Swiss Ban Minarets in Controversial Vote
Referendum Highlights Conflict Over Culture, Integration; Result 'Isn't Worthy of Switzerland,' Says One
Muslim Leader
By DEBORAH BALL and NICHOLAS BIRCH
ZURICH -- Swiss voters Sunday approved a ban on the construction of new minarets on mosques, defying appeals from the government to reject the proposal and raising the specter of a new round of tensions in Europe concerning the role of Islam on the Continent.
The vote highlights the persistent conflict over the integration of Europe's growing Muslim population into civil society. Earlier this month, France considered whether to bar Muslim women from wearing full-face veils, sparking a heated debate in which one French politician described burqas, the head-to-toe veils worn by some very devout Muslim women, as "walking coffins." The government issued a recommendation against wearing burqas, but stopped short of an outright ban.
European governments also have struggled in recent years with popular opposition to the construction of mosques, as well as with a backlash to the murder of a filmmaker in the Netherlands by a Muslim extremist, and the reaction in some Muslim countries to the publication in Danish newspapers of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.
The yes vote in Switzerland could raise interfaith tensions in a country that has largely escaped such conflicts in recent years. The Swiss voted strongly for the ban, with 58% of votes in favor of the initiative and 42% against. Until about a month ago, polls had predicted voters would solidly reject the ban, though support for the ban had been edging up in recent weeks.
The referendum, promoted by Switzerland's right-wing People's Party, sparked an emotional national debate over the place of Muslims in Swiss society. The party, arguing that the minaret is a symbol of Islamic intolerance, led a drive to call the referendum. It collected more than 100,000 signatures, twice the number required.
In Turkey, where there is a broad perception that prejudice against Muslims is growing in Europe, the Swiss referendum was watched with concern.
On private television station NTV, Saim Yeprem, a former senior administrator at Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs, called the outcome "a result of Islamophobia." Noting that several mosques in Europe were financed by 19th-century Ottoman sultans, he said "it is a sign for the worse that Europe, which in those days tolerated mosque-building, is unwilling today to tolerate minarets."
Turkey is negotiating to join the European Union, but since talks began in late 2005, France, Germany and several other countries have argued the predominantly Muslim country isn't sufficiently European to join. Several areas of the talks have stalled and resentment at the apparent rejection is rising in Turkey.
Cavid Aksin, an Istanbul metalworker, was angered that the referendum coincided with the end of one of the most important religious feasts in the Muslim calendar. "I think Turkey should have a referendum on whether to close down its churches," he said.
But Gaye Ibrahimoglu, sales manager for an Istanbul-based company, described the decision as "sensible. In this age of loudspeakers, I can't see the point of minarets anyway," she said.
Minarets are tower-like structures that are often used to launch the call to prayer for Muslims. In Switzerland only four of the country's 150 mosques have minarets, and none are used for the call to prayer because of strict noise-pollution rules. While the construction of mosques has sparked opposition in many European countries grappling with waves of Muslim immigration, minarets have been less controversial.
In France, Xavier Bertrand, secretary general of the ruling UMP party, told French radio that minarets weren't always necessary for Muslims to practice their religion.
In Switzerland, People's Party leader Walter Wobman said the group will now fight to ban the burqa as well as to institute a law against forced marriage. Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf released a statement saying the government respected the vote, but emphasized it "is not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture."
Muslim leaders kept a low profile during the campaign ahead of the referendum, but warned a yes vote could damage relations with greater Swiss society. The yes vote "isn't worthy of Switzerland," said Farhad Afshar, president of the Confederation of Muslim Organizations in Switzerland. "Muslims no longer feel accepted in Switzerland, and that is a shame, because Islam in Switzerland is a model for other European countries."
The vote in favor of the ban is a surprise in a country that prides itself on integrating immigrants, and where about a fifth of the population are foreigners. About 400,000, or roughly 5%, of Swiss residents are Muslim.
Some more orthodox Muslim groups have called for changes in some rules in recent years, including demanding segregation of children during swimming lessons. Swiss authorities have typically found pragmatic solutions to such demands with relatively little controversy. The run-up to the vote, however, saw a spate of anti-Muslim incidents.
The Swiss government feared a yes vote would spark a backlash, and Swiss diplomats have quietly been reassuring leaders in Muslim countries that the government opposed the referendum. About 7%, or 14.5 billion Swiss francs ($14.4 billion), of Swiss exports go to Muslim countries.
—Max Colchester contributed to this article.Write to Deborah Ball at deborah.ball@wsj.com
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A8
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