Member of the Swiss Political Party that Pushed for Minaret Ban Converts to Islam

The news about Switzerland's ban on the construction of minarets has made the headlines, providing shocking evidence of the strength of increasing intolerance in Europe. I shall be writing more about the minaret ban and its implications later, God willing, but right now I wanted to share an interesting side note.
Daniel Streich was a member of the Swiss People's party (SVP), the political party that pushed the minaret ban initiative. Streich is a military instructor in the Swiss Army and a local politician in the commune of Bulle. Formerly a devout Christian, he converted to Islam��"and kept it a secret for two years.
Streich has left the SVP, made his conversion to Islam public, and has denounced the SVP's anti-Muslim campaign as a witch hunt. As far as I can tell, this story has not broken in the English language press. So, I translated a news article on Streich from German to English, published at the Swiss news site Twenty Minutes Online. Here it is:

Daniel Streich, military instructor and, until recently, a Swiss People's Party (SVP) politician in the city of Bulle, has left the party. The reason: He converted to Islam. For two years he kept this secret from his ex-party. Now, with the "witch hunt against Islam," this situation has become unbearable for him.

He was a true SVPer and Christian. He read the Bible and regularly went to church. Now Daniel Streich, military instructor and community council member, reads the Qur'an, prays five times a day and goes to a mosque. "Islam offers me logical answers to important life questions, which, in the end, I never found in Christianity," says Streich.

Because he could no longer stand the "SVP's witch hunt against Islam" Streich left the part two weeks ago (around November 10, 2009) and has made his conversion to Islam become publicly known two years after his conversion. Now he's participating in the building of the new Civil Conservative Democratic Party in the canton of Freiburg. The former churchgoer is vehemently against the minaret initiative: "If the initiative passes, it will be an absolute deep blow for me. I would have to ask myself, why I applied myself professionally and politically for over 30 years for this political system." In contrast, Switzerland urgently needs more mosques. "It is not worthy of Switzerland to force Muslims to practice their faith in back alleys."

Reactions in the SVP were mixed. "Everyone can believe what he wants to," says General Secretary Martin Baltisser. SVP-National Council member Alfred Heer had a less friendly reaction. Politcal scientist Georg Lutz: "The SVP and Islam stand closer to each other than people suppose. Both advance a conservative worldview."

With all due respect, I disagree with Lutz' position. Muslims tend to have political attitudes that are similar to the social teaching of the Catholic Church: "progressive" on economic, environmental, and foreign policy issues, while being "conservative" on sexual ethics. But, a more accurate approach would be to say that Catholics and Muslims frequently do not fit within the stereotypical left/right divide.

If anything, I would say that both Catholicism and Islam are more to the Left. The Right emphasizes particularity (whether the micro-particularity of capitalist individualism or the macro-particularity of nationalism). The Left, on the other hand, tends to stress universality. A balanced political position will address both universality (we're all members of the same species living on the same planet) and particularity (we are shaped and live in particular communities that have their own traditions, political needs, and strengths and weaknesses). How one falls on the left/right spectrum (assuming such a spectrum exists) would be a function of his or her relative stress on universality vs particularity. Since both Catholicism and Islam (along with other great world religions) say that what unites human beings is more important than what divides them, their fundamental tendency is somewhat to the Left (IMHO).

Anyway, there's a sidebar item about an SVP politician trying to frame Streich's conversion as a national security risk, implying that all Muslims in Western militaries are like the lone nut gunman at Fort Hood. (Ironically, in doing so he confirms Streich's allegation that the SVP's minaret ban is a "witch hunt" against Muslims). Here's the piece:

Alfred Heer: Anxiety over the convert Daniel Streich?

Because Daniel Streich converted to Islam when he was an active professional member of the armed forces leads certain politicians to think: "That could be a security risk for the country. We've just seen what happened in the USA," says SVP-National Council member Alfred Heer, referring to the shooting spree of a Muslim military psychiatrist at Fort Hood. Army spokesperson Christopher Brunner responded, "That is an absurd accusation." The Swiss military is neutral on religious affiliations. Brunner: "it is totally irrelevant which religions our personnel belong to." Performance, not belief, is what matters.

Whether Switzerland remains true to its democratic heritage, or follows the paranoia that feeds the extremism that devastated Europe in the 30's and 40's, depends on whether its citizens, in the long run, will think like Brunner or Heer. As for myself, I hope that some day I can see the Swiss Alps again without being harassed for my Islamic faith. Man denkt, Gott lenkt.

Jason Hamza van Boom was born in Oakland, California. He blogs at Tikkun Daily (www.tikkun.org/daily) and is the host of Islam and Authors: On-Stage Conversations with Authors of New Books and Plays, sponsored by Islamic Cultural Center of Northern (more...)

