Published on Dec 01 2009 by Dr A Noor Ahmad - London

If the Swiss people had shown that they were more civilised and advanced in their tolerance of minarets, it would have shamed the entire Islamic world into rethinking their backward, intolerant stance vis-a-vis non-Islamic or minority faiths in their countries. It is really ironic, when one knows that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be with him) had written:

“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who are Christian, near and far: we are with them. Verily I, my servants, my helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them… No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would breach God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate…The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are not to be prevented from repairing them… No one of the Muslim nation is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day.”

Now, the Swiss decision will only harden intolerance in a Muslim world that has largely forgotten the great teachings of the Holy Prophet.