Abstract
Research on Islamophobia in Switzerland, and on the role of religiosity in relation to Islamophobia, is in its infancy. Against this background, we analyzed data from an online survey conducted in Switzerland on “Xenosophia and Xenophobia in and between Abrahamic religions”. The results of a multivariate analysis revealed that, besides right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and political orientation, indicators related to religion play a crucial role. We found that the greater the role of religion, and the more central it is for the individual, the more likely it is that the individual has a positive view of Islam. We claim that a person’s level of religiosity is accompanied by her adoption of religious values, such as neighbourliness and tolerance, and that the more religious individuals are, the more likely they are occupied with different religions, which leads to tolerance as long as it is not accompanied by a fundamentalist religious orientation. Also relevant is that the preference for the state to have a secularized relationship with religion is accompanied by a fear of Islam. We propose that studies on Islamophobia, as well as on other prejudices, should use differentiated measures for religiosity; the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) turned out to be a reliable instrument of measurement in this regard.
Highlights
Switzerland has a reputation for not being friendly to Islam
The study revealed that, besides political position, right-wing authoritarian attitudes, and social dominance orientation, explanations related to religion play a crucial role
This is interesting because research on Islamophobia and prejudices either often neglects or does not sufficently operationalize factors related to religion
Summary
Switzerland has a reputation for not being friendly to Islam. The reasons for this reputation lie in the ban on minarets in 2009 and other political demands designed to limit the religious practice of Muslims, including the demands made by the Swiss far right for the state not to recognizeIslam, not to allow the funding of mosques, to control what Imams teach, to restrict the import of halal meat, and to ban Islamic religious care (Ademović-Omerčić 2018, p. 650). Switzerland has a reputation for not being friendly to Islam. The reasons for this reputation lie in the ban on minarets in 2009 and other political demands designed to limit the religious practice of Muslims, including the demands made by the Swiss far right for the state not to recognize. In this context, it is not surprising that population surveys should reveal that Islam and Muslims are rejected by large sections of the population. There have been reports of anti-Muslim crimes in Switzerland, with between 20 and 30 such incidents being reported in 2017. There have been a few studies on the discussion of Islam and Muslims in Switzerland
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