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Mem...91204-506.html

This must be rather embarrasing for the facists in the party who banned minarets. Humiliating, in fact.

what a heart warming story

as encouraging and delighting the news might sound, I am still skeptic about its credibility.

Swiss antagonist of minarets embraces Islam

RENOWNED Swiss politician Daniel Streich, who rose to fame for his campaign against minarets of mosques, has embraced Islam.

A member of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and a well-known politician, Daniel Streich was the first man who had launched a drive for imposition of ban on mosques minarets, and to lock the mosques in Switzerland. The proclamation of Streich’s conversion to Islam has created furore in Swiss politics, besides causing a tremor for those who supported ban on construction of mosques minarets.

Streich propagated his anti-Islamic movement far and wide in the country, sowed seeds of indignation and scorn for Islam among the people, and paved way for public opinion against pulpits and minarets of mosques.
But now Streich has become a soldier of Islam. His anti-Islam thoughts finally brought him so close to this religion that he embraced Islam. He is ashamed of his doings now and desires to construct the most beautiful mosque of Europe in Switzerland.

The most interesting thing in this regard is that at present there are four mosques in Switzerland and Streich wants to lay the foundation for the fifth one. He wishes to seek absolution of his sin of proliferating venom against Islam. He is thinking of a movement contrary to his previous one to promote religious tolerance and peaceful cooperative living, in spite of the fact that ban on mosques minarets has gained a legal status.
This is the greatest quality of Islam that it comes up with even greater vigour, when it is faced with confrontation.

Abdul Majeed Aldai, the president of OPI, an NGO, working for the welfare of Muslims, says that Europeans have a great desire to know about Islam. Some of them want to know about the relationship between Islam and terrorism; same was the case with Streich.
During his confrontation, Streich studied the Holy Quran and started understanding Islam.
He wished to be hard to Islam, but the outcome was otherwise. Aldai further says.

Recently the question of ban on minarets was put to voting in Switzerland, wherein the Swiss nationals gave the issue a legal status. As per voting results 42.5 per cent people voted in favour of the minarets and 57.5 per cent supported the ban, while the Muslim population in Switzerland is only 6 per cent. The most wondrous thing in this regard, therefore, is the support of 42.5 per cent of population for only six per cent Muslims.

The analysts claim that ban on minarets and Islamic rituals has attracted the people towards Islam.
Streich was an important member of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). His importance could be estimated from his influence on party’s policy making, in which he always had a prominent role. His movement against minarets was aimed at gaining political attention and interest. He won the slot of military instructor in the Swiss Army due to his popularity.

Born in a Christian family, Streich had a comprehensive study of Islam merely to malign and confront, but Islamic teachings had a deep impact on him. Eventually he de-linked himself from political activities and he embraced Islam. Streich has termed the SVO activities against the Muslims as satanic.
He says that he used to read the Bible and often went to chapel, but now he recites the Holy Quran and offers his prayers five times a day. He further says that he cancelled his party membership and made public his conversion. Streich says that he has found the truth of life in Islam, which he could not find in Christianity.

On the other hand the Swiss military authorities have feared that Streich, who was once a military instructor, might reveal army secrets to the Muslims.
An SVP National Council member says that Streich as military instructor could be dangerous.
However, a spokesman of Swiss Army while rejecting this impression said that the performance of our military was more important than that who instructed it.

However, from within their own ranks, a man is now working for the promotion of Islam and its teachings. The law of a country can ban minarets but not minds and hearts.
- Newsdesk

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...mbraces-Islam/

Originally Posted by Argamemnon

Swiss antagonist of minarets embraces Islam

RENOWNED Swiss politician Daniel Streich, who rose to fame for his campaign against minarets of mosques, has embraced Islam.

A member of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and a well-known politician, Daniel Streich was the first man who had launched a drive for imposition of ban on mosques minarets, and to lock the mosques in Switzerland. The proclamation of Streich’s conversion to Islam has created furore in Swiss politics, besides causing a tremor for those who supported ban on construction of mosques minarets.

Streich propagated his anti-Islamic movement far and wide in the country, sowed seeds of indignation and scorn for Islam among the people, and paved way for public opinion against pulpits and minarets of mosques.
But now Streich has become a soldier of Islam. His anti-Islam thoughts finally brought him so close to this religion that he embraced Islam. He is ashamed of his doings now and desires to construct the most beautiful mosque of Europe in Switzerland.

The most interesting thing in this regard is that at present there are four mosques in Switzerland and Streich wants to lay the foundation for the fifth one. He wishes to seek absolution of his sin of proliferating venom against Islam. He is thinking of a movement contrary to his previous one to promote religious tolerance and peaceful cooperative living, in spite of the fact that ban on mosques minarets has gained a legal status.
This is the greatest quality of Islam that it comes up with even greater vigour, when it is faced with confrontation.

