Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Photo credit: Leila Azevedo
Switzerland decides not to ban swastikas
Switzerland had the oldest policy of military neutrality in the world; it never participated in a foreign war after the Treaty of Paris in 1815. But it has abandoned its policy to allow the swastika while freezing around $15.6 billion in Russian assets.
Published: March 27, 2022, 11:14 am
The swastika will be allowed to be shown publicly in Switzerland. Nazi symbols have been a hotly debated issue since the conflict in Ukraine. The Swiss Federal Council justified its decision by saying that “freedom of expression” weighed more heavily, even if a majority of the population perceived the symbol as abominable.
The country also joined the rest of Europe in imposing sanctions on Russia. “We are in an extraordinary situation where extraordinary measures could be decided,” President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told a news conference in Bern at the beginning of the month.
The swastika, as the most important symbol of National Socialism is also called, is a criminal offense to show in public contexts in many countries, including Switzerland’s neighbors Germany, France and Austria. Some wanted the same ban to apply in Switzerland, and no less than three different motions had been tabled by Swiss lawmakers, all of which sought to criminalize symbols that could be considered “Nazi”, “racist” or “extremist”. In early February, the Swiss Federal Council, the corresponding government, decided not to approve the motions.
It is the news site 20min.ch that on February 9 reported that the Federal Council had given a cold shoulder to the three proposals to criminalize symbols from the Third Reich. In the face of the hostilities in Ukraine involving neo-Nazi fighters, the Swiss decided to ditch their 207-year-old neutrality.
The Federal Council justified its decision by saying that even if a majority of the population could perceive the swastika as offensive, freedom of expression outweighed that.
The Federal Council also said that even offensive opinions should have a place in society, even if it arouses the disapproval of many. In Germany, the penal code strictly prohibits Nazi symbols. Sharing images such as swastikas, wearing an SS uniform and making statements in support of Hitler, both on- and offline, are considered crimes.
In fact, German hate-speech laws related to anti-Semitism and immigration were tightened last year.
According to the newspaper, the decision also referred to a ruling of the Swiss Supreme Court, which had previously ruled on the same issue. Even if the court had come to the conclusion that, for example, swastikas or Hitler greetings that are shown in public naturally offend, the impact on public order is not such that it justified criminalization.
The Swiss Federal Council instead advocated preventive work against extremism, which is believed to give better results than punishing people for showing certain symbols in public.
In the US, the Anti-Defamation League, the leading pro-Israel lobbying group in America, meanwhile voiced strong support for Ukraine’s neo-Nazi groups on the grounds that they “don’t attack Jews or Jewish institutions”.
David Fishman, professor of Jewish History at The Jewish Theological Seminary, defended Ukraine’s neo-Nazis. “There are neo-Nazis in Ukraine, just as there are in the US, and in Russia for that matter. But they are a very marginal group with no political influence and who don’t attack Jews or Jewish institutions in Ukraine,” Fishman explained.
“Yes, some members of these ultra-nationalist groups have used Nazi insignia, made Hitler salutes, and used anti-Semitic rhetoric, but they are politically insignificant and in no way representative of Ukraine. The political parties which the ultra-nationalists support received just over 2 percent of the vote in the 2019 elections. Ukraine is a flawed democracy, but unquestionably a democracy, and in no way a Nazi regime.”
In Israel, these events have caused some unease. Several parliament members harshly criticized Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for drawing comparisons between the Holocaust and Russia’s operation in Ukraine, while ignoring the Ukrainian complicity in the Nazi-led genocide of Jews.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.
Europe
NOAA Predicts Zero Sunspots for Almost the Whole 2030s
CLIMATEThe United States' government scientific organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicts zero sunspots from 2031 to 2040. This is an extreme situation that has not occurred in as long as humanity has been counting sunspots, and it leads us into uncharted territory in terms of our solar system. However, this prediction aligns with the warnings of the world-renowned solar researcher Valentina Zharkova for many years, who indicated in 2019 various signs of this catastrophic phenomenon, including the extreme hailstorms we have seen in Europe and the world this summer. The forecast and various observations this year give cause for very significant concern. In this unique analysis, Free West Media explains why.
European Nationalist Parties Forge Cooperation Ahead of EU Elections
EUROPEAN ELECTIONSOn Saturday, August 26, representatives of six European nationalist parties gathered in Budapest. The meeting was initiated by the Hungarian party Mi Hazánk and took place in the national parliament. Representatives of the parties signed a joint declaration that not only reaffirms the parties' friendship but also their unity on a range of complex political issues. A surprisingly clear and radical manifesto was established. The hope is that this cooperation will lead to success in the EU elections and eventually result in the formation of a group in the European Parliament. For Swedish nationalism, this meeting marks a success as Sweden, for the first time, has a party represented in a leading nationalist cooperation in Europe. Free West Media was present at this historic event.
Turkey Believes Sweden Hasn’t Done Enough
Sweden will have to wait a bit longer for NATO membership, according to Turkey's Justice Minister Jilmaz Tunc. First, Sweden must extradite the "terrorists" Turkey wants and stop the desecration of the Quran.
Swedish Weapon Takes Down Russia’s Best Attack Helicopter
The Russian attack helicopter Ka-52 is considered one of the world's best and has struck fear in Ukraine, where it has hunted down tanks and other armored vehicles, often beyond the range of many light anti-aircraft systems. However, it has met its match in the Swedish air defense missile system RBS 70, which has quickly led to significant losses for the Russian helicopter forces.
Strong Confidence in German AfD
Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a party conference on July 29-30 to select candidates for the upcoming EU election next year. EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah, belonging to the party's more radical, ethnonationalist faction, was appointed as the top candidate. The party's two spokespersons delivered powerful speeches criticizing the EU's failed migration policy and trade sanctions that isolate Europe and Germany from the rest of the world. They argued that it's time for the EU to return a significant portion of its power to national parliaments. However, they have dropped the demand for Germany to exit the EU.
The Establishment Wants to Ban Germany’s Second Largest Party – for the Sake of Democracy
The rising popularity of AfD has raised strong concerns within the establishment. Despite lies and demonization in the media and isolation from the overall political establishment, the party continues to grow. Certain representatives of the party are accused of becoming increasingly "extreme," and in an unusual move, the influential weekly newspaper Der Spiegel demanded that AfD be "banned."
Dutch FvD break through the media blockade
What is happening in the Netherlands? It is often difficult to follow events in other countries, especially when distorted by system media. We give Forum for Democracy (FvD) the opportunity to speak out on the political situation in the Netherlands and the staunch resistance they face in trying to save the country.
The Ursula von der Leyen Affair
After a criminal complaint in Belgium against the President of the European Commission, the so-called SMS-case, now takes a new turn. The judge responsible for the investigation will likely gain access to the secret messages exchanged between Ursula von der Leyen and Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, at least if they haven't been deleted.
Publisher of Unique Literature Worldwide Blocked by International Distributor
Arktos has distinguished itself by publishing groundbreaking philosophers and social critics. Now, the publisher's international distributor has abruptly terminated the cooperation, and more than 400 already printed titles cannot reach their audience. There is strong evidence that the distributor has been under pressure, something that has also happened in Sweden. We have spoken with Arktos founder Daniel Friberg about the ongoing struggle for freedom of speech in a shrinking cultural corridor.
Care prompts bishops to criticize transgender ideology
The Catholic bishops of the Scandinavian countries presented an open five-page letter criticizing transgender ideology on March 21, just before Easter. The document primarily expresses care and advice and was read aloud in Catholic churches in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm, is one of the signatories of the document.
