Tolerant Swiss to Ban Minarets?

(NEWSER) - A debate on freedom of religion featuring ultra-nationalist zealots is playing out in the most unlikely of places: a sleepy hamlet in Switzerland. A group is trying to block the construction of a 30-foot tall minaret on a mosque in Langenthal (pop. 14,000) because it's a symbol of Islam's "desire for power," the Independent reports. More»

French president sympathizes with Swiss in minaret ban

(NEWSER) - People of all faiths, but especially Muslims, must “refrain from ostentation and practice their religion in humble discretion,” Nicolas Sarkozy opined today, sympathizing with the Swiss voters who approved a minaret ban last week. In a column in Le Monde, the French president warned Muslims that doing anything that appeared to challenge France’s Christian heritage would “doom to failure” moderate Islam in the country. More»

Surprise vote shows anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim sentiment on the rise

(NEWSER) - The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) got a surprising shot in the arm with Sunday’s vote to ban minarets in the country. Though it’s been growing rapidly since its 1980s inception, the SVP has had little success in referenda until now, with critics accusing it of racism for its anti-immigrant campaigning, Reuters reports—including the infamous posters showing a white sheep kicking a black one off the Swiss flag. Muslim leaders condemned the vote, and Swiss companies braced for a backlash, the Wall Street Journal adds. More»

Nationalist measure reflects rising anti-Muslim sentiment

(AP) - Swiss voters approved a move to ban the construction of minarets in a vote today on a right-wing initiative that labeled the mosque towers as symbols of militant Islam, early projections showed. The Swiss looked to have swung from only 37% supporting the proposal a week ago to 59% in actual voting. The move by the nationalist People's Party, known for controversial anti-immigrant campaigns, is part of a broader European backlash against a growing Muslim population. More»

Referendum this month sparks fear of Muslim backlash

(NEWSER) - 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. More»