Abdul Majeed Aldai, the president of OPI, an NGO, working for the welfare of Muslims, says that Europeans have a great desire to know about Islam. Some of them want to know about the relationship between Islam and terrorism; same was the case with Streich.
During his confrontation, Streich studied the Holy Quran and started understanding Islam.
He wished to be hard to Islam, but the outcome was otherwise. Aldai further says.

Recently the question of ban on minarets was put to voting in Switzerland, wherein the Swiss nationals gave the issue a legal status. As per voting results 42.5 per cent people voted in favour of the minarets and 57.5 per cent supported the ban, while the Muslim population in Switzerland is only 6 per cent. The most wondrous thing in this regard, therefore, is the support of 42.5 per cent of population for only six per cent Muslims.

The analysts claim that ban on minarets and Islamic rituals has attracted the people towards Islam.
Streich was an important member of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). His importance could be estimated from his influence on party’s policy making, in which he always had a prominent role. His movement against minarets was aimed at gaining political attention and interest. He won the slot of military instructor in the Swiss Army due to his popularity.

Born in a Christian family, Streich had a comprehensive study of Islam merely to malign and confront, but Islamic teachings had a deep impact on him. Eventually he de-linked himself from political activities and he embraced Islam. Streich has termed the SVO activities against the Muslims as satanic.
He says that he used to read the Bible and often went to chapel, but now he recites the Holy Quran and offers his prayers five times a day. He further says that he cancelled his party membership and made public his conversion. Streich says that he has found the truth of life in Islam, which he could not find in Christianity.

On the other hand the Swiss military authorities have feared that Streich, who was once a military instructor, might reveal army secrets to the Muslims.
An SVP National Council member says that Streich as military instructor could be dangerous.
However, a spokesman of Swiss Army while rejecting this impression said that the performance of our military was more important than that who instructed it.

However, from within their own ranks, a man is now working for the promotion of Islam and its teachings. The law of a country can ban minarets but not minds and hearts.
- Newsdesk

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...mbraces-Islam/

No offense but a Pakistani newspaper isn't exactly "proof". Besides that one Swiss source is there any other newspaper or news network inside the continent that has confirmed or denied it?

Originally Posted by Pomak

No offense but a Pakistani newspaper isn't exactly "proof". Besides that one Swiss source is there any other newspaper or news network inside the continent that has confirmed or denied it?

http://www.20min.ch/news/schweiz/story/27286120

From a German-language newspaper in Switzerland

Originally Posted by Supreme

This must be rather embarrasing for the facists in the party who banned minarets. Humiliating, in fact.

The truth is... we don't feel it is embarassing. As in our history theres alot of famous muslims that at first attacked and hated islam. and some have joined the wars to attack muslims...but in the end they accept islam volunteerly.

Masha'Allah..
whenever I am down, one of you guys posts something nice up..

just found out the father of the slain egyptian pharmacist passed on from grief..
I hope he is with his daughter and her unborn child in paradise insha'Allah.. I could weep, I am so overcome with grief for all the miserable Muslims

Originally Posted by Gossamer skye

Masha'Allah..
whenever I am down, one of you guys posts something nice up..

just found out the father of the slain egyptian pharmacist passed on from grief..
I hope he is with his daughter and her unborn child in paradise insha'Allah.. I could weep, I am so overcome with grief for all the miserable Muslims

Marwa El Sherbiny's dad

Originally Posted by north_malaysian

Marwa El Sherbiny's dad

Yes, Allah yer7amo..
It isn't an easy thing to lose your child.. let alone your child and grand-child one shot and in such a heinous manner.. poor man..
he was an engineer.. she came came from an excellent prominent family, only to have her life taken by the scum of the earth.. God, I have read some vile comments about her and Islam.. May Allah **** those *******s in this life and the one to come
ameen ya rabb.

Originally Posted by syilla

The truth is... we don't feel it is embarassing. As in our history theres alot of famous muslims that at first attacked and hated islam. and some have joined the wars to attack muslims...but in the end they accept islam volunteerly.

You must've misunderstood. I didn't mean it's embarrasing for Muslims. I meant it is embarrasing for the party he comes from. Imagine the embarrasment for the BNP if Nick Griffin married a black woman, well this is the equivalent.

Hopefully now, haters of all sorts will be careful what they hate; they might just fall in love.

Originally Posted by Muezzin

Hopefully now, haters of all sorts will be careful what they hate; they might just fall in love.

if Geert Wilders converted to Islam... I would be a very happy person...

Originally Posted by Gossamer skye

Yes, Allah yer7amo..
It isn't an easy thing to lose your child.. let alone your child and grand-child one shot and in such a heinous manner.. poor man..
he was an engineer.. she came came from an excellent prominent family, only to have her life taken by the scum of the earth.. God, I have read some vile comments about her and Islam.. May Allah **** those *******s in this life and the one to come
ameen ya rabb.

Don't forget another sister...our sister Aafia HasbunAllahu wa ni'mal wakeel...ameen.