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October 12, 2008 3:29:40 PM CDT

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Tolerant Swiss to Ban Minarets?

Posted May 28, 07 9:57 PM CDT in World,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – The Swiss have gone NIMBY (not in my back yard) on minarets.  While Switzerland's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, a number of leading politicians want to ban them via a referendum this fall.  There are now exactly two minarets in all of Switzerland.

One Swiss politician put it bluntly, "But we don't want minarets. The minaret is a symbol of a political and aggressive Islam, it's a symbol of Islamic law. The minute you have minarets in Europe it means Islam will have taken over."  There is concern that if a ban passes, Switzerland's 350,000 Muslims will become, quite rightfully, resentful.

Source BBC

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Swiss Flag   (Index Open)
The minarets of Muslim Sunni Mohammed al-Amin mosque and the...   (Getty Images)
A cross is seen behind a minaret in Ista   (Getty Images)
Medersa (in half-circle) facing Mecca,on the Atlantic shore. (PAR40893)   (Magnum Photos)
JERUSALEM,"Allah O Akbar" (God is Great)Minaret and tower of Franciscan church in Old City. (PAR63725)   (Magnum Photos)
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