Message From the President: The Politics of Minarets
“I don’t want to open my window and see a Minaret," the chairman of the zoning board in Bridgeview, Illinois blurted out. The crowd of mostly Muslim congregants was stunned by the unexpected proclamation during the board’s deliberation to grant a permit for the expansion of the Mosque Foundation which included a 60 feet Minaret. No one expected such blunt opposition to the "Minaret,” a beautiful and innocent traditional element of the Islamic house of worship.
When the majority of the “neutral” Swiss citizens voted to change their constitution in order to ban the construction of new Minarets in Switzerland, the memories of the Mosque Foundation experience and the painful historic memories of the Minarets in Europe rushed through my brain.
Before electricity, watches and microphones, Minarets were erected to call for prayer, or what is called "Adhan." Bilal, the first muezzin or caller for prayer, made the call from the top of the tallest building in Medina and then from the roof of the Kaaba in Mecca calling believers to “Hasten to Prayer” and “Hasten to Success.” Over time, Minarets became an integral part of the design of the Mosque, similar in significance to the bell tower in the church. They became symbols of the connection between heaven and earth, a reminder of prayer and a reflection of mastery in architecture, simplicity, art, spirituality and beauty. Minarets were used also for ventilation purposes and to illuminate the city skies at night. Minarets reflected the prevailing architectural style of their time and place. Andulasian Minarets were different from Othman ones. Minarets in Damascus were different from their sisters in Timbuktu or China.
Muslims in Spain built great Mosques and marvelous Minarets. At one point, the Andalusian city of Cordoba had one thousand Mosques, the greatest of which was the great Cordoba Mosque that had a magnificent Minaret. After the Spanish Reconquista, the Mosque was converted to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, and the Minaret was converted to a Church bell tower. Hence the Swiss ban may open old wounds in the hearts of European Muslims.
The Swiss referendum claimed that the construction of minarets is not protected by freedom of religion as they have ‘no religious significance.’ They assert that minarets are symbols of a religious-political claim to power and dominance which threaten - in the name of alleged freedom of religion - the constitutional rights of others. So, it looks that the Swiss, who perfected manufacturing watches, chocolate, cheese and Swiss knives know something about the secrets of Minarets that all Muslims and the rest of the world do not know.
Their claim is as preposterous as saying that the Swiss logo of a white cross on red background sealed on all Swiss products (including watches, chocolate, cheese, bicycles and Swiss Army knives) is not only a symbol of the Swiss flag, but a symbol of religious-political dominance of Christianity and a reminder of the Crusade.
It is obvious that the real problem is not with the Minarets themselves, but with those who pray in buildings with Minarets. It is the fear of the increasing number and influence of European Muslims. The real fear is not in changing the skylines of Swiss cities by the four lonely Minarets in a country of 400,000 Muslims representing 4% of the population, but from European Islam becoming more confident and assertive in the civic, cultural and political lives of what is considered the bedrock of Christianity.
According to the National Intelligence Council, the number of Muslim population is projected to become 28 million by 2025 from its current estimate of 15-20 millions. By mid-century, Muslims could represent 25% of the population in France and Germany, and 15% of the population in Europe (excluding Turkey).
Rising Muslim immigration in Europe has set off some alarms and resurrected historic fears of the impending Islamic demographic dominance in Europe. In his book, The Cube and the Cathedral, American Catholic author George Weigel imagines a future in which the muezzin calls Muslims to prayer from Saint Peter’s Basilica, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris has been turned into “Hagia Sophia on the Seine.” To make things even worse, the rise of Islamic extremism post 9/11 has been fueling this fear, especially with the rise of the ugly face of Islamophobia in Europe and in the US. The victims of this reactionary fear so far have been the women's head scarf in France and the Minaret in Switzerland.
The most recent report of the Open Society Institute confirms this fact stating that: “Though the majority of Muslims are a long-standing and integral part of the fabric of their cities, many experience discrimination and social and economic disadvantages. Muslims in Europe today are also under heightened suspicion and scrutiny. This complex situation presents Europe with one of its greatest challenges: how to effectively ensure equal rights and social cohesion in a climate of political tension, economic uncertainty and rapidly expanding diversity."
The Swiss referendum, initiated by two Swiss parties, brings to memory the history of European intolerance, not only to Islam but also to Judaism. The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities objected to the ban on building minarets, and its president, Dr. Herbert Winter, said, “As Jews we have our own experience. For centuries we were excluded. We were not allowed to construct synagogues or cupola roofs. We do not want that kind of exclusion repeated.”
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After six months of Zoning Board debate in Bridgeview, and after requiring the Mosque Foundation to sign a pledge not to use the proposed Minaret to “call for prayer,” the Board was tied in their decision and the matter was moved to the Bridgeview Village Council who ultimately decided unanimously to grant the expansion permit. Today, the Mosque Foundation, like its lucky four sister Mosques in Switzerland, is crowned by a symbolic green-lit Minaret, calling out to the hearts of the believers, "Hasten to the prayer! Hasten to success! God is Great! There is no god but Allah!"