After the Minaret Ban: $50 Billion to Leave Swiss Banks?

Following Switzerland's ban on the construction of minarets, speculation has arisen over the future of money kept wealthy Muslims in Swiss banks. Turkey's Minister of State Egenem Bagis has called on Muslims to transfer their money to his country.

After Swiss Referendum on Minarets: Who is Radicalizing Whom?

It is estimated that there is approximately $50 billion dollars held in Switzerland by states with a majority Muslim population. The top 12:

- Saudi Arabia: $13.5 billion
- United Arab Emirates: $6.9 billion
- Indonesia: $6.6 billion
- Turkey: $3.9 billion
- Lebanon: $3.5 billion
- Malaysia: $3.3 billion
- Kuwait: $2.3 billion
- Syria: $1.5 billion
- Jordan: $1.5 billion
- Iran: $1.1 billion
- Morocco: $1 billion
- Pakistan: $1 billion

Comments

[arman]

I really hope the muslim countries withdraw their money from these banks. This is a disgrace to democracy. If this continues, western democracies will resemble muslim/arab dictatorships like Iran and Saudi.
The problem here is that these states/dictators will not withdraw their money, where can they safely put their corrupted and stolen money then? Imagine the Revolutionary Guards, Khamenei and the other corrupt Islamists pulling out the money.

[Trevki]

Only fools will move their money over this. The muslim money men don't care much for minarets when it gets in the way of finance. To them money is power and with power their conquest will follow. OK so the islamic movement has had a knock back in Switzerland, the muslims will hold back their outrage and show a bit of disappointment, they know the battle is afoot and patience is the key. Europe must stand firm. This is the first of many battles to come.

[Invade Switzerland]

Why doesn't Turkey launch "Operation Swiss Freedom" to liberate the country?

[Nichol Brummer]

I would understand if people in Switzerland are outraged, or their European neighbours. But how credible is it for muslim countries to complain about a law that will be moderate compared to the rules applying to non-muslims in those same muslim countries? This swiss rule would not forbid mosques, just the minaret. It beats me how such a law would in practice define the architecture of a mosque with or without the feature of a minaret without allowing for any loopholes. It is also quite possible that the proposed law is inconsistent with the Swiss constitution, or with European treaties. Chances are good that this law will either never materialize or be unenforceable.

[Catherine]

Mark LeVine, a visiting professor at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University, Sweden, has published an in-depth op-ed on the Swiss vote on the AJE website: "In fear of 'Eurabia'?".
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/12/20091229223658221.html