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 Dear visitors
The Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS) is a registered association with headquarters in Bern. It was founded by the Constituent Assembly on the 6th of Dhu l-Qada 1430 / 25.10.2009. This assembly was preceded by numerous small meetings and individual agreements and another one. At each of both assemblies there were about twenty people from different regions of Switzerland. Among those present there was unanimous consensus that the time was more than ripe to launch the development of an efficient Islamic grassroots organization with a national orientation.
The increasingly rampant Islam debate in the run up to the minaret vote confirmed the suspicion that an acute lack of information in terms of Islam and Islamic normativity prevails in our society. Today, in a follow-up to the sobering vote result, we can say with some certainty that the initiators succeeded in mingling old stereotypes with newer statements partly substantially more detrimental to the truth.
Dialogue with all the society
It appears that existing Islamic organizations had missed in the past to actively present to the public a realistic and honest image of our religion. It is not enough, to limit yourself to the level of inter-religious dialogue between representatives of Christian and Muslim communities, where the gained knowledge only too rarely finds its way down to the average church or mosque-goers. Furthermore, many representatives of Islam continue to be dominated by the idea that interactions with the Swiss society have to be overcome in the categories of religious matters. Yet they forget that neither our modern confederation, nor the majority of the society are defining themselves as being religious. Thus, in the census of the year 2000 already 11, 1%, indicated to have no religious affiliation. Many other indicators point out that we are definitely not dealing with a normative Christian majority society. Knowledge of the other builds trust, or at least some confidence in handling. On the other hand, ignorance is stoking fears of contact and promoting a sense of unpredictability. This gap must now be closed by wider publicity.
Organization
The association consists, according to the resolution of the recent extraordinary General Assembly of 26 Dhu l-Hijja 1430 / 13.12.2009, of 34 active members from which seven form the board. Besides the President, there are currently six departments each headed by a board member. The Heads of the departments co-ordinate the tasks of their areas by establishing committees with responsibility for the implementation of individual projects. Additionally to that, the majority of our members is in a Passive Status. On 10th of Dhul Hijja 1431 / 16/11/2010 there were 1700 individual members with an ongoing upward trend in addition to 13 Islamic associations affiliated to the Council. Passive members support the association through their fees and donations financially and ideationally.
The Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS) understands itself explicitly not just as a further Umbrella Organization or exponent of a specific community. Rather is understands itself as the representative for Islamic affairs in and with relation to Switzerland.
Bern, 10th of Dhul Hijja 1431 / 16.11.2010
The President
Nicolas Blancho
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About us
