The French foreign minister has joined with Muslim human rights groups
and the Swiss government in criticizing a Swiss referendum banning the
construction of new minarets attached to mosques.
Bernard Kouchner said Monday he is "scandalized" by the right-wing
Swiss initiative, which nearly 58 percent of Swiss voters approved on
Sunday. Kouchner called the vote an expression of intolerance.
In Geneva, the head of a leading Muslim interfaith group (the Muslim Council of Interknowing),
Hafid Ourardiri, said he was surprised and saddened by the outcome. He
said he expected Muslims to appeal the ban to the European Court of
Human rights.
The Swiss government and many lawmakers say the ban violates the Swiss
constitution as well as the nation's tradition of tolerance.
However, in the Netherlands, anti-immigration politicians are calling
for a similar referendum. Right-wing leaders in Austria and France say
the vote affirms the Swiss national identity.
The nationalist Swiss People's Party, which backed the referendum,
calls minarets symbols of political power. It says the measure was
designed to stop what it called the "further Islamization in
Switzerland."
The government said Sunday it accepted the vote and that construction
of new minarets will no longer be permitted. However, it also said
Muslims in Switzerland retain their ability to practice their religion
"alone or in community with others."
The country's estimated 350,000 Muslims -- mainly migrants from Turkey
and the Balkans -- make up about 4 percent of the population.
On Sunday, Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the vote
reflects a "widespread fear" of Islamic fundamentalism. But she said
the ban will do nothing to counter extremism.