Study Dispels Stereotypes of Country's Muslim Community

October 27, 2005

Source: swissinfo

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=106&sid=6196471&cKey=1130434289000

On October 27, 2005 swissinfo reported, "Switzerland's 310,000-strong Islamic community is very diverse and most Muslims have no problem practising their religion, according to a study. The report, the first of its kind in Switzerland, surveyed 30 Muslims on behalf of the Federal Foreigners Commission. The aim was to provide a more balanced portrait of the community. Among its findings, which were released on Thursday, was that the community was very mixed. Coming from different countries and cultural backgrounds, religious practices varied. Only a small minority could be considered strict believers. 'This study is going to help calm down a certain number of fears among the population about Muslims in Switzerland,' the commission's head, Francis Matthey, told swissinfo. He added that many of the clichés about Muslims were simply not true. One of its main findings was that most Muslims had no problem practising their religion while keeping to Swiss law and the principles of Swiss democracy. Co-author Matteo Gianni said that, for many, religion was a private affair and that for this reason the influence of Imams was not so large as is generally feared."