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Meyer is a staunch supporter of Israel
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By
Tamer Abul Einein, IOL Correspondent
BERN,
October 17 (IslamOnline.net) - Switzerland’s Green party has sued
veteran Swiss journalist Frank Meyer over his anti-Islam writings.
The
party’s parliamentary bloc, led by Cecil Buhlman, accused the
journalist of not only assailing Islam in violation of the anti-racism
laws, but also undermining the country’s religious harmony protected
by the constitution.
In
a weekly column published in Sonntagsblick newspaper on
September 5, Meyer, a staunch supporter of Israel, described Islam as
a " terrorist " religion.
He
was recently fined 25,000 Swiss franks ($2,000) over unsubstantiated
charges for the Swiss national exhibition authority of squandering
public funds.
Sonntagsblick
had shunned a request by the Green Party to publish an article to
refute Meyer's allegations.
It
argued that the party’s lawsuit had killed all chances for a
peaceful settlement of the issued outside the courtroom.
Some
of Swiss papers blamed the Green Party for taking the matter to court
and accused it of politicalizing the issue.
They
only published reader’s letter in support of Meyer and ignored many
others defending the cause of Islam against his allegations.
A
recently released study by Zurich University showed that the image of
Muslims is badly blemished in all Swiss media.
Blick
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Facts, Le Matin, Le Temps and Welt Woche
come high on the list of Swiss dailies and magazines that are frequent
attackers of Islam, according to the study.
Swiss
anti-racism laws stipulate respect and protection of religions and ban
practices against a specific race.
The
Green’s case brings to 10 the number of lawsuits filled against
anti-Islam campaigners in Switzerland.
In
June, Muslims in Switzerland launched a ten-day campaign to reach
out to non-Muslims in the capital Geneva and
stand up to malicious media onslaughts and clear stereotypes about the
religion and its followers.
Islam
is the second religion in Switzerland after Christianity.
The
country is home to 350,000 Muslims representing a sizable 4.5 percent
of the country’s some eight million people, in addition to more than
10,000 illegal Muslim immigrants.
Turks
represent 43 percent of the Muslim community in Switzerland, followed
by the Balkan people with 36 percent.
