BERNE (ANS) — The Swiss vote in favor of a ban on minarets has been met with controversial reactions in the Christian community of the alpine country.

In a referendum on November 29, a proposed building ban for further minarets received a 57.5 percent majority. The motion was supported by the conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and the Confederate Union (EDU), which has a strong evangelical following.

The Swiss Evangelical Alliance and the Swiss Protestant Church Federation, however, opposed the ban. There are four mosques with minarets in Switzerland. The country has 7.7 million inhabitants, 400,000 are Muslims.

The clear majority for a ban came as a surprise. Most political parties as well as churches, commerce and industry had opted against the ban.

The EDU welcomed the fact that the Swiss citizens had not let themselves be intimidated. Andreas Broennimann, Member of Parliament for the EDU, commented: “The Swiss people have given an important sign against Islam’s claim for power”. The EDU emphasized that religious liberties for Muslims will not be curbed.

The Swiss Evangelical Alliance is disappointed by the majority decision. The minaret ban would not make it easier to find constructive solutions for problems in the relations with the Muslim minority, commented the alliance’s General Secretary Hansjoerg Leutwyler. The Swiss credibility in human rights matters had not been strengthened, he said.
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By Wolfgang Polzer, Special to ASSIST News Service