The Swiss Referendum: We want no more minarets! What the hell!!!

 

I was hoping not to write this article, but then again today’s Swiss Referendum just upset my stomach. Exactly a month ago I went to Switzerland for 5 days and decided with my old room-mate, Javier, to cycle around the country. So we did. One thing struck me though. In all major cities, train-stations, bus-stops and on a large number of publicity boards one image kept reappearing. It was the image of a Muslim woman with a Minaret in the background. It was in German, but I could understand it saying “STOP”. I asked my friend, who is pursuing sociology as a career, to enlighten me on the matter. “Yes, I know. It is really strange. The biggest Swiss political party, the SPP (Swiss People’s Party) is campaigning against the building of minarets”. I looked at my friend quite shocked. “Are you kidding me? No, this is just a joke, right?” – “No, my friend. It is anything but a joke. This is happening in tolerant, neutral Switzerland”. – answered Javier.

Before I start getting into the substance, let’s define the term. A Minaret is a column-like structure attached to mosques, which is used to call the believers to pray five times a day. Put it simply, it is a tower from which Muslims are called to pray.

Reading today’s news I came across what I did not expect to happen in “tolerant, neutral” Switzerland. On this day, 29^th of November, the Swiss voted against building minarets in their country!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let us not forget that this is a country which is renowned for its neutrality, tolerance, direct democracy, people’s rights. It is not a member of the EU; it had denied becoming a member of the EEA; it is not a NATO member; it is one of the last states to join the UN. And in this so called “people’s heaven” this is what the majority of 59% voted for today: A ban to build minarets in the country.

Let us not forget that Switzerland is a member of the Council of Europe, it endorsed the European Convention on Human Rights which in article 9 provides for the freedom of thought, conscience and religion of everyone. It can only be subject to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. (ECHR, art.9 para.2). Where the hell is there a need to protect public order, health or morals in such a situation! Nowhere.

Furthermore art.15 and 36 of the Swiss Federal Constitution provide the following:

Art. 15 Freedom of religion and conscience

1 Freedom of religion and conscience is guaranteed.

2 Everyone has the right to choose freely their religion or their philosophical convictions, and to profess them alone or in community with others.

3 Everyone has the right to join or to belong to a religious community, and to follow religious teachings.

4 No one shall be forced to join or belong to a religious community, to participate in a religious act, or to follow religious teachings.

Art. 36 Restrictions on fundamental rights

1 Restrictions on fundamental rights must have a legal basis. Significant restrictions must have their basis in a federal act. The foregoing does not apply in cases of serious and immediate danger where no other course of action is possible.

2 Restrictions on fundamental rights must be justified in the public interest or for the protection of the fundamental rights of others.

3 Any restrictions on fundamental rights must be proportionate.

4 The essence of fundamental rights is sacrosanct.

What did the Swiss referendum do today? Basically it violated the country’s Constitution, the ECHR and just basic common sense. Reading today’s papers I came across the following numbers. Out of 7,7 million people, only 6 % percent are of Muslim decent (majority from the former Yugoslavia) and out of these people only 13% practice the religion! You know how much that is? 60 thousand people. And in the whole country only 4 minarets had been built up to this moment. Yes, you read it well. 60 thousand people practice Islam in Switzerland. There are more people who believe that ET created the world and Harry Potter is real. What the hell did the Swiss people do today? And yes, I say the Swiss people because they have a system of semi-direct democracy,  so what the people vote for is pretty much law. You don’t need any further endorsement by the Legislative Power. (art.138-142, especially art.142 para.1 of the Swiss Constitution)

Looking at the numbers, the fact that only 4 minarets were ever built, the fact that such a minaret is smaller then a telephone pole (if you were expecting to see the Taj Mahal or the Great Mosque with its minarets from Istanbul you are wrong!) I ask myself, basing my conclusion on art.36 of the Swiss Constitution. What kind of public interest would justify such a thing? How is this act proportionate in anyway? And yes, fundamental rights are sacrosanct! Well it looks like 59% of the Swiss thought it otherwise.

