Word: swiss
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Recently, a Swiss referendum called for a ban on the construction of minarets, religious structures used for prayer at mosques. The vote was supposed to “not [be] a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture,” according to proponents, but instead to make a statement against some of the more distasteful practices of Islamic fundamentalist groups, such as genital mutilation. But this egregious and discriminatory measure is not an effective censure of objectionable behaviors. It is an unacceptable solution that discriminates against the 400,000 Muslims who currently reside in Switzerland and flies...
...Feeling Swiss Andrew Marshall's article "Identity Crisis" was well written but shouldn't have ended on such an optimistic note [Nov. 9]. True, the writer's son and my sons (with Swiss and African backgrounds) will always remain half-and-half. But as I always tell my boys, excellence has no color. Only if they excel in their chosen fields, like Federer and Hingis, will they be seen as authentic Swiss. And that's when Switzerland would probably celebrate. Taiwo Danjuma, EGERKINGEN, SWITZERLAND
...hidden offshore bank accounts. By the Oct. 15 deadline, some 14,700 Americans--twice the number officials expected--had disclosed billions of dollars held in 70 countries. Most account holders who pay taxes will avoid criminal penalties. As part of a U.S.-led crackdown on tax evasion, the Swiss bank UBS recently agreed to reveal the names of nearly 4,500 American clients with questionable accounts...
...espionage charges against three American hikers who were arrested in July for illegally crossing the border from Iraq. Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal and Sarah Shourd, who say they strayed into the country unwittingly, have spent more than 100 days in Tehran's Evin prison and have twice met with Swiss diplomats tasked with negotiating their release. The charges, which carry the death penalty, come amid stalled talks with the U.S. over Iran's controversial nuclear program, just months after the espionage conviction of American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was overturned after heavy diplomatic pressure...
...Swiss Path brochures are available from the Lucerne Tourist Office, tel: (41-41) 227 1717, luzern.com...