Oskar Freysinger
{{Short description|Swiss politician (born 1960)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Oskar Freysinger
|honorific-suffix =
|image = Oskar Freysinger (2007).jpg
|imagesize = 200px
|alt =
|caption = Freysinger at the 2011 Geneva Salon du Livre
|constituency_MP = Valais
|parliament = National Council of Switzerland
|term_start = 1 December 2003
|term_end = 29 November 2015
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|6|12|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Sierre, Switzerland
|nationality =
|party = Swiss People's Party
|spouse = Ghislaine Héritier
|relations =
|children = 3
|alma_mater = University of Fribourg
|occupation = {{hlist|Author|politician|teacher}}
|profession =
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|website =
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|serviceyears =
|rank = Appointé
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}}
Oskar Freysinger (born 12 June 1960) is a Swiss author and former politician for the Swiss People's Party, who served as a member of the National Council of Switzerland from 2003 to 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.parlament.ch/en/biografie/oskar-freysinger/1127|title= Oskar Freysinger |publisher=Federal Assembly|accessdate=8 May 2024}}
Background
Freysinger was born in Sierre.{{cite web|url=http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1127 |title=Freysinger Oskar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129075014/http://www.parlament.ch/f/suche/pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1127 |archive-date=29 January 2010|publisher=Federal Assembly}} He studied at a German-speaking school in Sion, and later studied German literature and philosophy, and French literature, obtaining a teaching degree in 1985. He studied at the University of Fribourg. He has taught at the Lycée-Collège de la Planta since 1987.{{cite web|url=http://www.ofreysinger.ch/politic/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=2|title=Présentation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212095104/http://www.ofreysinger.ch/politic/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=2 |archive-date=12 December 2009|website=ofreysinger.ch}} He is married to Ghislaine Héritier and has three children.
Political career
From 1997 and 2001, Freysinger was a communal counselor at Savièse for the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland. He co-founded the Valaisan branch of the Swiss People's Party, which he headed from 1999 to 2002. He became a member of the cantonal parliament of Valais from 2001 to 2003, and of the National Council of Switzerland from 2003 until 2015.
His main proposals include the revocation of article 261 bis; hold naturalisation by popular vote; expulsion of foreigners convicted of crimes; and strict regulation of drugs. He has been considered "a leading anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic figure on the European scene".{{cite journal|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21567689.2015.1012160|title=‘Secular Retaliation’: A Case Study of Integralist Populism, Anti-Muslim Discourse, and (Il)liberal Discourse on Secularism in Contemporary France|first=Per-Erik|last=Nilsson|pages=87-106|date=2015|doi=10.1080/21567689.2015.1012160|journal=Politics, Religion & Ideology |volume=16|issue=1|url-access=subscription}}
Freysinger played a crucial role in the 2009 Swiss minaret referendum to ban Islamic mosque minarets, and he participated in a counter-jihad conference in Paris in 2010.{{cite book|url=https://expo.se/wp-content/uploads/expo_migration/counterjihadrorelsen_en_del_av_den_antimuslimska_rorelsen_2012.pdf|title=Counterjihadrörelsen– en del av den antimuslimska miljön|first=Martha|last=Hannus|page=47|year=2012|publisher=Expo Research|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203232308/https://expo.se/wp-content/uploads/expo_migration/counterjihadrorelsen_en_del_av_den_antimuslimska_rorelsen_2012.pdf|archive-date=3 December 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://macleans.ca/news/world/rise-of-the-far-right-in-europe|title=The rise of the far right in Europe|first=Katie|last=Engelhart|work=Maclean's|date=30 November 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://libertiesalliance.org/2010/12/24/freysinger-feted-as-a-hero-at-paris-counterjihad-conference-on-18-december-2010/|title=Freysinger Feted As a Hero At Paris Counterjihad Conference on 18 December 2010|date=24 December 2010|work=International Civil Liberties Alliance}} He has also been on the board of advisors of the counter-jihad organisation Stop Islamization of Nations (SION).