Tewder
Senior Member
It's the definition of "undesirable" that's key. A rational and reasonable argument for Sharia Law's undesirability can be made, but the same cannot be made for the minarets.
This is according to you, but not according to the Swiss. Why should you judge what is 'rational and reasonable' for them?
Xenophobia comes in degrees, so you cannot simply paint it as black and white.
I couldn't agree more which is why I think blanket terms like 'xenophobia' or 'racism' are problematic and have been rendered virtually useless through overuse. In short they are about shutting down dialogue rather than opening it.
There are 4 options for the Swiss (and Europeans in general). My problem is that the common citizen probably doesn't even consider them:
1) End immigration and watch your economy die.
Not true. There are many places in Europe that are actually overpopulated and do not need population growth through immigration, all the more so given housing shortages, stretched social programs and unemployment/economic issues. The greater concern is the rise of migrating people due to unliveable conditions in their homelands. Is the west supposed to integrate all of them at any cost?
2) Accept immigrants on strict conditions, and watch the development of an unappreciated, disconnected sub-class.
Preconditions should not be about denying basic human rights, the conditions are about assimilation to prevailing social norms that will help immigrants settle into society in their new homeland. It is a perceived lack of assimilation that often marginalizes immigrants in Europe and builds tensions between native citizens and newcomers.
3) Accept all immigrants and lose a lot of your cultural identity.
Europeans in general seem to welcome diversity even if they may be wary of losing their core traditional values, traditions and heritage etc.
4) ? The unknown option that energy should be expended on working towards.
Isn't the Swiss approach, or the French approach for that matter, just such an option? Immigrants are welcomed with reasonable conditions, 'reasonable' being that which is judged compatible with prevailing values and beliefs etc.