredibly worrying. It just goes to show that people will see what they want to see – did you really see a future prime minister on that programme last night?? Oh, I hope not.”

The comment was one of the most negatively ranked in the thread.

DISCLAIMER: I used to work as a Mail Online producer.  The staff were from different backgrounds, friendly and supportive.

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