Swiss voters ban minarets

[dgriffin]

Swiss voters back ban on minarets



There are only four minarets in Switzerland


Swiss voters have supported a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, official results show. More than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban. The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which says minarets are a sign of Islamisation.

The government opposed the ban, saying it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

But Martin Baltisser, the SVP's general secretary, told the BBC: "This was a vote against minarets as symbols of Islamic power." The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the surprise result is very bad news for the Swiss government which fears unrest among the Muslim community.

Our correspondent says voters worried about rising immigration - and with it the rise of Islam - have ignored the government's advice. In a statement, the government said it accepted the decision. It said: "The Federal Council (government) respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted."

This will cause major problems because during this campaign mosques were attacked, which never happened in 40 years in Switzerland.

FULL STORY AT:

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8385069.stm


This is an example of the gulf between Europe's politicians and the people they represent. Similar disparities exist in Holland and the UK. Government officials understandably consider it their duty to enforce constitutionally guaranteed religious rights and to avoid civil unrest they fear would come from the Muslim community. The people consider it their duty and right to vote for the kind of country they want.

There are 400,000 Muslims living in the tiny country. Swiss banks trade extensively with Muslim countries.

By way of further background, here's another interesting article that was published last month in the run-up to the vote:


Zurich allows anti-minaret poster





Switzerland's biggest city, Zurich, has allowed the use of a controversial poster which urges a ban on the building of minarets in the country.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8297826.stm

[clarencebunsen]

Aljazeera had a slightly different take.

english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/11/2009112915164769444.html

[dgriffin]

From the Aljazeera article, I note that the cities of Basel, Lausanne and Fribourg banned the billboards, saying they painted a "racist, disrespectful and dangerous image" of Islam.

A poster depicting a Muslim woman in normal street attire. Hmmm.