Title/Link: Muslims outraged over pig parts dumped at a Swiss mosque
Summary:
Summary:
On Friday, pig carcasses and severed swine heads were discovered at a Swiss mosque site with a note attached saying, “Protest against the growing expansion of Islam in Switzerland.” Police of Grenchen discovered the parts after receiving an anonymous message saying that someone had buried the body parts and spilled 120 liters of animal blood in efforts to stop the construction of the mosque. Pork products are forbidden in the Islamic religion. Similar events stopped the construction of a mosque in Spain earlier. Police have no suspects and cannot say if it was a hate crime or not. They say whoever committed the crime will be convicted of environmental pollution as well as illegal dumping of animal parts. This is just one instance of the growing “muslimphobia” that is occurring in Switzerland. Recently there was a ban of minarets in the country where the Muslims and the Christians have always lived together.
Response:
The police can think what they want but this clearly a hate crime. Who would even remotely want to dump pig parts on a mosque sit? It's horrible that the police don't see it like this. I believe this just gives Christians a bad rep, but that bad rep is most definitely deserved. Come on, people need to show religious tolerace. I hope the police will do something to find this man, women or group and bring them to justice for a hate crime rather than "environmental pollution" or "illegal dumping of animal parts."I wouldn't be surprised if Switzerland becomes a high ranking target on one of the terror organizations lists for this. But that is just my opinion. All I can really push for is religious tolerance. I come from a school where there are many religions and we don't experience any events like this, and I know there are places in the world where these religions live together peacefully. Let's just hope that they catch the person or persons who did this.
Vocab:
1. Haram
Pork and pork byproducts are haram, or forbidden, in Islam.
Definition:
forbidden or proscribed by Islamic law
Origin:
from Arabic ḥarām ‘forbidden.’
Sentence:
They did not eat the bacon because it was haram in Islam
2. Desecration
Says that a similar desecration in Spain earlier halted another mosque construction project.
Definition:
treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect
Origin:
late 17th cent.: from de- (expressing reversal) + a shortened form of consecrate .
Sentence:
The rebels were horrified at the desecration of the graves of their dead.
3. Minarets
"Since the ban on minarets there's been an increase in Islamophobia and Islamophobic events, so it was not really surprising" said Illi.
Definition:
A tall slender tower, typically part of a mosque, with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer.
Origin:
late 17th cent.: from French, or from Spanish minarete, Italian minaretto, via Turkish from Arabic manār(a) ‘lighthouse, minaret,’ based on nār ‘fire or light.’
Sentence:
The evening prayers were called from the minaret in the center of the city.
This is a really interesting topic, but that may just be due to the reason that i live in Saudi Arabia.
ReplyDeleteIf an action such as spilling pork products in the mosques would have taken place in Saudi itself (chances are low since it's a Muslim country) then there would be serious consequences. Death penalty being one of the greatest possibilities.
I'm surprised that there hasn't been much Muslim uprising against the Christians, especially since they have lived there for generations.