Muslims and the Swiss Flag

From The Freethinker:

SWITZERLAND’S official flag – bearing a distinctive white cross on a red background –has been around since 1848, but Muslims in the country are now claiming that it is offensive and want it replaced.

According to this report, Second@s Plus, a lobbying group that represents mostly Muslim second-generation Swiss residents is about to launch a nationwide campaign for a less offensive replacement. It says the national flag, with its Christian symbol:

No longer corresponds to today’s multicultural Switzerland.

Not all agree:

Stefan Brupbacher, general secretary of the libertarian Free Democrats (FDP) added:

This is utter nonsense. The Swiss cross is an extremely successful and valuable global brand. It is a symbol of success and quality. We will tightly hold on to it, out of love for Switzerland.

Hudson New York points out that the Muslim population in Switzerland has more than quintupled since 1980, and now numbers about 400,000, or roughly five percent of the population. Most Muslims living in Switzerland are of Turkish or Balkan origin, with a smaller minority from the Arab world. Many of them are second- and third-generation immigrants who are now firmly establishing themselves in Switzerland.