I am a Ghost
New Member
By Tony Paterson in Berne
Monday November 30 2009
THE SPECTRE of religious and racial intolerance was raised over Switzerland last night as a majority of voters backed a deeply controversial proposal to ban the building of minarets at mosques in a referendum which instilled fear among Muslims and shocked the Swiss government.
The result, which followed a series of unprecedented stone-throwing attacks on mosques, astounded political observers as it was the opposite of what opinion polls had been predicting for months ahead of the plebiscite initiated by the ultra- conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP.)
Surveys had suggested the proposed ban was favoured by only 35pc of the electorate. However, according to first results yesterday, support for the proposal appeared to have topped the 57pc mark. "It is a huge surprise," the country's French-language television station said.
Observers said the resounding "No" to minarets came after a vigorous campaign to mobilise voters by the SVP and the country's smaller but equally xenophobic Swiss Democratic Union. Posters supporting the ban showed a menacing-looking woman in a black Burka posing next to missile-like minarets on top of the Swiss flag.
Ulrich Schluer, a triumphant SVP MP, claimed that the referendum had helped to foster integration by encouraging debate on the issue.
Members of Switzerland's 400,000-strong Muslim community which accounts for around 5pc of the country's 7.5 million population, were shocked and clearly intimidated by the result. Tamir Hadjipolu, the president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, said that Swiss Muslims would live in fear if the ban went ahead.
"This will cause major problems because during the last two weeks of this campaign different mosques were attacked and we have never experienced this in 40 years of living in Switzerland."
Although it disapproved of the ban, the Swiss government was obliged by law to accept the result of the referendum. "The government respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," it said in a statement. None of the country's mosques, including the four that have minarets - which provide a vantage point from which the call to prayer is made -- broadcast the call to prayer in public. (© Independent News Service)
- Tony Paterson in Berne
Irish Independent
Monday November 30 2009
THE SPECTRE of religious and racial intolerance was raised over Switzerland last night as a majority of voters backed a deeply controversial proposal to ban the building of minarets at mosques in a referendum which instilled fear among Muslims and shocked the Swiss government.
The result, which followed a series of unprecedented stone-throwing attacks on mosques, astounded political observers as it was the opposite of what opinion polls had been predicting for months ahead of the plebiscite initiated by the ultra- conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP.)
Surveys had suggested the proposed ban was favoured by only 35pc of the electorate. However, according to first results yesterday, support for the proposal appeared to have topped the 57pc mark. "It is a huge surprise," the country's French-language television station said.
Observers said the resounding "No" to minarets came after a vigorous campaign to mobilise voters by the SVP and the country's smaller but equally xenophobic Swiss Democratic Union. Posters supporting the ban showed a menacing-looking woman in a black Burka posing next to missile-like minarets on top of the Swiss flag.
Ulrich Schluer, a triumphant SVP MP, claimed that the referendum had helped to foster integration by encouraging debate on the issue.
Members of Switzerland's 400,000-strong Muslim community which accounts for around 5pc of the country's 7.5 million population, were shocked and clearly intimidated by the result. Tamir Hadjipolu, the president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, said that Swiss Muslims would live in fear if the ban went ahead.
"This will cause major problems because during the last two weeks of this campaign different mosques were attacked and we have never experienced this in 40 years of living in Switzerland."
Although it disapproved of the ban, the Swiss government was obliged by law to accept the result of the referendum. "The government respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," it said in a statement. None of the country's mosques, including the four that have minarets - which provide a vantage point from which the call to prayer is made -- broadcast the call to prayer in public. (© Independent News Service)
- Tony Paterson in Berne
Irish Independent