Bungling Swiss promote Koran with signs saying 'LIES' - unaware of English translation
ONE of Switzerland's top police chiefs wants to ban a promotion campaign by an Islamic group to distribute the Koran.
The promotion campaign by Islamic group to distribute the Koran used the word 'Lies!'
News about the promotional campaign went viral because they promoted it with the word 'Lies' which means 'Read This' in German - but something else in English.
The radical Muslims were however apparently unaware that the word 'lies', which comes from the verb 'lesen' meaning to read, has an entirely different meaning in English.
The Salafist group from Germany, which calls itself 'The True Religion', has long been targeted by intelligence services and its latest campaign has involved dozens of stalls handing out the Muslim holy book under the banner of 'Lies'.
It has been shown that they radicalised people in their environment
In Germany the organisation was banned last November as their promotion campaign was linked to the radicalisation of hundreds of Muslims and the promotion of jihad, but in Switzerland the Salafists can campaign as much as they want.
Hans-Juerg Kaeser, the President of the Conference of Cantonal Justice and Police Directors (KKJPD), now want to discuss such a ban in Switzerland as well.
He said: "It has been shown that they radicalised people in their environment.
One of world s oldest Koran manuscripts found in UK
News about the campaign went viral
"Therefore, one should examine a prohibition against them."
When the Germans decided to ban the group, Swiss Federal Prosecutor Michael Lauber said at the time that he thought it right not to pursue a similar ban in Switzerland.
He said that exaggerated prohibitions only drive Islamist activities underground, which would make the work of the prosecution more difficult.
Fundamentalists distributing the biography of Muhammad in Basel
Kaeser countered that argument by saying that terror organisations such as al-Qaeda are forbidden in Switzerland and no one argues against this.
He said: "In addition, tolerating the 'lies!' campaign gives the impression that their giveaway actions in the inner cities are respectable and legal. This is a problem."
The German Salafist group calls itself 'The True Religion'
In Switzerland the club is active in almost all major cities and gives away free copies of the Koran in cities like Winterthur, Zurich, Basel, Bern and Geneva to passers-by.
The group works with stands in pedestrian areas with a white table cloth with books on top.