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Eye on the world: Investing in the value of diversity in society
In “What the ruling on swim classes in Switzerland means for Muslims in Europe” The Christian Science Monitor reports that a large swath of Europe is trying to answer the question “When must a newcomer adapt and when must a host society accept?” With a massive influx of refugees from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa settling in Europe, integration of cultural and religious norms in an unfamiliar society presents challenges—for both the host country trying to generously provide refuge to the displaced, and for the refugees trying to establish a new sense of home and stability. The Monitor writes that “Europe has been struggling with where to draw [the] line with its Muslim population, and the latest splash comes from a swimming pool in Basel, Switzerland. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg seems to have sided for now with ‘adapt,’ in ruling that Swiss Muslim girls must swim with boys. It rejected the appeal of two Swiss citizens, originally from Turkey, who cited their Muslim faith in seeking to keep their two prepubescent daughters out of a mixed, mandatory swimming class.” As both the legal system and society adjudicate whether religious freedoms can be an acceptable cost of admission for integrating into an established society, the culture war in Europe is testing the meaning of tolerance and equality. A free society benefits from the diversity that is expressed as people speak, dress, eat, and pray differently. This enrichment requires all people in a society to be inclusive, understanding, generous, and respectful, which has a priceless return on investment.
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