Switzerland: Controversial Muslim group kept out of dialogue

Switzerland: Controversial Muslim group kept out of dialogue

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The controversial Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS) will not be invited to take part in talks between the justice minister and Swiss Muslim groups.



The head of the Migration Office, Alard du Bois-Reymond, met a delegation of the ICCS on Tuesday and said it was “unthinkable in present circumstances” for them to take part in the planned dialogue.



He said the organisation must distance itself explicitly from the stoning of women and give up its demand to create a fatwa council. The ICCS says such a council is needed as a theological authority for dealing with Islamic issues.



Du Bois-Reymond told the ICCS leaders that the same laws applied to everyone in Switzerland, and that certain values, including the equality of men and women, were non-negotiable.



He said the majority of the 350,000 or so Muslims in Switzerland were well integrated, or trying to integrate, and these were the people with whom the dialogue would be held.



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Source: SwissInfo (English)

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