Swiss vote overwhelmingly in favor of minaret ban

30 November 2009

In a nation-wide referendum, Swiss citizens voted in favor of banning the construction of minarets on mosques. The surprise result, in a country that has only four mosques with minarets and no major problems with Islamist militancy, has led to concerns that Switzerland’s trade relations with the Muslim world might suffer. Fifty-eight percent of voters supported the proposal, which initiated by the far-right Swiss People’s Party.  

Muslim organizations in Switzerland and abroad condemned the vote but called for a measured response. There were warm words of praise from Italy's Reform Minister, Roberto Calderoli, who told the news agency ANSA that a clear sign had come from Switzerland: "Yes to church towers, no to minarets". He said Switzerland should be a model for Italy in this respect.  

The Swiss Jewish Community Federation had campaigned against the ban: “Because the Jewish community knows what discrimination means it regards it as a duty to actively fight for religious freedom,” it said in a statement prior to the referendum.