Islam in Switzerland

Islam has in Switzerland, according to the census of 2000, some 310,000 followers, other information by 2007 of about 440,000 Muslims in Switzerland (5.8% share in the total population). Most of them are immigrants from the former Yugoslavia and Turkey since the mid-20th century. Islam is so after Christianity is the second largest religious community in Switzerland.

History

The history of Islam in today's Switzerland is older than Confederation itself. It begins in the 10th century, temporarily reached the Upper Burgundy or the present Switzerland as Muslims.

Middle Ages

From the south of France Fraxinetum (Provence ) foray end - Arabs as Saracens called 939 - conquered Geneva. They dominated in the following years, Valais, Graubünden and parts of eastern Switzerland. Between 952 and 960, the Arabs dominated large parts after the Battle of Orbe in the south and west of Switzerland, including the Great St. Bernard Pass and met with also in the northeast to St. Gallen before, in the southeast to Pontresina. The Arab raids ( " raids ") ended with the conquest of the bridge head Fraxinetum by Provencal troops to 975. Etymological derivations of some of the Valais place names of Arabic terms are being rejected by the linguistic research. Traces of settlement of the Saracens in the Swiss Alps, were also not detected until now.

20th century

1935 inspired by Egyptians Congress of European Muslims took place in Switzerland. In 1945, the first Turks came to Switzerland to get at Swiss universities - to be trained ( including the later Minister Tahsin Önalp who received his doctorate at ETH Zurich ) - in part with the support of the Turkish state. Most returned after the completion of studies again back to Turkey. 1946 was also a group of Ahmadiyya missionaries into the country and built with the Mahmud Mosque in Zurich in 1963, the first mosque in Switzerland. In 1978 the Geneva mosque was opened.

Early 1960s to the mid-1970s were Turkish guest workers and their families a little later (see also Turkish descent in Switzerland). At the same time, immigrant guest workers from the Muslim parts of Yugoslavia in Switzerland. Therefore, during the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War fled many people from these regions to their relatives. Islam in the German-speaking Central Switzerland is therefore especially Bosnian, Albanian (see Albanians in Switzerland) and Turkish influenced (see also Pakistanis in Switzerland), in the French-speaking Arabs are more strongly represented. The largest Muslim populations are found in the French-speaking western Switzerland, the lowest in the Italian southern Switzerland.

Litigation to Minarettbauten

Disputes over the building of mosques or mosque expansions ( minarets ) affected since 2006 coexistence with Muslims in Switzerland. Here, the construction of minarets acted in the existing Muslim prayer rooms in three municipalities ( Wangen bei Olten, Langenthal and Wil SG) as well as a plan to build an Islamic center in Bern.

The Swiss People's Party (SVP ) has mobilized against the construction project; in the Canton of Zurich, there was a parliamentary initiative, and on 1 May 2007 was even a federal popular initiative entitled " against the construction of minarets ," which would prohibit the construction of minarets in Switzerland, officially launched. This initiative was adopted on 29 November 2009 with a clear majority, the majority votes against came from western Switzerland.

Islamic Organizations in Switzerland

Since among Muslims exist because of a strong heritage and culture differences, there are still many different clubs and groups that maintain relatively little contact with each other. These groups usually meet in so-called backyard mosques. However, your organization is improving constantly.

The Ahmadiyya Movement of Islam in Switzerland ( National Organisation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat ) has about 700 members and its Emir (President) is Walid Tariq Tarnutzer.

In recent years, founded Muslim immigrants in Switzerland several " language and cross-cultural umbrella organizations ":