In a November 29 poll, a surprising 57.5 percent of Swiss voters passed a measure that would ban the building of further minarets at mosques in the country. There are currently four minarets in Switzerland; however, these will not be affected by the vote. The measure had been supported by two populist parties: the Swiss People’s Party and the Federal Democratic Union. Currently, there are 400,000 Muslims living in the mountainous bastion of bank accounts, in a total population of 7.7 million. The Swiss government issued regrets over the poll but says it will respect the result.
The Swiss justice minister also said the European Court of Human Rights could strike down the Sunday vote, which incurred swift condemnation at home and abroad for banning the towers used to put out the Islamic call to prayer. The 47-nation Council of Europe said that banning "new minarets in Switzerland raises concerns as to whether fundamental rights of individuals, protected by international treaties, should be subject to popular votes." Switzerland presides over the council, which is associated with the European Court of Human Rights. The court rules on breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the ban would come into force immediately, but indicated that it could be overturned. "The ban contradicts the European Convention on Human Rights," Widmer-Schlumpf is cited as saying. The minister added, that this was not "a referendum against Islam ... but a vote directed against fundamentalist developments." She defended the referendum as being "about minarets and not, of course, about the Islamic community," she said. "We are interested in a multi-religious society in Switzerland."
France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he was "a bit scandalized" by the vote, which amounts to "oppressing a religion." "I hope that the Swiss will go back on this decision rather quickly," Kouchner said. "It is an expression of intolerance, and I detest intolerance."
Activists in Europe were quick to condemn the vote, including former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, a Labourite. “Let this referendum be a rallying call for all democrats - we must challenge Islamophobia and racism if we are to stop the far right."
Bruce Kent, Vice President of Pax Christi said, "I am dismayed at this decision which is manifestly discriminatory. As a Christian, I live in an area where we have a beautiful mosque and minaret which cause no offence to anybody and contributes to the beauty of the environment."
A Vatican spokesman denounced the ban as an infringement of religious freedom, while Catholic bishops in Swizerland issued a statement regretting the ban and accused the Swiss People's party of caricaturing and exaggerating the alleged threat posed by Muslims, and also warned that the ban "will not help Christians oppressed and persecuted in Islamic countries."
Dr. Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said, “The Swiss referendum results today show how far and how quickly Europe is moving in the wrong direction in its attitudes and policies towards Muslims and other minority groups in Europe. Mosques and minarets in our European cities are manifestations of the proudly indigenous nature of Islam in Europe… The rise in anti-Muslim prejudice that has accompanied the Swiss opposition’s campaign will further exacerbate Muslim fears.”
Dr Edie Friedman, Executive Director of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality said, “It is a very sad day when such an important religious symbol is put to the vote. That anyone should even consider this is unbelievable. This could have very dangerous consequences, sending out the wrong message to the rest of the world. Far from cementing positive relations between people, this can only sew division and disharmony. I hope that common sense prevails, this decision is reversed and building a cohesive society in Switzerland is taken up with renewed vigor.”
"I have deep concerns at the negative consequences that the outcome of the vote will have on the freedom of religion or belief of members of the Muslim community in Switzerland," Asma Jahangir, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, stated in a news release. "Indeed, a ban on minarets amounts to an undue restriction of the freedom to manifest one’s religion and constitutes a clear discrimination against members of the Muslim community in Switzerland," she added, also noting that the UN Human Rights Committee stated a month ago that such a ban is contrary to the country’s obligations under international human rights law.
Babacar Ba, a senior official of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, warned of an "upsurge in Islamophobia,” while the group’s Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said the ban is an "example of growing anti-Islamic incitement in Europe by the extremist, anti-immigrant, xenophobic, racist, scare-mongering ultra-right politicians who reign over common sense, wisdom and universal values."
In the Netherlands, Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders – a lighting-rod for Muslim ire - called the result “fantastic news” and “a breakthrough as it is the first time a European country has spoken out against Islamization”. He plans to ask for a similar referendum in the Netherlands. “The Netherlands has lots of mosques. Dutch people should have the right to say what they think about it. I think the result here will be the same as in Switzerland.” Wilders has been banned from Britain for supposed hate speech.
Elsewhere, critics applauded the Swiss ballot. "The flag of a courageous Switzerland which wants to remain Christian is flying over a near-Islamised Europe," said Mario Borghezio of Italy's Northern League party.
RSS