On July 8, a driver for the Zürichsee and Oberland Transport Authority (VZO) stopped his scheduled bus on route 880 at the Frohberg bus stop in Stäfa.
Passengers and local residents were quite astonished when, immediately after stopping, the VZO employee got out himself to roll out his prayer mat in front of the vehicle, facing Mecca, and say a prayer.
The weekly newspaper Weltwoche was the first to report this. This represents a departure from the VZO’s usual practices, even though Swiss drivers have become a rarity at this public transport company.
The evasive responses from the VZO and the Zurich Transport Association (ZVV) when questioned about this behaviour by an employee of a state-run organisation are telltale.
Both bodies are avoiding making a clear statement. One can literally sense how uncomfortable and embarrassing the issue is for them.
The VZO emphasises that freedom of religion and expression are respected in Switzerland. As if this had ever been called into question.
Engaging in religious practices whilst at work is not in line with the VZO’s principles and guidelines.
That is all they have to say on the matter.
A clear distancing from such behaviour would require a different approach. What is missing is a statement that such conduct by drivers will no longer be tolerated in future.
And that measures are being taken to ensure that the unfurling of prayer mats on school trips does not become the norm in this country.
The ZVV, on whose behalf the VZO operates, is also sidestepping the issue by declaring the prayer mat to be a matter for the VZO.
The state of religious tolerance towards Christians in Arab countries is well known.
In Germany, for example in Landshut, there have been several reported cases where public transport bus drivers have stopped mid-journey to demonstratively call upon Allah on a prayer mat, despite passengers waiting.
In doing so, they are willing to accept delays and missed connections.
The mainstream media hardly report on such cases.
It is probably not wrong to suspect that deliberate provocations are being used to help Islam gain an ever-stronger foothold, encouraged as it is by the lack of resistance.