I am deeply disappointed by this outcome. I thought that the actions of the Dutch monkey, Geert Wilders, were exaggerated. It reminds me of the old mayor of Cluj-Napoce (Kolozsvar, Klausenburg) that plagued the city for 12 years. A person who poisoned the two communities of the city and unfortunately this is what the Swiss SPP and the people who voted for it are going to do.

 

Bibliography and further reading

-         Swiss Federal Constitution – English version – http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/1/101.en.pdf

-         European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

-         The Guardian – http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/29/swiss-minarets-ban-referendum

-         The New York Times – http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/11/29/world/news-us-swiss-minarets.html?_r=1&hp

-         www.wikipedia.com

Bio Food….No more E’s

For a better view click on the comic…

“Well, the only bad thing is that a Vibrator can’t take the trash out” – Or can it?

Wednesday discussion with some friends…couple of shots of vodka

Male friend: Yeah, but still…Men are men…You can’t replace a man…

Female friend: Hmm…well, the only bad thing is that a Vibrator can’t take the trash out.

Me: And what if it could?

Female friend: [Huge satisfied smile on her face]

So this is how I thought of the matter and made this small comic Enjoy

Valószínűleg…

Utrecht….Falnak támaszt. Egyik lábammal a falon. Bal kezemben ő, jobb kezemben egy üveg vodka…Maholnap egy éve nem láttam. Külföldről érkezett. Már ő sem utrechti… Nem igazán tudom mit érzek most iránta….valami még ott van… Még mindig érzem benne a lappangó vadat…kissé elfásultam, mozdulataim elvesztették folyékonyságukat. Kezdek újból fölébredni. Nem tudom mi éget jobban, ajkaimon csókja, a vágy, hogy újból vele legyek vagy a hangszálaimon végigfutó korty vodka…

-         Kívánlak, de nagyon…suttogja fülembe.

-         Tudom….és kortyolok még egyet az üvegből. Ajkaiból áramló cigifüst oltja az égető vodkát.

-         Nincs szobám

-         Nekem sem

-         Majd meglátogatsz…és fejét mellemhez simítja.

-         Valószínűleg…

4.45 perc…Gyors és mámoros léptekkel megyek a vonatállomás fele. Valószínűleg.

 

Utrecht ….őszi reggel, hajnali 5 körül, vonatállomás

Dă-mi un iieuro în Brussel…Eşti un om rău…

Slavă Domnului că am scăpat pentru o zi de cerul tipic olandez de noiembrie…un cer apăsător, cenuşiu care l-ar face şi pe Bacovia să-şi taie venele….În frumoasa zi de sâmbătă am avut norocul de a mă întâlni cu Rossana în Bruxelles. Numai pentru câteva ore, dar când este vorba de o prietenă Erasmus, din Parnassos nici nu te mai interesează orele petrecute pe tren…O zii însorită, mii de turişti pe străzile oraşului. În fundal muzicieni sud americani, gălăgia mulţimii, blitzurile japonezilor, Grand Place sau Grote Markt, Manneken Pis îmbrăcat în ţinută sportivă şi desigur o terasă simplă în mijlocul mulţimii. Pe fiecare colţ de stradă cerşetori, şi în mulţime zăresc şi o ţigancă. Să zicem o gaboriţă după cum era îmbrăcată. Mă întorc spre Rossana – „Cât îmi dai dacă îţi spun că-i din România?” – “Da de unde ştii? Nici n-ai vorbit cu ea.” – „Crede-mă, ştiu.”

