Swiss minaret ban accepted in referendum

Projections from exit polls suggest that voters in Switzerland have backed a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets.

The result is not yet official, but the BBC's correspondent in Berne says if it is confirmed, it would be a surprise.

The proposal was backed by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which claims minarets are a sign of Islamisation.

Opponents say a ban would discriminate and that the ballot has stirred hatred.

The government opposes a ban.

Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims and has just four minarets. Official referendum results are due at 1700 GMT.

Under the Swiss system, a referendum result is not binding unless a majority of canton voting districts approve it, as well as a majority of voters.

'Huge surprise'

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the voting trends are very bad news for the Swiss government which had urged voters to reject a ban on minarets, fearing unrest among the Muslim community and damage to Switzerland's relations with Islamic countries.

But voters worried about rising immigration, and with it the rise of Islam, seem to have ignored the government's advice, our correspondent says.

Partial results from the poll which closed at 1100 GMT indicated that the German-speaking canton of Lucerne accepted the ban, while French-speaking cantons Geneva and Vaud voted against, news agency AFP reported.

"The initiative would appear to be accepted, there is a positive trend. It's a huge surprise," French-language television said, 30 minutes after polls closed at midday.

Islam is the most widespread religion after Christianity in Switzerland, but it remains relatively hidden.

There are unofficial Muslim prayer rooms, and planning applications for new minarets are almost always refused.

Supporters of a ban claim that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system – Sharia law – which are incompatible with Swiss democracy.

But others say the referendum campaign has incited hatred. On Thursday the Geneva mosque was vandalised for the third time during the campaign, according to local media.

Before the vote, Amnesty International warned that the ban would violate Switzerland's obligations to freedom of religious expression.

'Political symbol'

The president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, Tamir Hadjipolu, told the BBC that if the ban was implemented, Switzerland's Muslim community would live in fear.

"This will cause major problems because during this campaign in the last two weeks different mosques were attacked, which we never experienced in 40 years in Switzerland.

"So with the campaign… the Islamaphobia has increased very intensively."

Sunday's referendum was held after the People's party collected 100,000 signatures from eligible voters within 18 months calling for a vote.

SVP member of parliament Ulrich Schluer said the referendum campaign had helped integration by encouraging debate. He rejected the charge of discrimination.

"Every Muslim is allowed to come together with other Muslims to have the religion together," he told the BBC.

"But a minaret is a political symbol. It is a symbol for introducing, step-by-step, Sharia rights also in Switzerland, parallel to the Swiss law which is a result of Swiss democracy. And this is the problem. It is nothing against Muslims."

In recent years many countries in Europe have been debating their relationship with Islam, and how best to integrate their Muslim populations.

France focused on the headscarf, while in Germany there was controversy over plans to build one of Europe's largest mosques in Cologne.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8385069.stm

Results here: http://tagesschau.sf.tv/hintergrund/abstimmungen/abstimmung_vom_29_november_2009

u have to support it as you werent in ur own country

Well doesn't that mean in turn that the Muslims in Switzerland should respect the norms of the people there as well, who don't want the Minarets?

I WILL ALSO ASK MY PUBLIC TO RESTRICT THE WORHSIPMENT AND CHRUCH ACTITIVITES AND YOU WILL SEE THE RESULT

The result is already there. The Jews and Christians have mostly left the country because of the crazy fundamentalism.

the minaret isnt necessary for praying. the mosque yes, but not the minaret! you can pray in groups and everything in the mosques. We accept this like we accept the temples of buddhists and hindoos

 we already have minarets it's just about not build more of them because then it would go near an islamisation. you don't know much about the topic i'm talking about. what's going on in switzerland. u just speak generally and i have to agree with u on many points but it's not about that.

our public already agreed on it. look i talked with a muslim collegue of mine, who is against this initiative. of course.. and i talked to him and he also tried to understand my point of view, and so did i. we both had to agree with each other, either our oppinions are so different. try to understand what i say, i mean i also try to understand what u say and think.

it's just difficult to tell you in english what i really want to say. it's not against the islam or the muslims – not at all!! it's just against the minarett and the symbolisation it has.

of course you could say it's against the human right and everyone can build what he wants to. that's why we're not against the mosque's – u see? or about them praying in their buildings.

that's exactly what i'm talking about. (fabs1) i mean if i went to an islam country i'd also adjust to their culture and their norms… and as fabs already said, the result is already there..

look. maybe i got some points "wrong" but if i would come to your country and try to change everything. and if you accept something i wouldnt be happy i would already ask for the next one.. there would be a unhappiness one day about me.. and that is exactly what some islam people are doing here.. know what i mean? that's what i mean when i say you don't know what's happening here.. here are many people that have no intelectual they just fight against switzerland.. and that is the thing i dont want to tolerate. i wouldnt be against the minaret… maybe it would be strange first but i think it would work. it's the calling of prayers and so stuff… it's the idea behind it.. i don't want to lose the foundations of switzerland… im very open-minded. i wouldnt talk with muslim guys in school if i wasnt interested in their ideas or their oppinion to it. i would go my way, straight without any look right or left. but i'm interested in a good way to combine the needs of muslims, jews, christians and everyone else. and i dont want swiss not to forget their roots.. as islam doesnt want to. know what i mean?

i say if there wouldnt happen so much with muslims in swiss the swiss public wouldnt have voted yes to a stop of build minarets.. got me?

30,000 jews living normally without any threat of your imaginary fundamentalists

Yes, they're all living in France now.

There are around less than 100 Jews, mostly in secret, left in Algeria now, which proves my point.

Bringing the topic back to attention.

this is just a speculation. i think it could go in a different direction. maybe it's just not the right time. and maybe in 5-10 years there will be an initiative against this law.. who knows? maybe then will be the day, swiss people are also ready to do this step but not now. they want too much in too short time. that's my oppinion.

but i understand your fear.. i just can say, come here and look how it is. you can't have an oppinion just because of ONE law. there are so many laws and other things FOR muslims and other folks. yes.

have a nice day

RACISM!!

there are around 2000 jews live in algeria according to US, and we don't have official statistics here. (according United States Department of State, 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom)

2000 Jews in Algeria? I think that's a gross overestimation.

Since 1994 the Jewish community has diminished to less than 2,000 members due to fears of terrorist violence. The Jewish community was not active, and the synagogues remained closed.

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127344.htm