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Swiss to Vote on Minaret Ban
Referendum this month sparks fear of Muslim backlash
By Jane Yager
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Posted Nov 5, 09 6:47 AM CST
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(Newser)
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Swiss government and business leaders are having a panic attack over a referendum that would ban minarets on mosques—and, they fear, make the country a target for Islamic terrorism. The handiwork of the anti-immigrant Swiss People's Party, infamous for an earlier campaign poster showing a white sheep kicking a black sheep out of Switzerland, the referendum will be voted on Nov. 29. Only four of the 150 mosques in Switzerland have minarets, the Wall Street Journal notes, and sound-pollution laws already ban amplified calls to prayer.
Polls show 53% of voters oppose the ban and 34% support it. Should it pass, business leaders fear a backlash against their products in Muslim countries, an important market for Swiss goods. "The brand 'Swiss' must continue to represent values such as openness, pluralism, and freedom of religion," a Swatch exec tells the Journal. "Under no circumstances must it be brought in connection with hatred, animosity towards foreigners, and narrow-mindedness."