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jfa2DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT50|title=Liberal Roots of Far Right Activism: The Anti-Islamic Movement in the 21st Century|first=Lars Erik|last=Berntzen|page=50|year=2019|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781000707960}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bq-IDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT271|title=Soldiers of a Different God: How the Counter-Jihad Movement Created Mayhem, Murder and the Trump Presidency|first=Christopher|last=Othen|page=271|year=2018|publisher=Amberley|isbn=9781445678009}}{{cite web | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/20/idUS122494+20-Jan-2012+PRN20120120 | title = Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) Calls on UN to Protect Christians of Syria | work = Press Release from PR Newswire | publisher = Reuters | date = 2012-01-20 | access-date = 2014-12-21 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222544/https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/20/idUS122494+20-Jan-2012+PRN20120120 | archive-date = 2013-12-02 }} He sees Islam as essentially a political religion and therefore subject to secular law.{{cite news|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2009/12/02/01003-20091202ARTFIG00055-oskar-freysinger-le-pourfendeur-des-minarets-.php|title=Oskar Freysinger, le pourfendeur des minarets|date=Feb 12, 2009|newspaper=Le Figaro|author=Stéphane Kovacs|language=fr|access-date=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623065912/http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2009/12/02/01003-20091202ARTFIG00055-oskar-freysinger-le-pourfendeur-des-minarets-.php|archive-date=June 23, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
Bibliography
- Brüchige Welten. Kurzgeschichten, Parabeln, Satiren. Rotten, Visp 2004, {{ISBN|3-907624-60-2}}
- Outre-pensées. Matze, Sion 2005, {{ISBN|2-940375-00-3}}
- Die Schachspirale. Roman. Matze, Sion 2006, {{ISBN|2-940375-02-X}}
- Le nez dans le soleil. Monologue. Matze, Sion 2009, {{ISBN|978-2-940375-07-3}}
- Under Pseudonym Janus: Canines: antipolar. Xenia éditions, Sion 2010, {{ISBN|978-2-88892-103-5}}
- Antifa. Petit manuel antifasciste. Tatamis, Paris 2011, {{ISBN|978-2-917617-14-4}}
- Löwenzahn oder Der alte Mann an der Suone. Weltbild, Olten 2012, {{ISBN|978-3-03812-442-9}}
- Wabers Schwarm. Weltbild, Olten 2012, {{ISBN|978-3-03812-470-2}}
- Bergfried. Brinkhaus, Horw 2017, {{ISBN|978-3-906900-11-7}}
- Die dunkle Seite des Lichts. Brinkhaus, Horw 2018, {{ISBN|978-3-906900-12-4}}
- Rote Asche. Roman. Brinkhaus, Horw 2018, {{ISBN|978-3-906900-20-9}}
- Übung allein macht keinen Meister. Brinkhaus, Horw 2019, {{ISBN|9783906900209}}
- Nachtwehen. Ein Briefroman Brinkhaus, Horw 2019, {{ISBN|978-3-906900-23-0}}
- Waterman: A Sandy Tale. Wipf and Stock 2022, {{ISBN|9781666731781}}
- Svalbard. Roman Brinkhaus, Horw 2023, {{ISBN|978-3-906900-31-5}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.parlament.ch/en/biografie/oskar-freysinger/1127 Official page] at National Council of Switzerland
- {{Official website|http://www.ofreysinger.ch}} (defunct)
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freysinger, Oskar}}
Category:21st-century Swiss male writers
Category:21st-century Swiss novelists
Category:21st-century Swiss poets
Category:Counter-jihad activists
Category:Members of the National Council (Switzerland) 2011–2015
Category:Members of the National Council (Switzerland) 2007–2011
Category:Members of the National Council (Switzerland) 2003–2007
Category:Swiss critics of Islam