Mai bine de o oră vorbim încontinuu. Multe s-au petrecut într-un an şi din păcate timpul ne apasă…Oricum o cafea, un capucino şi două bucăţi de croissant. Poveşti după poveşti. În câteva minute simt cum scap de sistemul mai închis în care am început să trăiesc. Oamenii-s mai deschişi, mai veseli….O zi să zicem cât se poate de ideală…Ce-i mai face iubitul, cum merge facultatea, cât de greu este conservatorul sunt întrebări la care aştept răspunsul prietenei din Abruzzo. O zii aproape perfectă după cum am zis, numai că păsărelele nu cântă pentru-că este deja noiembrie….”Offrir un euro pour moi et mon bébé.” – aud dintr-o dată. Mă uit spre dreapta mea şi o văd pe gaboriţă. Cu o franceză mult mai clară decât cea a lui Băsescu repetă întrebarea, după care continuă şi în româneşte. „- Dă-mi un iieuro că am un copil”. Nu-mi vine să cred. Îmi deschid ochii şi urechile şi mai mult. Poate n-am auzit eu bine. „Ce vrei?” – o întreb în româneşte. Se vede cum se schimbă mimica pe faţa ei. O mimică care trădează ce gândeşte („Clar că ăsta n-o să-mi dea nicun ban că-i de acas’ “). Mai repetă o dată întrebarea. „Te rog frumos lasă-ne în pace.” – îi zic cu un ton mai sever. „Eşti un om rău” – îmi zice gaboriţa şi se duce la următoarea masă. Săraca Rossana se uită mirată. Nu ştie ce s-a petrecut s-au ce am vorbit. Asta e, sunt un om rău, îmi zice o gaboriţă care probabil şi-a lăsat acasă lanţurile de aur şi care ajută foarte mult la promovarea imaginii dragei noastre ţări…Asta-i lumea în care trăim şi data viitoare când călătoriţi, nu vă miraţi că cei de la Passport Control se uită mai ciudat la paşaportul vostru.

 

Bruxelles 14 noiembrie 2009

Maastricht

Vonati gondolatok

00.41 perc és még mindig a vonaton utazom hazafele. Roermondot hagytam el és Sittard fele közeledek. Még kb. fél óra és Maastrichtban vagyok. Az eddigi nehéz péntekeim még nehezebbé váltak. Reggel fél kilenckor szemináriumon kell forgassam agytekervényeimet, 1O.56-kor már a vonatot kell elkapjam Utrecht fele, fél kettőkor kezdem a melót és este fél tizenegykor végzem.

A több hónapig húzódó gondok javarésze megoldódott. A héten Zummal találkoztam és kissé bejártam vele Utrechtet. Holnap már Brüsszelben kell kávézzak Rossanaval, hisz pár napig ott tartózkodik. Érzem az elmúlt Isten tudja hány év fáradalmait- Egyszerűen kimerültem, de nem panaszkodom. Kezdek egyre jobban a holland társadalom részévé válni és néha félek ettől a gondolattól. Semmi sem zavar, nem idegeskedem igazán, kis jegyzőkönyvecském mindig nálam, amibe lejegyzem a különböző dátumokat, teendő valókat. Zum látogatása alatt vettem észre, hogy mennyit változtam hisz otthon normálisnak tünő dolgok már nem azok számomra…Nehéz hetem volt. Most már hétfőn is kell melózzak. Kell fedezzem a költségeket- Az egyetemre is irtó sok az anyag, a Jessup versenyre már kell írjuk a Memorial-okat és Januárban csakis a szóbeli részére összpontosítunk. Június vége óta már eltelt pár hónap. Már a harmadik lakásomon tartózkodom, de ez már végleges. Mesteri cserém sikerrel végződött. Nem tudom még mire lesz pénzem és hol leszek másodévben- Igenis két éves lesz a mesteri és 1 vagy 2 másik testvér egyetemen kell majd töltsem másod évemet. Dél Afrika és Chile az első két választás, de majd meglátjuk, még hogyan alakulnak a dolgok. Januárig már le kell adjam a papírokat. Januártól kezdődnek a francia kurzusaim is, Február elején a verseny holland szakaszára kerül sor. Majd meglátom ha idén is eljutok Washingtonba vagy nem….Mindez jól hangzik, mind e-mellett sok munka, erőfeszítés és tervezés. Érzem jól, hogy ez az évem nem az utrechti év. Már alig-alig vetődök egy-egy bulira. Megkomolyodtam, sok a teendő valóm és félek, hogy kezdek betokosodni.

