Why is the hatred of religions in this country directed primarily at Islam? Historically speaking, Christianity has caused people more suffering.
There are various forms of hatred towards religions. It is difficult to say whether this hatred is directed more towards Islam than towards other religions, such as Judaism. I would therefore like to explain why we are seeing hatred towards Islam in Switzerland.
On the historical aspect of the question, I would like to say that it is people who act and cause suffering, not religions as such: people who claim to speak or act in the name of a religion.
To understand hatred towards other people, we must consider the concept of identity. For us as human beings, it is important to identify with different groups: this is part of who we are. We can identify positively with a group or a characteristic (who we are), but also negatively against other groups (who we are not).
Essentialisation.
Negative identification is particularly effective for the human brain. That is why we find negative identification in many areas, not only in religion, but also in politics (“against Nazis”, “against communism”) or amongst sports fans.
The point is that a group of people is portrayed as “different” or “foreign”. The individuals are thus portrayed as if, because of their religion, they are somehow . In other words, a characteristic is attributed to them on the basis of their group membership. This is called essentialisation.
Homogenisation
Secondly, all “others” are portrayed as being the same. Among “us”, for example, we make distinctions between practising and non-practising Christians. Among “them”, we do not see these distinctions. This is called homogenisation.
Dichotomisation
Thirdly, the difference is emphasised: “us” vs. “them”. This is dichotomisation (there are only two groups: “us” and “them”). Here, ‘different’ also invariably implies ‘less valuable’: strange, backward, uncivilised, etc.
The role of images
In this process, images are conflated, such as media reports on Islamist terrorists (far away from Switzerland), historical stereotypes, a sense of not understanding the unknown, a statistic on how many people from predominantly Muslim countries live in Switzerland, or images of unskilled immigrants. Such images can reinforce prejudices. Some people deliberately mix images, such as political parties, tabloid media and people who like to provoke: mixing images helps with identification (against others) and fosters loyalties.
Coexistence between Christians and Muslims also involves conflicts that have been waged in the name of religion or interpreted in this light. These may be historical events, such as the so-called Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula in 1492. But they also include current fears – such as being displaced in the labour market or concerns about the values by which we wish to live. Such fears and uncertainties can lead to exclusion, discrimination and hatred.
The way in which ‘we’ and ‘they’ are portrayed is crucial. Such simplifications and distinctions occur time and again (on both sides). I would like to emphasise that hatred of Islam is by no means found amongst everyone in Switzerland. Many people champion mutual respect or value religious diversity.