By Tamer Aboalenin GENEVA, Dec 19 (KUNA) - - The Swiss Islamic thinker Tariq Ramadan appealed to the Muslim youth in Switzerland and Europe to appear positively in their communities and to have clear contributions in different forms.
He pointed in a speech before the Conference of Muslim youth in Switzerland last night in Zurich to "the importance of participation in sports and cultural activities to become an part of the society," emphasizing that Islam is a religion has a presence on the scene of Switzerland.
He explained that this goal requires efforts and an act of young Muslims, "as it is not enough that young Muslims seeking to enroll in universities, but they must also continue to research and work in the academic fields." Ramadan also called on Muslims to get out of "the mantle of victims of racism and xenophobia and to confirm their attendance in the European societies of mutual respect and apply the teachings of the true Islam and to avoid of superiority over others." At the same time he criticized the right wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) as a "working against the values of the Swiss cultural of pluralism, which was among the reasons for the continuation of Switzerland".
It should be noted that the known American magazine (Time) has classified Dr. Tariq Ramadan as one of the most influential persons in the world this century.
Prof. Tariq Ramadan has many books, articles and research on Islam in the West and modern Islamic thought.
He is actually a professor at the University of Oxford and an adviser to some European governments about the affairs and conditions of Muslim communities in the West.
In the same vein the Swiss parliamentarian and member of the Committee for Legal Affairs Daniel Visher called Muslim youth "to engage in political action and join the political parties, trade unions and civil society organizations and out of the recession on the Snail".
Fischer also called in his speech to the conference of Muslim youth in Switzerland need to address the negative stereotypes that are promoted and racism against other Muslims in the West in general.
At the same time criticized the policy of granting Swiss citizenship, which set denominator conditions.
Switzerland has about 400 thousand Muslims mostly are from Balkan countries and Turkey, representing about 5.4 percent of the population in the country.
Islam becomes the second religion and has become a presence in the Swiss society after Christianity, but the authorities do not recognize the religion as one the official religions in the country.
The annual official security report assured that the Muslim community is far from fanatical or extreme waves, but the right wing parties trying to stir up fears of the Muslim community and succeeded a clause in the Swiss constitution prohibits the construction of minarets in the country. (end) ta.asa KUNA 191203 Dec 10NNNN