Lefoglaltam a repülőjegyem is hazafele. Brüsszelből repülők Pestre és onnan elvesz a nagy bratyó. Honvágyam van. Nem titkolom, hisz nem volt könnyű félévem és igazán érzem, hogy haza kell menjek. Sovány két hetet fogok otthon ülni, de most érzem, hogy hiányzik az otthon. De legalább felkészít majd a második félévemre. Ki tudja ha lejutok a déli féltekébe, onnan, még hogyan fogok visszakerülni. Sok a terv, afrikai túrák, Andok megmászása meg hasonlók forognak most a fejemben, de érzem, hogy kell az otthon most. Kell Kolozsávr, kell Dányán, kell a család, kellenek a barátok, az otthoni légkör, a por, a zsúfolt gödrös utak, az anyjapicsázó taxi sofőr. Még egy jó 5, 6 hét és otthon leszek kissé. Majd meglátom az Új Évet milyen erővel kezdem. Lehetőleg frissebben, mint most.

Kis beszámolónak szántam ezt az irkát, azoknak főleg, akikkel régóta nem beszéltem és netán kérdezősködnek merre kóborlok mostanában.

 

Roermond-Sittard között – 2009, nov.14

I just have a face for it ;) …

Mielőtt arról beszélnék, hogy a bőrömből ugrok ki a boldogságtól, mert végre van hivatalos lakásszerződésem és a mesteri cserém is végre befejeződött, kissé mesélnék arról, hogy igaz, hogy a RUHA TESZI AZ EMBERT!!! Ha nem a ruha, legalább a szakáll.

Kb. kettő éve hordok folytonosan szakállt. Mikor körszakáll, mikor kecske, mikor bajusz, mikor 5 napos borotválatlan. Jelenleg az öt napos borotválatlan a stílus. Mindig is kedveltem a kapucnis felsőket, rajta tavaszi kabáttal de most már egyre kedvelem a kalapokat és símédereseket is. Sőt az egyik új kalapommal tisztán Rocky Balboanak mutatok. Most mi az érdekes ebben? Hogy valami módon én nagyon is vonzom azokat az embereket, akiket mások elkerülnek. (Plusz, hogy sötétebb bőrű és hajú kelet európai is vagyok. Már többször megkérdezték ha nem-e Marokkó kedves tájairól pottyantam ide ).

Íme a példák:

-         Múlt évben Utrechtben szegény Adela nem tudott lopott bingához jutni, mert egyik bringa kupec sem állította meg. Engem mindem második este, valamelyik sötét utcában megállítottak a szürke alakok és kérdezték „Fietsen, Fietsen? – Bringa, Bringa?”

-         Általában, amikor segíteni akarok az öreg hölgyeken, mogorván visszautasítanak. Előtte persze mindig fentről le átvizsgálnak. „Aham, trógerül öltözik, bevándorló, szakállas. Biztos akar valamit tőlem” – kb ez megy végbe a nyanya fejében.

Na de azért ma már egyenest drogkereskedőnek néztek. Fél órát kellett várjak az állomáson, hogy az új lakótárssal beszéljük meg a szoba dolgot. Várás persze, hogy a Maastrichti vonatállomás előtt történt, és persze, hogy ez az a hely ahol minden drog kupec (bevándorlók mind) tanyázik. Ugyanis itt folyik jól a drogturizmus. A belga és a német ifjaktól hemzsegnek a coffeshopok.

Na és várás közben 4-szer kérdezték meg tőlem a kupecek ha netán akarok valamit. Először hollandul, majd arabul, aztán már angolul is. Közben az utca másik felén figyeltek a rendőrök is. Ezek tudják, hogy mi megy végbe de sosem szólnak bele. Én ráztam a fejemet, hogy „Nem”. Na közben megjelenik egy hülye-lüke-drogmuki, aki kb. úgy nézett ki, mint a Trainspotting főszereplője (gatya a segge alatt, mosatlan, kb 19 éves és drogos, besüppedt szemek, nyálazó száj és fehér, mint a fal) és ő már egyenest kereskedőnek nézett. Ő már hozzám jött, hogy vegyen „some stuffot” tőlem.

