- Title: SWITZERLAND: Swiss to vote on bannning construction of minarets
- Date: 25th November 2009
- Summary: BERN, SWITZERLAND (NOVEMBER 23, 2009) (REUTERS) SWISS PEOPLE PARTY DEPUTY AND MINARETS BAN SUPPORTER OSKAR FREYSINGER WITH JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (French) SWISS PEOPLE PARTY DEPUTY AND INITIATIVE PARTISAN OSKAR FREYSINGER SAYING "If it's really just something decorative and secondary to them, why are they hanging on to that symbol so hard? It's a strong symbol for them, it's to show their territorial hold and I think for now, we'd rather not have that in our country." GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (RECENT - NOVEMBER 19, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF GENEVA'S MOSQUE WITH ITS MINARET PAN INSIDE THE MOSQUE'S PRAYING ROOM MUSLIM MAN PRAYING IMAM YOUSSEF IBRAM OF THE MOSQUE OF GENEVA WALKING IN THE MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (French) IMAM YOUSSEF IBRAM OF THE MOSQUE OF GENEVA SAYING "Islam in Switzerland and in the Western world brings various questions but it doesn't call for a controversy, it doesn't need aggression and it doesn't call for that Islamophobic propaganda." GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (RECENT - NOVEMBER 10, 2009) (REUTERS) SWISS JUSTICE MINISTER EVELINE WIDMER-SCHLUMPF ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) SWISS JUSTICE MINISTER EVELINE WIDMER-SCHLUMPF SAYING "The acceptation of the initiative would unnecessarily endanger religious peace in our country, and what is more it would violate human rights guaranteed under international conventions and it would tarnish the Swiss reputation as a country that values the protection of fundamental rights."
- Embargoed: 10th December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Switzerland
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Domestic Politics,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA1B7S0GZK788ZXG9KP7M4MQG18
- Story Text: Switzerland is about to vote on whether or not to ban the construction of minarets for Muslims, after a campaign which has drawn wide criticism with posters dubbed as racist.
The Swiss people will vote on November 29 after a group of politicians from the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) and Federal Democratic Union gathered enough signatures last year to force a vote.
The Swiss government has already urged voters to reject the proposed ban, saying it would contravene religious freedom and human rights, and could provoke extremists rather than containing them.
"The acceptation of the initiative would unnecessarily endanger religious peace in our country, and what is more it would violate human rights guaranteed under international conventions and it would tarnish the Swiss reputation as a country that values the protection of fundamental rights," Swiss Justice minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said, emphasizing the government's stand against the ban.
Close to 400,000 Muslims are estimated to live in Switzerland - about 5 percent of the population, a majority of which emigrated from former Yugoslavia after fleeing ethnic cleansing during the civil war of the nineties.
Switzerland houses between 130 and 160 mosques but only four have minarets, all mute: Zurich, Geneva, Winterthour and Wangen bei Olten.
Applications to build more prompted the initiative for a ban. Supporters of a ban say minarets have no religious justification and are symbols of Islamic power which contravene Swiss constitutional rights to religious freedom.
"If it's really just something decorative and secondary to them, why are they hanging on to that symbol so hard? It's a strong symbol for them, it's to show their territorial hold and I think for now, we'd rather not have that in our country," SVP deputy Oskar Freysinger and member of the initiative committee told Reuters Television.
"Islam in Switzerland and in the Western world brings various questions but it doesn't call for a controversy, it doesn't need aggression and it doesn't call for that islamophobic propaganda," Imam Youssef Ibram of Geneva's mosque told Reuters Television.
The initiative committee, composed mainly of far right-wing SVP members, has drawn wide criticism with posters showing the Swiss flag, a white cross on a red background, covered in missile-like minarets and a mean looking woman wearing a black chador and veil associated with strict Islam.
Experts from the United Nations' Human Rights Council in Geneva raised concerns over the campaign at their last session in October, accusing it of discrimination towards Muslims in Switzerland, and arguing the posters should be outlawed by the Swiss Constitution.
Some local governments have banned the campaign posters, accusing them of racism towards the Muslim community of Switzerland.
The right-wing SVP, which took 29 percent of the vote in the last election to make it the country's biggest party, has been accused of racism for anti-immigration campaigns, including a poster showing white sheep kicking a black sheep off a Swiss flag.
Latest opinion polls ten days ahead of the vote show 53 percent of Swiss oppose a ban, while 37 percent are in favour. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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