Ian Buruma on the West's religious disorientation

The Anglo-Dutch writer and journalist Ian Buruma doubts in the liberal conservative daily Corriere della Sera that the Swiss decision to ban minarets was motivated by fear of Islam. According to him the real reason lies in the loss of religious identity: "Until not so long ago the majority of citizens of the Western world possessed indisputable symbols of faith and collective identity. ... Globalisation, the project of a united Europe, the victory over nationalist efforts in two devastating world wars and above all the widespread loss of religious sentiment have changed things. The majority of people live today in a secular, disenchanted, liberal world. ... The break with religion and tradition has not always led to greater happiness but on the contrary has often been a cause for widespread disorientation, fears and resentment. ... The towering minarets and the veiled faces represent a threat because they rub salt in the wounds of those who suffer from the loss of their faith."

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