Persze, hogy a hülye gyerek alig akarta megérteni, hogy nekem nincs árulni való „stuffom” és még megsértődve ment el, hogy nem akartam neki semmit sem eladni. Lehet még anyámba is elküldött, de most mit kezdjek ki egy efféle salakkal.

Na e mellett a jegyellenőrök folytonos kétkedése, amikor a nyakkendős ingyen utazó kártyámra néznek minden áldott alkalommal (és jól megnézik, hogy biztos én vagyok az) éppen csekélységnek tűnik.

Maastricht, 2 November 2009

Swiss bike-trip..wrap up

I wanted to make a proper and long article about it, but I think it is useless as the photos will tell the story Just a couple of words about the trip. It was tiring, it was physically a lot more challenging than the previous Dutch-Belgian trip but the places you see, the scenery you get is just incredible!  It was great meeting up with Javi again and once again we proved that a new challenge good be done and who knows when is the next one going to take place.

It is hard to get an impression of a country in a couple of days, but Switzerland is a country that is worth being explored. We crossed the French and the German parts and in both places the people were extremely friendly and helpful (Honestly, not kidding) and it is strange to see how they greet you on the streets. It is a country that combines perfectly the modern cities with its rural, traditional areas. 5 minutes away from a city you will be standing next to old Swiss houses, decorated with flowers, where cattle grazes silently in a foggy morning. It somehow offered me the experience I had on my previous bike-trips back home, but don’t forget that it is a country touched by modernity. It is really hard to find truly remote and isolated places. There will always be a high-ways, road, railways or army bases not so far away.

Following the bike-lanes you will discover that it is not like Holland. Bike-lanes can vary from dirt-forest tracks, to proper bike-lanes to the edge of a national road. But still it is a country that can offer you incredible hospitality and scenery. Both of us were struck by the huge number of army bases in such a neutral country. Almost each city has an army airfield and it might sound strange but you will see tanks, helicopters and fighter jets all around Switzerland.

Couchsurfing in Switzerland is really reliable and we have to give a big thanks to hosts Denise in Friburg and Marco in Luzern. Hostels up in the mountains can be relatively cheap and you will probably find some great rooms at this time of the year.

Don’t forget that it is an expensive country and most of your money will go on supermarket food and train-tickets.

Overall it was an amazing trip. It wasn’t easy getting up in the morning, especially because it got dark after 5 p.m. so we always had to get up at 6 a.m. and depart at 7. The mornings were chilly (actually never forget gloves and warm clothes) but by the afternoon the weather was extremely pleasant. The smell of cows and goats will follow you all the way through and please stop at one of the rural houses and try out their milk or honey, because it is amazingly good. But enough of the words. Here is the trip in pictures and numbers.

Lausanne – Payerne – Fribourg – approx. 70 km – moderately difficult, lot of climbing when coming out of Lausanne, mostly hilly terrain after wards. Bike-lanes can get confusing

Fribourg – Bern – Thun – Interlaken – approx. 105 km – quite easy terrain, not a lot of climbing, mostly hilly and flat terrain. In the back-ground the Alps

Interlaken – Meiringen – Brünig Pass – Luzern – approx. 95 km – extremely difficult terrain, sometimes 20 % climbs but amazing scenery and plus a lot of downhill extreme dirt riding

Luzern – Cham – Baar- Zurich – really easy terrain, only one bigger climb. Hilly landscape but take care because the bike-lanes are part of the extremely busy national roads

Last day in Zurich we enjoyed the company of a couple of liters of beer so we got on the train to Lausanne “slightly” tipsy and laughing like crazy people. At 4 a.m. I had to take the train to Geneva airport, I nearly missed my flight (they were already calling my name), I landed at 8 a.m. in Amsterdam and started working in Utrecht from 9.30 a.m. till 7 p.m. and arrived to Maastricht at 11 p.m….Now I’m sleeping all day long

Swiss bike-trip begins

 

Getting up at 5 o´clock in the morning is not easy, but I have to thank the services of ¨Hotel Fanja¨ (she´s a friend of mine, it is just nick-named a hotel ´cause when I pass through Utrecht I stay at her place) and of course a cute Estonian girl who woke up this morning and got with me to the train-station on her bike. So basically imagine this. 5.45 a.m. in Utrecht, everyone is sleeping, I am riding a bike with a blond girl in the back who is pulling my trolly luggage with her hand….It was like a miniature noisy morning train disturbing the sleeping residents.

Take the train to Schiphol, fly out to Geneva, Switzerland where my HERMANCITO Javichel was waiting for me. Long time since I´ve seen Javicito. One and a half years have passed since the end of the Parnassos team…hhhyeaa… So we visited Geneva, took the Japanese style photos then got the train to Lausanne.

We just got back from a really good deal as well. Only 25  swiss franks (approx. 17 euros) for a really good 24 speed bike. We are just packing in this very moment, but of course in the mean-time we stopped to get a beer as well.

Getting home was one of Javi´s great inventions. So we had only one bike, it was down hill, but theres was a basket on the back of the bike. So we could not sit in a basket. Sooo… I was sitting on the bike-sit, while Javi was pedaling and sitting in the air. I cannot describe you guys how it looked like, having to guys sitting on the sit of one mountain-bike, but imagine it. Once again it felt great. Leaving trouBles behind, flying with the bike on the streets of Lausanne. Yepp…Just exactly what the doctor ordered.

Tomorrow we depart at 7.a.m. The route is the following: Lausanne – Payenne – Fribourg. Approx 65-70 km and we are gonna sleep at couchsurfer host, Denise´s place.

So good luck for tomorrow and all the best

Javito and Gashito

Upcomming week and Swiss bike-trip

Friday: 7.00 a.m. – 9.00 a.m. – go from Maastricht to Utrecht – 200 km by train

9.30 a.m. – 19.00 p.m. – work at AH, pick up OV-kaart

20.00 p.m. – 11.p.m. – Meet Csabi in Amsterdam – 70 km by train

12.00 p.m. – Sleep at Fanja’s place in Utrecht

Saturday: in Utrecht all day, not sure what to do yet

Sunday: 8.50 a.m. – 10.20 a.m. – Flight from Schiphol Amsterdam to Geneva Switzerland – approx. 1000 km by plane

- visit Geneva then catch a train to Lausanne and meet up with Javier. Rent the bike as well. Sleep at Javier’s place. – 40 km by train

Monday: Bike-trip begins;

-         Lausanne – Freibourg – 70 km by bike

-         Sleep at Denise’s place in Freibourg – Couchsurfing

Tuesday: – Freibourg – Bern – Interlaken – 95 km – by bike

-         not  sure yet where to sleep, probably couchsurfing or hostel

Wednesday – Interlaken – Lucerne – 75 km – by bike

-         Sleep at Marco’s place – Couchsurfing

Thursday – Lucerne – Zurich -65 km by bike

-         10.p.m. – catch last train from Zurich to Lausanne approx. 150 km by train

Friday morning – 05.21 a.m. catch first train from Lausanne to Geneva – 40 km by train

-         6.15. a.m. – 8.00 a.m. – flight from Geneva to Amsterdam – approx. 1000 km by plane

-         8.30 a.m. – 9.00 a.m. – catch train from Amsterdam to Utrecht – 35 km by train

-         9.30 a.m. – 19.00 p.m. – work at AH

-         20.00 p.m. – 22.00 p.m. – train from Utrecht to Maastricht – 200 km by train

In total: – 2000 km by plane

– 735 km by train

– 305 km by bike

NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL ONE HELL OF A WEEK!!!!!